Resuscitation
-
Immediate activation of the emergency medical service (EMS) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) increases the incidence of return of spontaneous circulation and the number discharged from hospital. The American Heart Association (AHA) and the European Resuscitation Council describe CPR as an ordinate sequence of eight steps. The objectives of this study were to assess the general knowledge of EMS and CPR and to analyse the retention of the CPR steps 2 months after a Basic Life Support (BLS)-course conducted according to AHA standards. ⋯ HSS were more responsive and receptive than LEA. In order to increase the retention of the sequence of CPR steps, the number of steps should be reduced and refresher courses should be included in training programmes. Early access and early CPR are still not completely effective in the geographical area studied.
-
To determine the outcome of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and ventricular fibrillation as the presenting rhythm while using automated external defibrillators (AEDs) that delivered non-escalating, impedance-compensated low-energy (150 J) shocks. ⋯ Low-energy (150 J) non-escalating biphasic truncated exponential waveform shocks terminate VF in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with high efficacy; patient outcome is comparable with that observed with escalating high-energy monophasic shocks. Low-energy shocks, in addition to high efficacy, may confer the advantage of less shock-induced myocardial dysfunction, though this will be difficult to define in the clinical circumstance of long-duration VF provoked by a pre-existing diseased myocardial substrate.
-
To evaluate the effectiveness of a leadership development seminar introduced into the Resuscitation Council (UK) Advanced Life Support (ALS) Provider course. ⋯ A formal leadership development programme should be introduced into advanced life support courses.
-
Comparative Study
The effect of mild hypothermia and induced hypertension on long term survival rate and neurological outcome after asphyxial cardiac arrest in rats.
we studied the long-term effect of a combined treatment with resuscitative mild hypothermia and induced hypertension on survival rate and neurological outcome after asphyxial cardiac arrest (CA) in rats. ⋯ Resuscitative mild hypothermia and induced hypertension after asphyxial CA in rats is associated with a better survival rate. This beneficial effect persisted for 4 weeks after ROSC.