Resuscitation
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Dispatcher CPR instruction increases the odds of survival. However, many communities do not provide this lifesaving intervention, often citing the barriers of limited personnel, funding, and liability. ⋯ Using a central communication center for instructions allowed us to train and maintain a smaller group of communicators, leading to less cost and more experience for those communicators, while limiting the burden on PSAP dispatchers.
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Neurological status at hospital discharge is routinely used to assess patient outcome after cardiac arrest. However, attribution of impairment to the arrest is valid only if baseline neurological status is known. This study evaluated whether incorporating baseline neurological status improves performance of a widely employed neurological outcome scale for quantifying arrest-attributable morbidity. ⋯ Incorporating change-in-CPC into criteria for "good" neurological outcome post-arrest yields discordant results from traditional approaches that consider discharge CPC only and increases face validity of reporting arrest-related morbidity.
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Witnessing traumatic experiences can cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The true impact on healthcare staff of attending in-hospital cardiac arrests (IHCAs) has not been studied. This cross-sectional study examined cardiac arrest debriefing practices and the burden of attending IHCAs on nursing and medical staff. ⋯ Nearly 10% of acute care staff screened positively for PTSD as a result of attending an IHCA, with junior staff being most at risk of developing trauma symptoms. Very few debriefs occurred, possibly because of a lack of debrief training amongst cardiac arrest team leaders. More support is required for acute care nursing and medical staff following an IHCA.