Cardiac-pulmonary resuscitation is a compulsory part of accreditation and vocational registration. Dr Ruth Tinker favours a new service that ticks all the boxes.
Would you like to:-
- build teamwork and clinical partnerships within your practice?
- help your team to get their compulsory CPR certification ?
- review your in practice emergency protocols?
The team at the Goonellabah Medical Centre recently arranged for their CPR training through the new service provided by UCRH, Lismore. The CPR Training Unit can come to your practice out of hours, usually in the evening of a business day.
Our nurses and almost all of our doctors took part. The modern equipment made it possible to accurately check that our techniques were effective. Getting the compression depth and rate correct takes a little practice and makes one realise how tiring two minutes of CPR can be. This in turn reinforces the message that the person doing compressions should be rotated every two minutes.
While the Guedel's airway is familiar, there are newer gadgets that can make the ventilation component of CPR more efficient. One was also reminded of the surprisingly little amount of air required for ventilation. Over ventilating and puffing up the stomach is not good for optimal outcomes.
It was then on to the two simulations designed to prepare us for a real world emergency. This is best practised in your own workplace, with your own team and setup. The experience was very instructive. We clearly had room for improvement.
As a result, we will be reviewing out written protocols and when the time comes we will also read them, using world famous, medical innovator Atul Gawande's checklist manifesto protocol.
CPR is literally life saving as one our doctors will attest and it is something you should try at "home". Any dummy can learn it.
Practices interested in having in surgery CPR training should contact::
Sharene Pascoe
CNC Emergency NNSWLHD
W: 66202156 M:0437789197
