Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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Updated life-support guidelines were published by the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) in 2010, increasing the required depth and rate of chest compression delivery. This study sought to determine the impact of these guidelines on rescuer fatigue and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performance. ⋯ Fatigue affects chest compression delivery within the second minute of CPR under the 2010 ERC guidelines, and is poorly judged by rescuers. Rescuers should, therefore, be encouraged to interchange after 2 min of CPR delivery. Team leaders should be advised to not rely on rescuers to self-report fatigue, and should, instead, monitor for its effects.
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New Zealand is hosting the Rugby World Cup (RWC) 2011. It is the largest sporting event in New Zealand's history, with around 70,000 fans estimated to visit the country from September to October 2011. This influx of tourists will have an impact on its already stretched healthcare services. The preparedness of New Zealand's healthcare system to handle this mass event is unclear. ⋯ Only 12.7% of acute care providers in New Zealand perceived preparedness for RWC 2011. Perceived preparedness followed a stepwise decline from prehospital services, emergency department, to surgery and then finally to intensive care services. This indicates that current preparedness activities are focusing on prehospital emergency services and neglecting surgical and intensive care services. Awareness about the role of acute care providers during emergencies, training and previous experience were associated with perceived strong preparedness for RWC 2011.
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In real cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), noise can arise from instructional voices and environmental sounds in places such as a battlefield and industrial and high-traffic areas. A feedback device using a flashing light was designed to overcome noise-induced stimulus saturation during CPR. This study was conducted to determine whether 'flashlight' guidance influences CPR performance in a simulated noisy setting. ⋯ Flashlight-guided CPR is particularly advantageous for maintaining a desired MCR during hands-only CPR in noisy environments, where metronome pacing might not be clearly heard.