Resuscitation
-
Housestaff residents are often the primary participants in codes that occur in a hospital setting, yet it is unknown how much confidence and knowledge they possess in the management of these medical emergencies. A study to learn the effect of a mock code program on residents' level of confidence and knowledge regarding code situations was initiated in a children's tertiary care hospital. Thirty-three residents completed a questionnaire before initiation of the study. ⋯ There was no difference in the pre- and post-questionnaires of the control group. Residency programs are not meeting the educational and confidence needs of pediatric residents. A mock code program improves residents' perceived need for more knowledge before supervising a code and improves their confidence in doing many lifesaving procedures.
-
Letter Case Reports
CT scanning as a helpful tool for decision-making during CPR.
-
This study was designed to assess whether median frequency of ventricular fibrillation (VF) correlates with myocardial blood flow and defibrillation success during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after epinephrine or vasopressin administration. ⋯ We conclude that median frequency of VF reflects myocardial blood flow and the chance of successful defibrillation during closed-chest CPR after vasopressor treatment in a porcine model of VF.
-
Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Optimal defibrillation strategy and follow-up of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The Belgian CPCR Study Group.
In the current climate of rising healthcare cost, resuscitation efforts performed outside the hospital are critically evaluated because of their limited success rate in some settings. As part of a quality assurance program between the 1st January 1991 and 31st December 1993, six centres of the Belgian CPCR study group prospectively registered cardiac arrest (CA) patients and their treatment according to the Ustein Style recommendations. ⋯ In a second part of the study we describe long-term management of the 28 surviving VF patients, treated by the single EMS system of Brugge between 1st January 1991 and 30th April 1995: only 6 patients eventually received an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), whereas coronary revascularization was performed in 9 patients, and 3 patients were discharged on amiodarone only. Satisfactory long-term survival after out-of-hospital VF can be achieved by an early shock followed by advanced life support and appropriate definitive treatment.
-
Forty-one children aged 11-12 years received tuition in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and subsequently completed questionnaires to assess their theoretical knowledge and attitudes their likelihood of performing CPR. Although most children scored well on theoretical knowledge, this did not correlate with an assessment of practical ability using training manikins. In particular only one child correctly called for help after the casualty was found to be unresponsive, and none telephoned for an ambulance before starting resuscitation. These omissions have important implications for the teaching of CPR and the resulting effectiveness of community CPR programmes.