Kids (learn how to) save lives in the school with the serious game Relive

Introduction Relive is a serious game focusing on increasing kids and young adults’ awareness on CPR. We evaluated the use of Relive on schoolchildren. Methods A longitudinal, prospective study was carried out in two high schools in Italy over a 8-month period, divided in three phases: baseline, competition, and retention. Improvement in schoolchildren's CPR awareness, in terms of knowledge (MCQ results) and skills (chest compression (CC) rate and depth), was evaluated. Usability of Relive and differences in CC performance according to sex and BMI class were also evaluated. Results At baseline, students performed CC with a mean depth of 31 mm and a rate of 95 cpm. In the competition phase, students performed CC with a mean depth of 46 mm and a rate of 111 cpm. In the retention phase, students performed CC with a mean depth of 47 mm and a rate of 131 cpm. Thus, the training session with Relive during the competition phase affected positively both CC depth (p < 0.001) and rate (p < 0.001). Such an effect persisted up to the retention phase. CC depth was also affected by gender (p < 0.01) and BMI class (p < 0.01). Indeed, CC depth was significantly greater in male players and in players with higher BMI. Seventy-three percent of students improved their CPR knowledge as represented by an increases in the MCQ score (p < 0.001). The participants perceived the Relive to be easy to use with effective feedback. Conclusions Relive is an useful tool to spread CPR knowledge and improve CPR skills in schoolchildren.