MEDEST - February 6, 2016 - By Mario Rugna
"The chain of survival is well known and most of us work everyday to spread it’s use at every level. Chest compressions is, along with early defibrillation, the most important and evidence based intervention to save a cardiac arrest patient’s life...
But there is a group of cardiac arrest patient in whom chest compressions and early defibrillation are not the first and most important intervention to perform...
When a trauma is at the base of a cardiac arrest we know that this patient is either hypovolemic or there is an obstruction at the blood flow at the base of the cardiac arrest, so chest compressions (and vasoactive drugs) are not effective.
We also know that the most common ekg presentation rhythms are Asystole and PEA and early defibrillation is not required..."
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