Abstract |
Early defibrillation by emergency medical technicians or even less qualified personnel has been shown to improve survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest caused by ventricular fibrillation. It has been questioned whether these favourable results can be applied within the context of physician-attended emergency medical systems. Taking into consideration the results of a pilot study and after a careful analysis of the logistic and epidemiological background, the first German EMT-D program was introduced in the former West Berlin in December 1988. The first 2 years of experience with 499 technician-initiated resuscitation attempts in which the mobile intensive care unit of Klinikum Steglitz was involved, confirmed the results of the pilot study with an improved long-term survival rate (18%) for patients with ventricular fibrillation. We conclude that EMT defibrillation should be introduced in emergency physician-attended two-tiered emergency medical systems, whenever a thorough analysis of the existing rescue systems exhibits a 'relevant frequency' of resuscitation and response interval of 15 min or less.
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Authors | H R Arntz, M Oeff, S N Willich, W H Storch, R Schröder |
Journal | Resuscitation
(Resuscitation)
Vol. 26
Issue 1
Pg. 39-46
(Aug 1993)
ISSN: 0300-9572 [Print] Ireland |
PMID | 8210730
(Publication Type: Journal Article)
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Topics |
- Ambulances
- Berlin
(epidemiology)
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
(statistics & numerical data)
- Electric Countershock
- Emergency Medical Services
(organization & administration)
- Emergency Medical Technicians
- Heart Arrest
(mortality, therapy)
- Humans
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