Your review on this CPR-feedback device

[Secouriste]

Hey,

I'm pondering the idea of getting on of those for my service

http://www.physio-control.com/TrueCPR/

any thought about such device?

[Kiwiology]

Oh that's nice, I've used it and it works great.

[ERDoc]

I think it would be more effective if it delivered an electrical shock to the provider when they weren't performing proper CPR. Otherwise it looks like it might be good for post-resuscitation review.

[Kiwiology]

Silly Emergentologist, its the patient we want to deliver the shock to

It is very nice and the indicator dealie that you can look at while doing chest compressions is very handy.

[island emt]

just another expensive gimmick for those who can't be trained to do their job correctly.

[mikeymedic1984]

just another expensive gimmick for those who can't be trained to do their job correctly.

Hmmmm. so let me ask ---- lets say you want to come up with a bizarre new recipe using goat testicles, but the top 10% of chefs in the world could not make it taste good, is it a chef problem or an unrealistic expectation ? At best we save 10% of arrests victims, and less than 1% walk out of the hospital, so is that because we do not do our job correctly ? I think it is stupid to transport anyone that CPR is being performed on, but if you must, why put a responder at risk in a moving ambulance when you can use such a device to do the meaningless task of CPR (or will you argue that CPR can be properly performed by someone who is seat-belted to the bench or CPR seat)? What about areas that are rural and may not have the luxury of 5 fire-fighters on every call ?

[ERDoc]

The device doesn't do the compressions. It tells the provider about the quality of CPR. I don't think that it is such a bad thing. In the real world we get tired or distracted so why not have something that ensures quality. When I first started putting in central lines, we would do blind IJ sticks using landmarks. Now the standard of care is to do it under US guidance. Does it mean we weren't trained to do our job correctly? No, it just adds another layer of safety and quality.

[Secouriste]

Errr I think it was a bit misunderstood. As the Doc said, this is not a compression device, but something that give the paramedic doing the compression a real-time feedback on what he/she's doing.

[island emt]

Mikey: the reasons for low survivability in cardiac arrest are many: Primary among them is that the pt was sick enough or had enough chronic bad lifstyle choices to make them a low probability survival in any setting

Trauma arrest are a <1% in any setting

that leaves a few folks who have suffered SCA for unknown etiology.

Then you have the response time to get to the pt in SCA

Once someone gets to them & begins CPR the pt's chance of survival is already degraded severely.

Had a witnessed arrest on a 34 yo healthy male while playing basketball in a league with FF's , Cops , & Paramedic's.

Instantaneous CPR ,AED was on the wall of the gym so shocked within 2 minutes of SCA. HE is still dead. Sometimes dead stays dead for other reasons.

Hearts don't just stop for no reason in healthy bodies

[Secouriste]

Yes, cardiac arrest in younger people can often mean there is a serious malfunction that can't be treated. When I was 16 a friend of mine was dancing at a party, and dropped dead on the floor. I wasn't properly trained at the time but we called EMS and we did chest compressions. The doctor arrived with his crew fairly quickly but they couldn't do anything...

Anyway, the questions are:

- Have u ever used a CPR feedback device in your service?

- Is it really useful?

- Did it improve the CPR skills of your service? (through the post-event feedback software)