CARDIAC CARE
H The ERC challenge: do you have
ealthcare professionals throughout the UK are keenly aware of
the public heath consequences of sudden cardiac arrest. SCA is a leading cause of death in Europe and every year more than 80,000 people in the UK suffer sudden cardiac arrest in public places.
According to European Resuscitation Council (ERC) 2005 guidelines:
“Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) should be considered for the hospital setting as a way to facilitate early defibrillation (a goal of less than three minutes from collapse), especially in areas where staff have no rhythm recognition skills or where they use defibrillators infrequently.”
Have you deployed AEDs in your hospitals yet? If not, why?
Early defibrillation is a key to higher survival rates
The European Resuscitation Council notes: “The scientific evidence to support early defibrillation is overwhelming; the delay from collapse to delivery of the first shock is the single most important determinant of survival. The chances of successful defibrillation decline at a rate of 7-10% with each minute of delay; basic life support will help to maintain a shockable rhythm but is not a definitive treatment.”
A two-tier response protocol makes sense for inpatient areas. Floor nurses may use an AED to deliver first shock to cardiac arrest victims while the code
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team is mobilizing. This simple step better prepares you to meet or exceed the three minute goal. So whether you’re upgrading equipment or implementing a tiered-response programme across your campus, AEDs can help you save lives.
The national movement to defibrillation
The European Resuscitation Council’s efforts have helped increase national awareness about sudden cardiac arrest and what can be done to resuscitate its victims. Groups ranging from small parent groups to well- known national organisations are heeding the call for publicly accessible defibrillation.
The National Defibrillation Programme, instituted in 2007, has deployed more than 3,000 AEDs in airports, railway and underground stations, ferry ports, coach stations, and shopping centres.
The British Heart Foundation and regional ambulance trusts have started a number of campaigns to put AEDs in other places where people congregate, from pubs to sports arenas. And in April 2009 parents petitioned the prime minister’s office to make AEDs standard equipment in schools.
These groups are making terrific strides in the war against sudden cardiac arrest. At the same
defibrillators on your hospital campus?
time, they are building goodwill among their constituents. How might your hospital benefit from such an initiative?
What to look for in an AED
When considering AEDs, we recommend you evaluate defibrillators based on key criteria. Ask these key questions:
Does your defibrillator self-test all main components every day? Advanced models have a green ready indicator that works even if the battery dies. Also make sure the device will emit an alarm if it is not able to deliver therapy for any reason.
Does your defibrillator deliver variable escalating energy? Consider models that customize an appropriate energy level for each patient. If more than one shock is necessary, the defibrillators with variable energy escalate the energy to deliver therapy at an appropriate, higher level.
Does your defibrillator feature pacemaker detection, noncommitted shock, and synchronized shock technologies? Also make sure critical patient data can easily be downloaded after an event.
Does your defibrillator come with a warranty; for how long? Seven-year warranties are becoming common. You’ll do better asking about warranties on the batteries as well.
Does your defibrillator feature a text screen? Many current AEDs feature text prompts to run in tandem with the voice prompts. This is especially useful in situations when the voice prompts can’t be heard.
Sep/Oct 10
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