BACKGROUND: The low cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) survival rate in Korea might be associated with inadequate education, an insufficient number of trained medical personnel, the inappropriate management of instruments and drugs in CPR carts. The purpose of this study was to determine the current status of these factors in major Korean university hospitals.

METHODS: We surveyed the following items among anesthesiologists at 13 university hospitals via E-mail. The items in the questionnaire were; 1) the time allocated to CPR instruction for medical students and anesthesiology residents in a year, 2) the organization, call system, and the role of each member of the CPR team, 3) the establishment of standard in-hospital CPR protocol, 4) the CPR cart items list and their exchange intervals, and 5) post-CPR reporting.

RESULTS: The durations of education for anesthesiology residents and medical students were <3 and 7 hours per year. The CPR team designated on documents differed from actual practice. Only one hospital had a standard CPR protocol. Most hospitals had a list of CPR cart, contents, items but the exchange intervals were irregular. Post-CPR reports were written only in intensive care units and emergency rooms. The involvement of nurses in CPR was minimal.

CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, recommend that the following be established; more profound CPR education program for anesthesiology residents and medical students, appropriate clarification of duties for each CPR team members, a standard in-hospital CPR protocol, and the systematic maintenance of drugs, instruments, and CPR records.