Defibrillation

Timing and Outcome of Therapeutic Hypothermia after Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest A study published in 2009 aimed to evaluate the effects of the timing of therapeutic hypothermia treatments on the survival rates and subsequent neurological function at hospital discharge and also 6 and 12 months after the cardiac event. This study evaluated both the effects of the time which it took to reach the target temperature and the time during which the patient was induced into a mold hypothermic state.…

One standard that has been adopted for all patients is the eight-minute response time. This response time has been derived from the importance of providing early defibrillation to cardiac patients. To achieve an eight-minute response time, EMS providers must use travel using lights and sirens or what is known as going “code three.” However, the majority of EMS calls are not for traumatic injuries or cardiovascular disease…

Cardiac arrest: the sudden loss of heart function, breathing and consciousness caused by abnormal or irregular heart rhythms (ex: ventricular fibrillation) Cardiomyopathy: a disease of the heart muscle (myocardium), may be acquired or hereditary Defibrillation: administration of a controlled electric shock to stop an extremely rapid, irregular heart beat (fibrillation) and restore heart rate to a normal rhythm. Determinants: elements that identify or determine the nature of something,…

The history of emergency medical services (EMS) dates to the Civil War era. At which time, all military personnel had to be examined by medical officers to qualify for duty and ambulances with trained attendance were assigned to a regiment based on its size (History of EMS, n.d., p. 1). Following the Civil War, the Anglo-American model of care began to evolve in Cincinnati with its first civilian ambulance in 1865 followed by New York City in 1869, it was during this time and ambulance…

substances that are used to stabilize abnormal heartbeats, such as atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, ventricular tachycardia, and ventricular fibrillation. If amiodarone is unavailable or if it is contraindicated, lidocaine can be used when defibrillation, CPR, and vasopressors have been initiated. Inhaled lidocaine can be used as a cough repressor. This is used to reduce the cough reflex for patients who have to go undergo intubation. By reducing the incidences of coughing, it can reduce any…

minutes without oxygen, and death can occur as soon as 4 - 6 minutes later.” (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2016, Para. 4) While in hospital if your heart ceases to beat then medical procedures that would restart your heart (such as CPR or defibrillation) would not be performed letting you fall quickly from clinical death into biological death. So does declaring that you do not wish to be resuscitated categorize as physician assisted dying? Technically, no, because the physician is not…

I’m listening to my dad’s old CD’s from the 50-70’s. Nobody can hear it but me. The night is silence. The star is shining. The world is listening. I should have gone to sleep hours ago, but the memories go through my head. The music has enchanted me. This music most reminds me of my dad, Oscar. I always listen to this music on June 22 and Nombrever 26. On Nombrever, 26 is his birthday and on June is his anniversary of his last breath. Its has been 10 years that I see him. I was 6 years old, two…

Family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation has been a topic of intense debate within the medical community. Medical professionals have concerns regarding the efficiency of the code process as well as the safety for all parties involved when family is allowed to stay for resuscitation. In contrast, family members desire to remain close to their loved ones, in what may be the last moments of their life. Meeting the psychosocial needs of the patient as well as their family members is at…

FACULTY OF HEALTH AND ENVIROMENTAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF CLINICAL SCIENCES PROGRAMME: EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE TRAUMA CASE STUDY CCOUMPOUND TIB/FIB FRACTURE, QUERY TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY, TENSION/PNEUMOTHORAX Compiled by: Rodney W.K Heyns 213098814 CONTENT TOPIC PAGE No: • Introduction 3 • Specific Case Discussion 3 • Dispatch Information 3 • Differential Diagnosis 4 • History Taking 5 • Assessment 5 • Emergency Management 6 • Progress &…

Having family members present during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and invasive bedside procedures remains a controversial topic in clinical nursing practice for the hospitalized high-acuity patient. Family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (FPDR) is a complex ethical dilemma in modern medicine. Historically, before the development of Intensive Care Units (ICU’s), death occurred at home in a family-centered environment (Doolin, Quinn, Bryant, Lyons, & Kleinpell, 2011). As…