N.C. County Now Doing CPR On Scene Instead of In Transit
March 02--Dr. Lisa Evans Taylor, medical director for the county's emergency services department, said paramedics are now doing CPR at the scene of calls instead of trying to do the procedure on the way to the hospital. She and Maj. Mark Robbins, Davidson County EMS operations manager, said the move is a way to give the patient a greater chance of survivability.
In 2014, 12 percent of the people transported by Davidson County EMS after receiving CPR from the agency's paramedics survived. The state average is 11 percent for patients who are transported to hospitals with CPR and then are discharged.
Taylor would like to see the county get to 30-40 percent for its survivability rates. The medical director explained other counties that have made the same changes have seen those types of improvements.
She wanted to share the new procedure with the public because many people want their loved ones to immediately be transported to the hospital. She said doing CPR at the scene is the best chance for survivability.
"The CPR is the same," the medical director said. "There is no difference in the CPR techniques, the medications we can give, the equipment we have and the procedures that we can do that the hospital has. There is no difference. There is no magic at the hospital.
"We can provide the exact same care for that patient that they would receive at the hospital. So if we don't get them back (to life), the hospital isn't going to get them back either."
Taylor said the probability that someone will die increases every time chest compressions are stopped for 30 seconds. Each 30-second period decreases the chances by 10 percent, she said.
"Every time you are moving them onto the stretcher, every time you are putting the stretcher into the ambulance, you are decreasing their survival by 10 percent," Taylor said.
Robbins said the change in procedure is the best chance for the patient's survival. He said paramedics wanted to make the change because it increases the chance of survivability.
"A lot of our paramedics also work in other counties," Taylor said. "We have several paramedics here who work in Rowan County, which implemented this about a year ago. They have seen an increase in survival by doing CPR in place. They are eager to have it here."
Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or darrick.ignasiak@the-dispatch.com. Follow Darrick on Twitter: @DispatchDarrick
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