Resuscitation
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Case Reports
Electrical injury during "hands on" defibrillation-A potential risk of internal cardioverter defibrillators?
Despite clear guidance for the need for rescuers to avoid contact with a patient during external defibrillation, the advice regarding the potential dangers of rescuer contact during the firing of an internal cardioverter defibrillator [ICD] generally implies that such contact is safe. This case report describes documented nerve injury to a rescuer by a shock delivered from an ICD during chest compression on a patient in cardiac arrest. The authors also discuss the existing literature on the subject and make suggestions for future management.
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The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Oman is a relatively new project in the country. It has been developed based on the Anglo-American system of EMS. Currently, it is run by trained Omani Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians (AEMT) under the auspices of the Royal Oman Police (ROP) Ambulance Division. ⋯ It is state-funded and free of charge for all people in Oman. There are plans to incorporate aero-medical services into the system, to support the land ambulance service, and there are also plans to expand its coverage to the whole country by 2012. The EMS in Oman has hard challenges ahead but there are also promising plans in place to improve the system.
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Emergency medical services (EMS) in Hong Kong, now a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, have a distinguished history spanning more than 50 years. This paper outlines the history and the development of the Hong Kong EMS, with a particular focus on the ambulance service, the design of the system and the training of its staff.
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Multicenter Study
Australasian resuscitation of sepsis evaluation (ARISE): A multi-centre, prospective, inception cohort study.
Determine current resuscitation practices and outcomes in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with sepsis and hypoperfusion or septic shock in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ). ⋯ Management of ANZ patients presenting to ED with sepsis does not routinely include protocolised, ScvO(2)-directed resuscitation. In-hospital mortality compares favourably with reported mortality in international sepsis trials and nationwide surveys of resuscitation practices.
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Drowning is a unique form of cardiac arrest and is often preventable. "Utstein Style for Drowning" was published in 2003 by the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) to improve the knowledge-base, to provide epidemiological stratification, to recommend appropriate treatments and to ultimately save lives. We report on the largest single-center study of the Utstein Style resuscitation for drowning. ⋯ Our report is the largest single-center study of OHCA due to drowning reported according to the guidelines of the Utstein Style. Being witnessed, having a short duration of submersion, having early resuscitation by EMS, and rapid transportation are important for survival after drowning.