Send letter to journal:
Re: Examination of resuscitaion skills

Dear Editor

Lavis et al [1] seek to explain the poor results obtained by candidates undertaking the Bath University diploma in sports and exercise medicine as a failure of the candidate to take the subject seriously. They expect the standard to be comparable to “that required of a candidate completing the same task on an ATLS, PHTLS or ALS course.”

A candidate undertaking any of the above courses, or any of the British equivalents run by the British Association for Immediate Care (BASICS) such as the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care certificate, will have completed a 3–5 day course. The courses are intensive learning experiences comprising of lectures, skill stations, trauma moulage, cardiac care scenarios and continual assessment.

By comparison, my experience of the Bath Diploma Course is that its teaching relies of a small section in one of the modules, less than half a day of practical teaching tacked on to one of its clinical weekends and then for the students to direct themselves.

For a subject that quite rightly results in outright failure for the candidate if they fail to demonstrate competency, resuscitation skills attract very little attention from the course. This may be sending the wrong message to candidates and better results from the examination of resuscitation skills may be obtained if the course included more intensive instruction on the topic.

[1] Lavis M, Rose J, Jenkinson T. Sports doctors resuscitation skills under examination: do they take it seriously? Br J Sports Med 2001; 35; 128-30

Send letter to journal:
Re: Sports doctors' first aid skills

I cannot resist the temptation to join the debate on sports doctors’ resuscitation skills [1,2]. The study by Thompson et al [3] suggested that there is a perceived need amongst Sports specialists for first aid skills. However I received no response to my letter concerning this, [4] which indirectly posed the question, ‘should doctors who attend aquatic sports be able to deal with a suspected cervical spine fracture and recover the casualty?’ Obviously, that is the task of a lifeguard in the same way that first aid at non-aquatic events is the task for a first-aider but perhaps doctors should be competent first-aiders and/or lifeguards. This was never in the medical school curriculum and perhaps that should change. At least first-aid training is part of sports medicine courses but I would like to suggest that lifeguarding should also be included. I would also suggest that all doctors at aquatic events should hold the NPLQ, NBLQ or at least bronze medallion and bronze cross of the RLSS or overseas equivalent. Should any sports medicine course want advice on this they should contact the RLSS at River House, High St., Broom, Alcester, Warwickshire, B50 4HN (http://www.lifesavers.org.uk/). I would be happy to help out but would make 2 stipulations; everyone on the course should feel obliged to join the RLSS and they should sponsor me for my next fund-raising event for the RNLI!

Paul Schur

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