dean83

PCP's with protocols for ASA/NTG are a standard in Alberta. To properly rule out a RVI a 12 lead is helpful as a monitoring device.

Also some depression in V5-6 in the second 12 lead. Need a 15 lead.

Happens quite a bit in Alberta. Medicine Hat College even offers a "zero to hero" (not the real name) EMR-EMT-EMT-P course. With the high demand for EMT's and EMT-P's in Alberta - along with the low enrollment numbers - the schools have no choice (they also want the $20k) but to accept students who have just graduated from EMT/PCP programs.

I raised questions to the Rep as to why they did not have a 110V option for these for in hospital or in ambulance with inverter - I suggest you do the same! As long as you have your spare battery, I am sure you will be fine. I don't know the exact specifics but the type of battery they use will hold a charge for quite some time.

I was told by the ZOLL rep that the batteries have a 100 charge life cycle - meaning 100 charges and you are out a battery. One of the batteries I was shown had a battery strength indicator on the end - do yours?

NS Bolus?

$13 000 CAD for the autopulse, 3 lifebands, carry case, charger, 2 batteries, and some more accessories.

I agree, if the device does work as well as some have stated, why remove it once you get to the hospital. I personally would leave it with the patient until the code is called or the patient regains ROSC.

Were you involved in one of these studys? How do you know that they were not kept on the device until the code was called or that the patient gained ROSC?

I am researching the AP for my service. We had the ZOLL rep to demo it for us before we do a dept. wide presentation and decide whether the device will be of use to us or not. The compressions actually looked more effective than violent. The advantage of the AP is that it is a true Load Distributing Band (LDB - as described by the AHA), thus minimizing the amount of force placed centrally on the patient reducing trauma. You can place your hand under the device and it only gets snug, not painful. The AP utilizes the entire thoracic cavity to manually compress the heart. A service to the north of me purchased 7 and are happy with the results. A different service that I used to work with reported patients went from grey to pink, ETC02 to >35mmhg, systolic pressures > 100mmhg, and with high pressures, actually getting "flash" in the IV Cath. I am very impressed by the device regardless of the Aspire trial. The ASPIRE trial's negative results were in ONE city (Seattle) and that dept. used different protocols than the other cities. The results from the other trial cities with the aspire study showed increased long term mortality. (not to mention the other trials). One of the other trials, used on terminally ill patients after they were in arrest for 30minutes, displayed coronary perfusion pressures on the patients with the AP. The AP pressures were scaled beside manual CPR pressures and the AP CPP pressures were 2-3 times greater. ZOLL research states that min CPP for ROSC is 15mmhg, manual cpr with interuptions rarely gets above 15. The above is only my words, look it up for yourself, and make your own decisions.

30 minutes per battery - 1 in the unit 1 spare. No AC power supply yet.

"Rumor" I heard was that the CBT is at least 12-24 months away. I also heard that they want to continue with sceneraios but develop them into skill stations or OSCE type testing. All rumor, I won't believe anything until I see it. Lucky for me, last weekends' ACP write will be my last.

Ah, Thank you. Sounds like a tough call on the decision then.

With any pneumonia you want to be cautious about using immunosuppressive doses of glucocorticoids/corticosteroids. Was the pt. febrile? I agree with the above posts also in regards to open communication, however sometimes nurses or other paramedics are not as receptive to the other side of the story as one would think.

By offering the exams in edmonton they have don't have to pay the ACP office staff as much money to travel or provide hotels for those people. With the new fee increases that accomidate this move ($650 to apply, $350 rewrite) will make more money than ever!