[Teaching Neonatal Resuscitation at Public Hospitals in Brazilian State Capitals]

Objective: To analyze the teaching of neonatal resuscitation offered by Brazilian public hospitals to undergraduate doctors and nurses, pediatric residents and neonatal fellows.

Methods: This cross-sectional multicenter study included 36 hospitals in 20 Brazilian State capitals during June/2003. Local coordinators collected data regarding what the institutions offer to undergraduate doctors and nurses, pediatric residents and neonatal fellows in terms of neonatal resuscitation training and practical activities in neonatal delivery room care. Descriptive analysis was performed.

Results: Twenty-three of the 36 institutions had undergraduate doctors: at 13 of them students had clinical activities in the delivery room, 12 offered neonatal resuscitation training, and at two of the 13 hospitals, interns cared for neonates in the delivery room without specific training. Twenty-three of the 36 hospitals had undergraduate nurses: at eight of them students had clinical activities in the delivery room and at seven of them nursing students cared for neonates in the delivery room without specific training. Twenty-seven of the 36 institutions had pediatric residence programs: at all of them, trained residents cared for neonates in the delivery room, but the training was heterogeneous: theoretical training (2-3 hours) at four institutions and theoretical and practical training (4-64 hours) at 23. Additionally, 15 had neonatal fellowship programs: at all of these, trained fellows cared for neonates in the delivery room, but the training was heterogeneous: theoretical training (2 hours) at one hospital and theoretical and practical training (3-68 hours) at 14.

Conclusion: Formal neonatal resuscitation training is insufficient during medical and nursing graduation and heterogeneously offered to pediatric residents and neonatal fellows.