Rapid identification of sudden out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and delivery of bystander chest compressions in patients with ventricular fibrillation are key elements in the chain of survival. However, time to bystander compressions can be greatly affected by a wide variety of barriers, some beyond an EMD's control. The aim of this study is to identify and quantify the impact that barriers have on the time taken to achieve bystander compressions for suspected OHCAs. This retrospective, quantitative cohort...
Isabel talks with Dr. Kevin Seaman, director of the Maryland Resuscitation Academy. They discuss the role of emergency dispatchers in the chain of survival, the value of case studies in research, and the biggest barriers to improving cardiac survival rates...
Isabel talks with Ross Rutschman and Ken Hotaling, two implementations experts and program administrators with Priority Dispatch. They discuss cultural differences in handling emergencies, how the protocol is implemented in other countries, and a study that's trying to find out if people around the world describe medical...
Isabel Gardett talks with EJ Hinterman, captain of the Draper City Fire Department, and Holly Downs, a training coordinator for Salt Lake Valley Emergency Communications Center, about a metronome study they both recently participated in. They discuss the low percentage of bystanders who are comfortable with providing CPR, how to get people to perform CPR at the correct rate, and the value of emergency dispatchers and responders participating in research...
Although it makes up only about 1-2% of all emergency calls for help, sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) remains one of the most deadly—and one of the most hotly debated—topics in emergency services. Emergency Medical Dispatchers (EMDs) can play a critical role in improving survival rates for victims of SCA. In order to provide the most timely, effective care, EMDs must first identify that an SCA is occurring, then move quickly to provide instructions for bystander CPR. To support the achievement of these twin goals, the American Heart Association (AHA) has recently released proposed standards for...
Emergency Medical Dispatchers (EMDs), at emergency communication centers that have implemented the Medical Priority Dispatch System® (MPDS) protocols, use scripted questions to interrogate people calling 9-1-1. Based on this interrogation, case determinant codes are assigned– to identify the specific patient condition and enable optimal allocation and deployment of resources to ensure appropriate field responses. MPDS determinant codes for both OBVIOUS and EXPECTED DEATH exist for patients that are clearly and irreversibly dead, or have a terminal illness accompanied...
Emergency dispatch is a relatively new field, but the growth of dispatching as a profession, along with raised expectations for help before responders arrive, has led to increased production of and interest in emergency dispatch research. As yet, no systematic review of dispatch research has been conducted. This study reviewed the existing literature and indicated gaps in the research as well as potentially fruitful extensions of current lines of study. Dispatch-related terms were used to search for papers in research databases (including PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, EMCARE, SciSearch, PsychInfo...
