Imagine the situation. There is a sudden collapse in the coffee shop where you are enjoying a latte. You are fairly are that the person has had a sudden cardiac arrest and call 000 or help….but the ambulance will take at least 8-10 minutes to arrive, even as a priority one (probably longer in rural …
How to register with the free GoodSAM app – a walk-through Read More »
Community leadership. As clinicians we have a wonderful opportunity to educate – not just in the consulting room and on the wards…but also to get out there and make a difference. On 14th Feb (Valentine’s Day) it’s only appropriate that we consider the importance of the heart! Sudden cardiac death is estimated to affect over …
An Affair of the Heart – Valentines Day Message to Clinicians Read More »
The value of Bystander CPR and Public Access AED use is shown nicely in this NEJM article http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1601891 What does this mean? I think it means that a sensible approach to out-of-hospital cardia arrest is NOT about hospitals and helicopters (although post ROSC transport and critical care is vital!) Rather, we need to ensure robust …
Community CPR, AEDs & Out-of-Hospital-Cardiac Arrests Read More »
I am sure everyone is familiar with the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’. But consider this scenario : It’s been a busy day. On the way home you notice a small knot of people gathered around a middle-aged person, prostrate on the pavement. The bystanders look uncertain of what to do. Do you stop and …
The subject of doctors bag contents has come up recently, with comments from a respected Emergency Physician that several of the drugs supplied for use in doctors bags are outdated. I was a little perplexed by the RACGP’s insistence on keeping diazepam and their pitch for oral vitamin K as essential for the doctors bag, …