Jumping Cardiac Arrest Calls

[CFal]

I mentioned this in another thread but I think it should have it's own. There are cell phone apps that are in use in some places that notify anybody with it installed of cardiac arrests near them so they can beat Fire/EMS to the scene and start CPR. In some ways it is a more modern approach to somebody listening to a scanner and jumping the call. What do you think about this? In other discussions people have brought up liability of people listening to scanners saying they wouldn't be covered by good sam laws because they got the call on a scanner.

http://www.firedepartment.org/news_events/displaynews.asp?NewsID=175&TargetID=1

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/03/01/smart-phone-app-sends-alerts-cpr-help/

http://danville.patch.com/groups/po...ief-speaks-about-new-iphone-app-on-press-here

http://www.sandiego6.com/story/smar...-someone-under-cardiac-arrest-nearby-20131203

 

[Summit]

Early CPR... that is what the research says. Sounds like a good idea. I guess we'll see how it works.

I don't see how they'd lose good samaritan protection. How is a text any different that a PA announcement at restraunt "does anyone know CPR?" I'd be more worried about people running to the scene... right through traffic.

Hopefully, once the unit calls on scene, dispatch sends out a txt saying "stop go away."

 

[unleashedfury]

While its far from a bad idea it does have its flaws

I've had instances where I was dispatched to a cardiac arrest that turned out to be something totally different "refer to bringing out the dead here" where a patient could just be hypoglycemic, post seizures, overdose or the such and having a nervous layperson pounding on their chest? :unsure::unsure:

I guess if they ask what you are doing or to get off,, I hope they know to stop

 

[LMedic90]

My concern would be with the people who try and play superhero without really knowing what they are doing, and end up causing more harm than good. I can see the good intention in creating the app, but very few people even certified in cpr have ever actually performed the mechanics on a live person.

 

[Handsome Robb]

My concern would be with the people who try and play superhero without really knowing what they are doing, and end up causing more harm than good. I can see the good intention in creating the app, but very few people even certified in cpr have ever actually performed the mechanics on a live person.

CPR isn't all that difficult, hell they have 30 second commercials out there to help educate the public on hands only CPR. The only reason King County has such good save rates, outside of the parameters they use for those statistics, is because of the public education and AED access in the area. Also, think of it this way, they're dead...you can't do much more to cause more harm. People who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest only have about a 9.5% chance (Per the AHA, http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/General/Cardiac-Arrest-Statistics_UCM_448311_Article.jsp#) to survive to discharge and that doesn't specify neurologically intact, just to hospital discharge, so if they do survive to discharge they've already beaten the odds. Plus bystander CPR and defibrillation via public access AEDs is what truly saves people.

The difference between listening to a scanner, buying an AED and jumping cardiac arrests and getting an application on your phone designed to alert CPR trained civilians to nearby Sudden Cardiac Arrests is that the former shows an intent (both do but I think you see my point) while the latter is more of a good samaritan type situation (again, both are but I think you see my point).

A cardiac arrest is one of the very few situations I would do anything more than offer to call 911. Still probably wouldn't identify myself. Problem is I whenever most of the fire crews or any ambulance showed up the cat would come out of the bag unless they were discrete about it.

 

[ExpatMedic0]

I feel like if your off duty with a scanner jumping calls (especially with your own defibrillator) your a vigilante whacker. You might as well throw on a spandex super hero costume while your at it.