THE IMPORTANCE OF AIRWAY MANAGEMENT AND EARLY DEFIBRILLATION IN SURVIVAL FROM OUT-OF-HOSPITAL CARDIAC ARREST

S. Trpković ,
S. Trpković

Surgery Clinic, Medical Faculty Pristina , Kosovska Mitrovica , Kosovo*

A. Pavlović ,
A. Pavlović

Surgery Clinic, Medical Faculty Pristina , Kosovska Mitrovica , Kosovo*

N. Videnović ,
N. Videnović

Surgery Clinic, Medical Faculty Pristina , Kosovska Mitrovica , Kosovo*

P. Jovanović ,
P. Jovanović

Surgery Clinic, Medical Faculty Pristina , Kosovska Mitrovica , Kosovo*

P. Bojović
P. Bojović

Surgery Clinic, Medical Faculty Pristina , Kosovska Mitrovica , Kosovo*

Published: 01.12.2010.

Volume 38, Issue 2 (2010)

pp. 33-38;

https://doi.org/10.70949/pramed201002355T

Abstract

Among all ALS procedures, effective airway management is vital in the treatment of critically ill patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of pre-hospital endotracheal intubation and early defibrillation on outcome of cardiac arrest (CA) patients. We examined 200 patients suffering from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in a prospective cohort study in a two years period. We determined survival from CA to discharge from hospital and the factors associated with survival. We calculated the time intervals until shock decisions were made. Shock decisions were verified according to EKG downloads. 52% of patients were intubated in the field, survival to discharge from hospital was significantly higher among patients who were intubated in the field. Survival rates in patients with VF/VT was 9.7% compared to patients with asystole/PEA (1.6%). 66.7% of patients were given the shock after 4 minutes. Low survival to hospital discharge may be due to low number of CA patients who were intubated in the field and long "interval to shock delivery" (there are no AED). Existing literature shows that the first minutes are a critical time frame for successful resuscitation and this is an argument towards the introduction of AEDs used by bystanders.

Keywords

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