3.03.2006

Emergency Cardiovascular Care

this is one of the few things that i always carry on my work bag (see side nav bar: my work bag). you could never go wrong with this one since it has almost everything that you needed in adult and pediatric emergencies (except for broselow pediatric tape). it is the bible of acls and pals providers. this one is the 2004 updated edition but soon it will be replaced by the 2005 guidelines.

Note: Please refer to American Heart Association - PDF of the 2005-2006 Winter issue of the ECC free quarterly newsletter, Currents for further information. This information is copyrighted by AHA. Also, please note the Purpose & Intent of the blog author on the right side nav bar.

The 5 major changes in the 2005 guidelines are these:

• Emphasis on, and recommendations to improve, delivery of effective chest compressions

• A single compression-to-ventilation ratio for all single rescuers for all victims
(except newborns)

• Recommendation that each rescue breath be given over 1 second and should
produce visible chest rise

• A new recommendation that single shocks, followed by immediate CPR, be used to
attempt defibrillation for VF cardiac arrest. Rhythm checks should be performed every
2 minutes.

• Endorsement of the 2003 ILCOR recommendation for use of AEDs in children 1 to 8 years old (and older); use a child dose-reduction system if available.

when i took my pals late last week, they tol us about the updated guidelines but as i have read on AHA website, they are going to release everyhting on december 2006. by updating their guidelines, they are giving easier to remember algorithms that is beneficial to both the rescuer and the patient. time is a valuable part of an emergency situation and assessments needed to be done by professionals and lay rescuers are now more definitive. chance of survival on emergency situations are increased with the new guidelines and recommendations. aed is still one of the most important things that a lay rescuer can learn. it remarkably increases the survival rate of adult cardiovascular emergency patients. especially now that a lot of establishments are investing on aed and training employees on how to use them. recommendations on aed for children ages 1 yr old and above is also promising although most of pediatric emergencies usually are respiratory in origin than cardiovascular.

there are still a lot to learn and i wish i can delve into it more. but i guess thats why AHA is there. i try to check for news and updates every week. i salute them for including lay rescuers in their endeavors to save lives.
Posted by nixinne :: 14:47 :: 0 comments

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