Pit Crew CPR – The Explicit Details

I’ve given an overview of my department’s Pit Crew CPR process many times at ems12lead.com, our Facebook page, the Resuscitation group, and various conferences around the country. (See also: Why do we send so many people to a cardiac arrest?) Even so, I’m frequently asked for specific details. People want to know exactly how we do it. Here is a very simple description of HHIFR’s Pit Crew CPR process in bullet point form (recently updated). It helps to think of it as a 4-phase process. Phase 1: Patient’s side to first shock Confirm pulselessness and announce “at patient, code blue” Start CPR – continuous chest compressions at the appropriate rate, depth, and recoil Power on the Lifepack 12, push the LEAD button, spin the dial to the right, and select the cardiac arrest picklist Extend the cables, attach the combipads, and coordinate the application of the pads with the rescuer on chest compressions Immediately after applying the second pad you should know whether or not the rhythm is shockable Charge the capacitor without interrupting chest compressions Once the defibrillator is charged, announce “Stop CPR” The person on chest compressions should “show hands” to indicate they are clear Note: “I’m clear, you’re clear, we’re all clear” should be completely gone at this point in time Push the shock button Resume immediate post-shock compressions Phase 2: First 2-minute cycle after the first shock Post-shock compressions should...
Source: EMS 12-Lead - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: administration-leadership ems-topics patient-management Pit Crew CPR resuscitation Source Type: research