----- Original Message -----
From: "EMOnline" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, January 08, 2001 9:15 PM
Subject: Re: Community Cardiac Arrest Drugs
> Mike,
>
> Out of curiosity, how do Medic One achieve their excellent figures ?
> In a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine (Vol 343 No17)
> there was some statistics posted on the use of AEDs in casinos in the US.
> 53% of patients receiving defibrillation survived to discharge, 74% for
> those with time of arrest (witnessed) to shock of less than 3 mins and
> 49% for those after that time.
>
> Another article, reporting survival rates with airlines 191 patients off
the
> ground and 9 in the terminal. 40% survival rate.
>
> With the time taken to deliver ALS (ACLS?) support to the patient,
> what are the critical elements that enhance Seattles figures ? Do they
> have first response / lay repsonse with AEDs etc ?
>
Medic 1's not only have one of the finest Paramedics systems in the World,
Seattle probably has the greatest number of population trained in CPR ,
superb Medical Directorship and an incredible tiered response with the first
responding fire-fighters having used defibrillators from the late 1970's.
Mikes' figures are very similar to those reported when I visited the service
in 1980. In those days the average time for the first fire department
responders was 2 minutes 38secs!!!. I'm sure those times are worse now but
the resuscitation successes remain similar due to the influx of AEDs.
What I learnt as a paramedic in the early 1970's still stands today - Get
the defibrillator there quickly and pre-hospital VT/VF successes go up.
Regards
Dave Fletcher
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