Too slow, but the cool-guy shorts make up for it.
CPR is good, good stuff. It isn’t perfect, it doesn’t save everyone, but it is the absolute best thing you can do.
If you believe the stats, 4 out of 5 cardiac arrests occur at home. This means the most likely person you will save will be someone in your immediate circle of family or friends.
Go here to find a hands on course. It’s good stuff, and everyone needs to do it.
And before you go to the course–before you sign off of this post, in fact–you MUST watch the video about Hands-Only CPR. Double bonus points for not being distracted by the chests of the disco girls that save the day, and actually reading the shirts.
“Disco can save lives.” Never thought I’d say that.
UPDATE: British version here. No cute girls. In fact, the opposite of cute girls.
–Grouch
Hogwarts School of Grid-Down Medicine and Wizardry 
I was not distracted by the disco girl’s chests-true life. 😉 Don’t forget my double points.
Miss V
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Duly noted! 🙂
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Nope.
Not distracted.
But I’m an old war horse.
I’ve had hose heads come out of the ER room with me after a call comment on the patient being a fox and have had to replay the call to see what they were talking about. and *I* was the one who did the A-B-C-D-E on the patient.
Yes, I click on, and tunnel with the best of them.
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Staying Alive is for the glass-half-full crowd. The glass-half-empty crowd uses this one:
>:)
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Unfortunately, even a witnessed arrest, with perfect bystander CPR and an AED, ALS level EMS less than 10 minutes away, and a competent hospital nearby, only results in at best a 20% survival rate…..
‘Course, without all that the odds are much worse..
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Works much better on TV. They should give us lessons.
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CPR is great in grid up urban patient care. It saves lives…..Like what 20-30% of them? So the glass is less than half full even in ideal settings. So how can we get more water in the glass? A talented rescuer like disco girl ….. might increase the will to live…..
The studies I have read make me think the following:
Without rapid defib when indicated, and an ICU to go to, CPR is of limited use in austere settings.
It is of almost no value in trauma settings with roughly 2% survival in trauma patients who code in the hospital.
CPR in austere medicine can be effective for drowning or for lightning injuries.
I’m an ortho PA not a cardiologist so if you can think of something to add or take away from this kit let me know.
In my remote site light kit I have a series of aluminum waterproof pill bottles for various things.
In the chest pain bottle is:
aspirin – chew it up, try to limit further platelet adhesions
NTG patch- may limit pain, no clear evidence of decreased mortality
metoprolol- beta blocker to slow rate and decrease myocardial O2 demand, also helps with anxiety that may be a non cardiac source of pain in the differential.
In the pain bottle I don’t carry MSo4 but I do carry fentanyl lollypops and patches. I’m not sure if that helps with afterload reduction or venous dilation the same way as MS does off the top of my head.
O2 is usually not available but if it is, great.
EKG apps for cellphones are available but I don’t have this capability yet.
Evac is based on the situation and what resources you have available to move the patient to.
Sit where you are and rest for a few days may be the right option in secure remote settings.
The alternative may be to walk / carry the patient out with its attendant risks to rescuers and the patient.
Any thoughts?
I’m just not willing to watch ER reruns to learn the finer drama points of this and get their outcomes.
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