Our erstwhile colleague from Brighton and ILCOR, Douglas Chamberlain, had
the enclosed to say about pre-hospital pronouncing which we though we should
share with you.
RE: RE: pre-hospital pronouncing
I worry that some of our colleagues think that they can improve
recognition of VF by turning up the gain!! Oh dear...
And VF that is difficult to distinguish from asystole is best treated
as asystole! The 1986 RC guidelines suggested giving shocks to
asystole "to make sure" but the policy was dropped. Time wasted when
CPR might have been the only hope and no good ever came of it. By
all means use shock if no AED and no reliable ECG.
Sounds as though some have not read the JRCALC guidance on
recognition of death (not pronouncement of death!).
Professor Douglas Chamberlain
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