What ventricular fibrillation looks like…the ONLY treatment for this is Defibrillation. No amount of Chest Compressions will revert this to a Sinus Rhythm. Chest Compressions only maintain perfusion until you Defibrillate.
ACLS
Good chest compressions during CPR does lead to significant injuries.
A brief accounting of the injuries from CPR from this study show:
- Multiple rib fractures: 57.3%
- Sternal fractures: 54.2%
- Intrathoracic bleeding: 36.1%
- Cardiac injuries: 7.2%
- Liver injuries: 3.6%
Luckily none of these injuries were judged to have contributed to the cause of death.
AHA 2015 Guidelines: A Preview
On October 15, the new American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR and ECG will be published. Then we will get the answers to the big questions many of us have wondered about?
- Has epinephrine in cardiac arrest seen its last days?
- Should paramedics continue to intubate cardiac arrest patients?
- Will traditional CPR be abandoned for cardiocerebral Resuscitation (CCR)?
Wellens’ Syndrome STEMI
What is Wellens’ Syndrome?
- History of Angina
- ECG Changes (T-wave Inversions/Biphasic T-waves in leads V2 – V4)
- Normal to Minimally elevated Cardiac Enzymes
- No pathologic precordial q waves
- No loss of precordial R wave progression
Shocking!!
The use of hands-on defibrillation (HOD) has been shown to expose the rescuer to voltages ranging from 827 V to ∼200 V, depending on cadaver and anatomic location. The rescuer-received dose (RRD) under the test scenarios ranged from 1 to 8 J, which is in excess of accepted energy exposure levels.
Acute management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction in a tertiary hospital in Kenya: Are we complying with practice guidelines?
Acute management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction in a tertiary hospital in Kenya: Are we complying with practice guidelines?
Wachira BW, Owuor AO, Otieno HA.
Afr J Emerg Med. 2014 Sept;4(3):104–108
Resus – The First Five Minutes
Approach to a crashing patient…a working formula