why do we continue to do cpr????

[emtlady76877]

msbmedic,

I sure am glad you did NOT take care of me back in 2003 when I had the severe allergic reaction and went into cardiac arrest. So to answer your question yes CPR does work sometimes. I hope if you are on a run and somebody needs CPR you actually do it and not just give up on them because you never know when you are saving a future paramedic student.

[letmesleep]

Isn't this when education and a good understanding for the job we do comes in to play? Isn't CPR a skill that we need to preform to the best of our ability, but also one that we should make a good critical, clinical decision about? We don't give every Pt that gets an IV, a fluid challenge, we don't blast every Pt on O2 with 15lpm via NRB, why? Would it be because we make these decisions constantly about each Pt on an individual basis, and with the education/ training we have? To throw out a generalized statement such as stopping CPR is, in my opinion, plain uneducated. CPR is a skill and that skill needs to take place after a good physical exam of the Pt. If said Pt is in such a state that there is no way of changing there current status then a decision needs to be made at that point to stop, but I would have to agree that making this decision prior to making Pt contact is ridiculous at best.

As professionals we do take in to consideration the stats provided by the AHA, because they are the "recognized authority" on the issue, and do dictate how and when we (in the field) preform CPR. They have been impowered by us and the rest of the medical community to do the research and make the changes as we know them. Do I always agree with their decisions? No, but we use their "protocols for working arrests, because they set the standards, and our medical direction typically follows their "cookbook" thought processes on how CPR is done.

[Zach Smith]

While I've not heard of two many cases where CPR has revived a pt, I've been lucky enough to have several calls that resulted in success. One involved an infant that we were able to revive. Due to HIPAA we of course weren't able to ever know exactly what the cause was. Also with a patient suffering from an embolism, we were able to continually revive him for increments long enough for the hospital staff to at least determine that there wasn't anything that could be done. He was maintained and the only point there is that after being able to see my CPR on the monitors, it hit hard that CPR can be effective depending on the cause.

We've also had medics from surrounding counties save coded victims due to a drowning that were brought back. I would not be able to sleep knowing I called someone rather than doing every possible thing I can, even if I feel it only has a 1% chance of success, I will exhaust all resources because I'd want the exact same thing done for me.

[Arizonaffcep]

While I've not heard of two many cases where CPR has revived a pt, I've been lucky enough to have several calls that resulted in success. One involved an infant that we were able to revive. Due to HIPAA we of course weren't able to ever know exactly what the cause was. Also with a patient suffering from an embolism, we were able to continually revive him for increments long enough for the hospital staff to at least determine that there wasn't anything that could be done. He was maintained and the only point there is that after being able to see my CPR on the monitors, it hit hard that CPR can be effective depending on the cause.

That's not true. HIPAA says that, for one if it's YOUR patient, you are etitled to the information. Second, if it's for educational endevors, such as CME, you can share the information as is prudent to the lesson. Whomever told you that about HIPAA is wrong. Now, on the flip side, it might be hospital policy, but get in contact with your prehospital coordinator. He/she might be able to find out what happened.

[Christopher.Collins]

...Sometimes what we do has nothing to do with patient outcome but in helping the family start the grieving process by letting them know that at least someone tried to help their family member, that someone cared (even if you don't, really), and that their loved one didn't just drop dead with no one to help, even if that's the truth.

Wow, I couldnt possibly agree more with this statement. When my mother-in-law passed away in the hospital a few weeks back... we all, myself included felt that nothing was done. After a little research on my own time my wife and I were at rest with her passing, and was able to help put the family at better rest as well. Because the hospital truley exhausted all possibilities in care. And this was a woman of only 52 years old.

Trust me, theres a huge difference in not knowing, and knowing that everything that could be done WAS done. It was unfortunate to experience... but I feel its matured me as a healthcare provider, and as a compasionate human being.

[firedoc5]

I just thought I'd chime in here with just a short comment(s). And I'm sure some of it is just repeating what some others have said.

Yes, the success of the CPR pt. is low. About 1,2,3, or whatever percent is successful, but that is better than 0%. Due to pt.'s age, cause of arrest, how soon CPR is started after the arrest, and other conditions have to be taken into consideration. We ran "codes" twice on the same man within a year, both times successfully. How are those odds? I know he lived another five years after the second time.

But how many of us, while doing CPR on someone for a long length of time started to think, "Man, why don't we just stop? Especially when we know he's not going to make it anyway?" Like between the field and into the ER for 45 mins. and you are all tuckered out. That long of a down time you know the point is useless. But EMS and ER staff has been known to "fight for a life", or at least it should be. If a doc calls it quits after 10=15 mins., that's their call, not ours. I know in some areas a Medic can call it, but in my area when I was in the field we didn't have that authority.

So you fight for a life, no matter what it takes. But at the same time, use a little common sense. If someone has obviously has been down and "gone" for a long period of time, you of course wouldn't start any kind of treatment.

*Sorry if this sounds a little rambling, but my coffee has only reached about mid chest right now.