Resuscitation
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Following CBRN incidents health care professionals will be required to care for critically ill patients within the warm zone, prior to decontamination, whilst wearing CBRN-PPE. The loss of fine-motor skills may adversely affect delivery of medical care. ⋯ This study supports the concept of instigating airway and vascular access skills whilst wearing CBRN-PPE but challenges the sole reliance on 'high-dexterity skills'. Intubation is feasible but must be considered within the context of the incident as the LMA may offer a viable alternative. Intra-venous access prior to casualty decontamination is arguably a pointless skill and should be replaced with IO access.
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Comparative Study
Evaluating the effectiveness of a strategy for teaching neonatal resuscitation in West Africa.
To evaluate the effectiveness of a strategy for teaching neonatal resuscitation on the cognitive knowledge of health professionals who attend deliveries in Ghana, West Africa. ⋯ Evidence-based neonatal resuscitation training adapted to local resources significantly improved cognitive knowledge of all groups of health professionals. Further modification of training for midwives working at primary level health facilities and incorporation of neonatal resuscitation in continuing education and professional training programs are recommended.
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Patients' preferences for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) relate to their perception about the likelihood of success of the procedure. There is evidence that the lay public largely base their perceptions about CPR on their experience of the portrayal of CPR in the media. The medical profession has generally been critical of the portrayal of CPR on medical drama programmes although there is no recent evidence to support such views. ⋯ Whilst the immediate success rate of CPR in medical television drama does not significantly differ from reality the lack of depiction of poorer medium to long term outcomes may give a falsely high expectation to the lay public. Equally the lay public may perceive that the incidence and likely success of CPR is equal across all age groups.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Effects of AED device features on performance by untrained laypersons.
Our study evaluates the impact of features of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) on the performance and speed of untrained laypersons to deliver a shock and initiate CPR after a shock. ⋯ Most untrained laypersons were successful in delivering a shock. Device features had the most impact on these functions: ability and time to power-on device, adequacy of pad position and initiation of CPR.
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Comparative Study
Role of resuscitative emergency field thoracotomy in the Japanese helicopter emergency medical service system.
We investigated whether emergency thoracotomy (ET) performed in pre-hospital settings contributed to saving the lives of blunt trauma patients with impending or recent cardiac arrest. ⋯ These findings indicate that "early access" to a doctor's expertise and the performance of an "emergency field thoracotomy" might be two important factors for improving the possibility of saving the lives of blunt trauma patients with impending or recent cardiac arrest.