Emergency Physicians Reveal Strategies for Improving Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survival Rates i...( Physicians Rank Increased Bystand...),Health

Physicians Rank Increased Bystander CPR, Faster Patient-to-Doctor Time, Data Collection and Technology As Critical Improvement Areas in Resuscitation

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- A new State of Resuscitation survey released today by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) finds an overwhelming majority (90 percent) of the emergency physicians surveyed believe that resuscitation practices in the United States are not very effective. Emergency physicians cite increased bystander CPR, faster patient-to-doctor time, improved data collection and sharing, and greater use of technology as critical to improving resuscitation for victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

"While we've made significant advances to improve resuscitation efforts, more needs to be done. The State of Resuscitation survey offers valuable insights on how we can build upon already existing practices, including increasing public involvement and implementing technology to help save more lives," said Dr. Nick Jouriles, president of ACEP. "The results clearly show that it is necessary for communities to encourage more CPR trainings, offer more access to a broader range of critical life-saving technologies, and report sudden cardiac arrest cases more consistently."

The survey shows that 9 out of 10 respondents (88 percent) consider bystander intervention an important factor to increase survival. Other factors viewed as having a positive impact on survival rates include faster patient-to-doctor time (77 percent), data collection and sharing (73 percent), automated technologies (66 percent), and real-time feedback on compressions (65 percent).

"The optimal treatment of patients who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrest requires a well-coordinated system of community members, emergency medical services (EMS), emergency department, cardiology and critical care services," said Arthur B. Sanders, M.D., professor of emergency medicine at University of Arizona He
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