CPR found to be somewhat effective with compression's only

[freedivernd]

if you think about it, it makes sense.. professional apneists (o.k.  - freedivers) are holding their breath for over 10 minutes, on air!  Gives more time than one would think for compressions only.

[BigC]

True, but you are alive and holding your breath....along with the O2. That all gets released and depleted when one is dying and or already dead....no one holding any breath. I understand the reasoning, but it is kinda like night and day.

[Firecaptn15]

actually it really doesnt deplete that fast. except in the brain and heart which have a higher O2 demand. if the blood is circulated it moves oxygen to the brain which adds a couple of minutes. this is the reason that activation of the ems system and rapid defibrillation is so important. they have even come up with cpr adjuncts (it looks like the bottom part of a toilet plunger with a specialized handle) for rescuers (pending fda approval) which improves cpr.

as far as holding your breath you dont change the amount of O2 in your blood. hyperventilation just lowers the amt of carbon dioxide which in most people is what makes you feel the need to take a breath.

[BigC]

I would like to see those new paddles, sounds like a good idea. More efficient than my old Lifepack 12. What are they using now-a-days for the portable monitors?  It has been 4 yrs since I have been in the back of a bus, but isn't it 3 minutes with No O2 and the brain cells start dying off......if I remember correctly. I know during my 9 yrs there were many times I wish I could have been there within the "golden" 5 so we could have used the Eppi and Atropine a little more effectively instead of doing something besides more scenario CPR on a real person.

Those new paddles, will you be able to administer shock or cardiovert with them, or are they just for the compressions?

Man do I miss it. I left because of burnout. Working rural and city 6 on 3 off, 2 units for 144 hr shifts. Then on days off fighting fires. I am thinking of volunteering with my city Dept, my dive shop owner is on and when I am there we listen to his pager and man does the blood get pumping again. It's a passion for sure.

[Firecaptn15]

Ahh the days of Lifepack 3's and 12's, St. Paul uses the Phillips Monitors now. they do aed, 3 & 12 leads, external pacing, end tidal monitoring, biphasic defibrillation, cook you lunch and read you a story. ;D as far as time if I remember correctly its 6 min (getting old so...) Drugs arent given like they used to give them CPR and Shocks are the in thing. Paddles are the things of the past now we put big electrodes for shocks. and as far as the plunger goes. it is for doing cpr but is really effective. I for one hope that they get them approved by the feds and start using them regularly. there are stories of people actually waking up while cpr is being done on them due to the efficiency of the plunger.

[BigC]

Hey.....a free lunch is a good thing and as long as it's an action novel..lol

It is funny how the tide seems to go back and forth between the "to med or not to med" theory.

Those big stick on electrode pads were just phasing in as I was leaving. I do believe that I even used them once or twice if the memory serves me right.

Pt's waking up during compressions, wow, that is impressive. Funny how tough the body and organs are. I remember my 1st autopsy. I do allot of hunting, so I have pretty much cleaned almost every animal you can get, but what blew me away was the first time I saw just how close the human heart comes to the spine. It had to be 2 inches at the most. Imagine the impact against the bones with those things....but hey....if they work...they work. Would be interesting to see them in action.

[arcFlash]

I'm stuck on band-aid cuz band-aid stuck on me!

[DiverQueen]

Don't forget Zoll...I think I may still have a catalog, nope, that was Survivalink.  I just wish they made the pads interchangable!  One time at work we tried the pads from the defib that had been replaced from the last use.  Only the wrong set of pads were in the defib case.  Not that it would have helped any...define pooling!

[Firecaptn15]

something you do in a concrete pond?
or... Lividity!
Still plenty of different monitors out there, but Phillips or Lifepack seem to be the most popular

[DiverQueen]

Philips is spelled with 1 "l".....