Do doctors position defibrillation paddles correctly? Observational study

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Abstract
We recruited 101 doctors of all grades and acute specialties at Southampton General Hospital over a period of two weeks, who were unprepared and unaware of the nature of the study. They were shown an anatomically accurate male resuscitation manikin that they were told was in ventricular fibrillation. They were asked to defibrillate the manikin, which required the initial placement of sternal and apical defibrillation pads on the chest wall, on to which were placed the defibrillation paddles. The position of the centre of the defibrillation pads was recorded by using a grid placed over the chest wall. It was assumed that positions of the pad centre and the paddle centre were anatomically identical. Details of doctors' grade and specialty and the date of any previous instruction on defibrillation technique were also recorded.