I read this article today, finding it fascinating.
During class, I always tell my students to "just keep going" as you'll be tired (CPR is exhausting!), or even start to think - what's the point. Now, looks like the research is confirming what we've been telling students all this time. Press On!
The article does point out that prolonged resuscitation is not suitable for every case, but "...found that patients have a better chance of surviving in hospitals that
persist with CPR for just nine minutes longer, on average, than
hospitals where efforts are halted earlier."
Just nine minutes?!?! Wow.
Dear Resuscitation Team,
Keep going!
And in even more encouraging news, senior study author, Dr. Nallamothu who's an associate professor at the University of Michigan and a cardiologist at the Ann Arbor VA Medical Center found that "neurological function was similar, regardless of the duration of CPR."
That's always been the main argument against prolonged resuscitation. That the cost outweighs the benefits. Diminished neurological function, lessened quality of life - all valid concerns and still something that should be kept in mind during extended resuscitation efforts. But, perhaps after more medical professionals review this data they'll think twice before ceasing care.
No comments:
Post a Comment