New CPR guidelines....

[Dr Mordrid]

Not only useful if you need to perform CPR yourself, but I'd also pay close attention to the cooling recommendation. Controlled hypothermia reduces the oxygen requirements of the brain.

If one of my relatives had a heart attack and the hospital didn't follow through with the latest procedures I'd be raising the roof.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-11-28-cpr-guidelines_x.htm

New CPR guidelines urge more chest compressions

DALLAS (AP) — In a radical change from the way everyday people do CPR, new recommendations urge many more chest compressions.

The revised guidelines issued Monday by the American Heart Association on cardiopulmonary resuscitation change the ratio of chest compressions to rescue breaths from 15 compressions for every two rescue breaths to 30 compressions for every two rescue breaths.

And while the guidelines advocate a "back to basics" approach for the public, they recommend that emergency personnel get more high-tech by cooling cardiac arrest patients for 12 to 24 hours to about 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Two significant studies have shown that such cooling resulted in improved survival and brain function for those who were comatose after initial resuscitation.

Dr. Mordrid

[Claymonkey]

That's very interesting. That reminds me that I need to sign up for a CPR course and probably an emergency first aid one as well. Anyone have opinions on the best places to generally get those in the US? Community Colleges? Hospitals? I honestly don't know.

[Dr Mordrid]

Your local Red Cross chapter office can probably clue you in to where they're holding their next round of classes;

http://www.redcross.org/services/hss/courses/

Your local health dept. should also know, but I'd start with the Red Cross chapter office.

Dr. Mordrid

[Claymonkey]

Thanks! I honestly haven't done this stuff since my boy scout days, and it's time to get back up to speed.

[Claymonkey]

hrm a 9 hour course can get you certified in CPR for adults and infants as well as first aid. You can of course do all those seperately but I'm willing to invest a Saturday to get up to speed.

[DGhost]

Interesting. Good to know this shit.

[Dr Mordrid]

You should see what's coming for rescue units; putting trauma/cardiac patients into suspended animation by rapid cooling (hypothermia);

http://www.merginet.com/index.cfm?pg=trauma&fn=SuspendedAnimation

This may offer some hope to a subset of trauma patients who now certainly die. Of course, more research is needed. One thing is becoming readily apparent, induction of hypothermia will play a major role in prehospital resuscitation and brain care as EMS further evolves.

From what I hear research on this mode of rescue is getting full steam ahead support from all directions.

I've even seen some reports that just cooling the head and thorax using a chilled water jacket is enough in some cases, though many trauma cases may require vascular flushing to more rapidly cool the brain.

Dr. Mordrid