June 29, 2009 - Oridion Systems said today a medical research study, showing capnography can improve patient safety during prehospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), was awarded first place during the 21st Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine (SEMES) Conference June 3-6 in Benidorm, Spain.
The presentation, “Capnography during CPR in SUMMA 112: Preliminary Study,” focused on an analysis conducted at Madrid’s Emergency Medical Service by a research group headed by L.D. Diez-Picazo, M.D. Using Lifepak12 defibrillators (made by Physio-Control) equipped with Oridion capnography modules, the study analyzed the effectiveness of CPR as indicated by capnography monitoring. The study was completed by an emergency unit of SUMMA 112 between January 2008 and February 2009. Advanced CPR was conducted on these patients, based on the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) Guidelines for Resuscitation 2005, which recommends using capnography during CPR to verify endotracheal tube (ETT) position.
The researchers concluded that capnography monitoring during prehospital cardiac arrest confirms ETT placement, assessment of the quality of chest compressions, is an early alert of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and prognostic value determining the outcome (ROSC vs. death).
This study joins others in confirming the significance of monitoring the carbon dioxide in a patient’s exhaled breath for the enhancement of patient safety. As in many other clinical environments, capnography monitoring in the prehospital setting serves as a powerful tool in assessing a patient’s ventilatory status.
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