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Controversies in Healthcare - Cardiac Arrest


            Cardiac arrest is a highly lethal condition, and is the number one killer of Americans each year. The first step in treating an out of hospital cardiac arrest is quick identification of the problem. Once confirmed, treatment is immediate CPR.(6) CPR is designed to artificially keep blood flowing when the heart can no longer pump. .
             Continuous high quality CPR is difficult, even for trained professionals. Manual chest compressions requires strength and stamina, and CPR fatigue is common. Adequate perfusion of the heart and brain is needed to reestablish spontaneous circulation and to achieve survival with good neurological outcome. Manual chest compressions impair blood flow to the vital organs. Blood flow to the brain is reduced to approximately 30-40% of normal, and only 10-20% of the normal blood flow to the heart. (2) Initial studies of the Zoll AutoPulse have demonstrated an improved blood flow to the brain and heart as compared to manual chest compressions. (3) .
             According to a 2006 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) a study concluded that standard CPR works better than the automated chest compression devise. Although this study was terminated due to an increase in neurologic deficit, another study concluded that the AutoPulse improved patient chances of the return of spontaneous circulation. (1) .
             In January of 2003, Zoll's AutoPulse was introduced as an adjunct to manual CPR. The goal of their device was to facilitate rescuer CPR by providing automated, continuous, high quality compressions and eliminate the variability in manual CPR. A study done by an independent medical examiner in San Francisco, demonstrated that the 2 patients who were treated with AutoPulse only CPR, had only minor skin abrasions of the lateral chest, while the third patient, who was treated with manual CPR followed by AutoPulse CPR, demonstrated sternocostal rib fractures, consistent with manual CPR.


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