Document Detail


Adherence to guidelines when positioning the defibrillation electrodes.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  15135190     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
BACKGROUND: Placement of the defibrillation electrodes affects the transmyocardial current and thus the success of a defibrillation attempt. In the international guidelines 2000, the placement of the apical electrode was changed more laterally to the mid-axillary line. Finnish national guidelines, based on the international guidelines, were published in 2002. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent health care professionals adhere to the new guidelines when positioning the electrodes. METHODS: Professionals were recruited from emergency medical services, university hospitals and primary care. Not revealing the purpose of the test, participants were asked to place self-adhesive electrodes on a manikin as they would do in the resuscitation situation and to answer a questionnaire about resuscitation training and familiarity with the guidelines. The distance of electrodes from the recommended position was measured in horizontal and vertical planes. RESULTS: One-hundred and thirty six professionals participated in the study, and only 25.4% (95% CI 18.5-32.9) of them placed both electrodes within 5 cm from the recommended position. The majority of the participants placed the apical electrode too anteriorly. Of the participants, 36.0% were not aware of the new guidelines. Awareness of the guidelines did not increase the accuracy in electrode placement. CONCLUSIONS: The publication of the national evidence based resuscitation guidelines did not seem to have influenced the practice of placement of the defibrillation electrodes to any major extent. The correct placement of the electrodes needs be emphasized more in the resuscitation training.
Authors:
Jouni Nurmi; Per Rosenberg; Maaret Castrén
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Resuscitation     Volume:  61     ISSN:  0300-9572     ISO Abbreviation:  Resuscitation     Publication Date:  2004 May 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2004-05-11     Completed Date:  2004-09-09     Revised Date:  2009-08-25    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0332173     Medline TA:  Resuscitation     Country:  Ireland    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  143-7     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Uusimaa EMS, Helsinki University Hospital, Eteläinen Hesperiankatu, 22A 26, Helsinki 00100, Finland. jouni.nurmi@helsinki.fi
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Attitude of Health Personnel
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / instrumentation,  standards*
Clinical Competence
Confidence Intervals
Electric Countershock / instrumentation*,  standards*
Electrodes
Emergency Medical Services
Female
Finland
Guideline Adherence*
Health Care Surveys
Humans
Male
Practice Guidelines as Topic
Probability
Total Quality Management

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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