Just a couple short weeks ago, I mentioned on my facebook account that I was looking for topic ideas to feature here on the #COMBOMEDIC. It wasn't long will a brother in arms brought up the idea of talking about the automatic CPR devices. Now, it was quite interesting that I had just received an e-mai back from our physician medical director about his thoughts of these types of devices.
It is that time of year again when we start discussing our budgets and putting together proposals to purchase quality equipment to ensure that we are staying in tune with the educational requirements, as well as staying in tune to what our community of practice is using. March 15, 2013, the Memphis Fire Department (Article) purchases another 21 Physiocontrol Lucas 2 devices to place these devices on all front line apparatus. Physio Control is just one provider of these automatic type devices, Zoll also provides the Autopulse.
If you read into the research conducted into CPR, the biggest threat to ROSC is the lack of good chest compressions. Now we can talk all day about what a good chest compression actually is, but what we are talking about here is taking away the human fatigue fact and the decline in overall chest compression effectiveness because of the lack of physical conditioning. Now, I don't say that to insult anybody. With as difficult CPR can be, you can take the best conditioned athlete in the world and they will fatigue after a few minutes of good "fast" chest compressions that are to the adequate depth.
My question that I asked our medical director was whether he had read the data relating the Lucas2 by Physiocontrol or the Autopulse by Zoll, and whether they were going to be effective in helping with patient recovery rates from those suffering from Sudden Cardiac Arrest. In the region I serve, our communities are very diverse going form a major city that has 7 major hospitals to towns that are an hour away form the closest hospital. So as I asked in the title, are you a manual person, or do you prefer automatic? These devices are looking to take over the chest compression section of CPR to ensure you have the ability to continue working on the patient while ensuring adequate and effective compressions to the patient. They are now quicker to place on the patient, and the results are getting even better. I am starting to review the research and will be conducting a literature review on here with you shortly.
At a price tag of about $10,000 (MFD purchase 21 for roughly $240,000 from grant funds) are the results worth the price tag? That is one of the things that I hope to determine from the data. My viewpoint is that if it helps save one person from Sudden cardiac arrest then the price is worth it. I look forward to reading the data and getting in touch with Physio Control and Zoll to review these products even more.
What are your thoughts?
Take Care and Stay Safe!
The Combomedic
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