Resuscitation
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
The effectiveness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation instruction: animation versus dispatcher through a cellular phone.
We developed a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instruction programme using motion capture animation integrated into cellular phones. We compared the effectiveness of animation-assisted CPR instruction with dispatcher-assisted instruction in participants with no previous CPR training. ⋯ Audiovisual animated CPR instruction through a cellular phone resulted in better scores in checklist assessment and time interval compliance in participants without CPR skill compared to those who received CPR instructions from a dispatcher; however, the accuracy of important psychomotor skill measures was unsatisfactory in both groups.
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Good quality basic life support (BLS) improves outcome during cardiac arrest. As fatigue may reduce BLS performance over time we wanted to examine the quality of chest compressions in a single-rescuer scenario during prolonged BLS with different compression:ventilation ratios (C:V ratios). ⋯ Increasing the C:V ratio increases the number of chest compressions during 10 min of BLS. Compression depth and compression rate were within guideline recommendations for all three ratios. We found no decline in chest compression quality below guideline recommendations during 10 min of BLS with any of the three different C:V ratios.
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Although many different drugs and interventions have been studied in cardiac arrest to improve survival rates and neurological outcome, the results are still very poor. Magnesium (Mg) has important electrophysiological effects and normal concentrations are required to maintain regular cardiac conduction, rhythm and vascular tone, but its role in improving survival rates and neurological outcome in victims of cardiac arrest is not completely understood. ⋯ We found that there are very few data available about the role of Mg in the treatment of cardiac arrest. Although two non-randomised and one animal study reported promising results, the lack of high quality studies makes it impossible to recommend for or against the administration of Mg during or early after resuscitation to improve outcome.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Physical strain on advanced life support providers in different out of hospital environments.
To examine to what extent the type of emergency medical transportation influences the physical response of advanced life support providers. ⋯ External chest compression CPR is possible in a flying helicopter as it is in a moving ambulance vehicle. There is no clinical relevant difference in physical strain during ALS between a flying helicopter and a moving ambulance car. As would be expected, the exertion increases with duration of CPR.