Neonatal resuscitation: a knowledge gap amongst obstetrical trainees. A cross-sectional survey amongst medical graduates of Civil Hospital Karachi.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the neonatal resuscitation competence of obstetrical trainees to assess the gap in knowledge and to determine training needs. METHODS The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Civil Hospital, Karachi, from January to March 2013 and comprised House Officers and Postgraduate trainees. A questionnaire was used to test the evaluation skills of different conditions and choice of appropriate action required during neonatal resuscitation. Data was collected and analysed through SPSS 17.0. RESULTS Of the 102 obstetrical trainees, 44 (43.1%) were House Officers and 58 (56.9%) were Postgraduate trainees with an overall mean age 25.69 +/- 2.3 years. Only 19 (18.6%) subjects cleared the test; 8 (42.1%) of them were House Officers and 11 (57.9%) were Postgraduate trainees. The result did not show any significant difference between those who had previous training or those who had performed neonatal resuscitation and those who had no such exposure. Majority, 92 (90.2%) considered their knowledge inadequate and 99 (97%) favoured that updated neonatal resuscitation programmes should be periodically arranged. CONCLUSION The study showed inadequate level of knowledge on neonatal resuscitation amongst obstetrical trainees. There is urgent need of formal training programmes which can make doctors skilful enough to face any adverse neonatal outcome professionally.