Skip to main content

Manual or Automatic


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

twitter.com/dsblev

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ELPA 6872 -Educational Technology

Good Morning Everybody. It has been a long time since I have posted on this blog.  The reason I am is a great reason for my Fire and EMS Audience, as well as my academic colleagues. After a very eventful beginning of 2018, my application was selected to join the latest cohort of students obtaining their Doctor of Education.  As part of this program, we are completing a course that is dedicated to technology and implementation into the classroom.  The delivery of this program is through technology based platforms, in that it is an online program. Here are some questions that I have about technology, and online learning. 1)  To mimic some of the classroom interaction and discussion, online educators use the discussion board with each module to foster communication.  For those of you having completed online educational programs, what made the discussion board useful? 2)  Does the set-up of the online course material make a difference in the success o...
8 comments
Read more

The Original Sequestration

In the recent months, anybody that has a radio or television has heard the term sequester or sequestration.  If you look-up sequestration online you will find a definition basically stating that an object (of some sort) will be taken back.  In 1985 Congress adjusted the term to become a fiscal definition basically meaning to take money back.  You can get even more fancy with the definition; however, overall something was giveth and something will be taketh away!!! Now, my question to you today is whether you know what this means to you?  Really, you don't?  Well don't worry you are not in the minority in this case.  I think if you were to ask those that govern what the 2013 sequestration actually means and how the population of the United State is going to be affected.  Open up the paper (or online copy) and you will find a different editorial on how the sequestration is going to affect rank and file members of this wonderful country.  One edito...
Post a Comment
Read more

Presidential Budget cuts 2.5M from vital grants!

I know that many of you are tired of hearing about the budget and the sequestration, fiscal cliffs and many many other things that are occurring in the federal budget.  Some of you don't care because it isn't currently affecting your department.  This is one budget update that you may want to pay attention to.  In the President's 2013 budget, the SAFER and Assistance to Firefighter grant programs are not being funded to previous years levels.  Now that cut currently sits at 2.5 million out of a total of 335m per program.  However, and this is where I caution you any cuts can be a dangerous sign to the future of this program.   As you know, emergency services (police, fire and ems) serves of America's first line of defense when it comes to dangerous situations.  These are the groups that are running towards the danger while others run out...i've always hated that quote, but it works.  Videos from the tragic events at the World Trade Ce...
Post a Comment
Read more