Medicore Medical Services Blog

The Irish Heart Foundation has released updated guidelines to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. The main advice for training sites at the moment would be to stop mouth-to-mouth practice. The course DVDs should be played as usual but instead of practicing mouth-to-mouth, instructors should skip the lesson and move onto the next component – allow students to watch the section but do not practice it. Course completion cards can be awarded as usual to students who fully complete the courses, as the skillsheets for all courses require successful demonstration of breaths with a barrier device – they are happy to certify all successful students. This is in addition to the following routine manikin hygiene practices: All manikins and training equipment need to be cleaned after class to reduce potential disease transmissionFollow manufacturers’ instructions (there are several types of manikins on the market)Equipment always needs to be clean and in working orderStudents...

Case Report A 42-year-old man was found unresponsive to external stimuli and pulseless at an outdoor temperature of 1°C. CPR was started at the scene by laypersons, and the emergency medical services (EMS) arrived 5 minutes after the emergency call. Resuscitation was initiated by EMS. The first recorded rhythm was ventricular fibrillation (VF), which persisted, despite repeated defibrillation. The patient showed signs of severe hypothermia and, during ongoing CPR, was transported to hospital where on arrival the patient's rectal temperature was measured at 22°C. Resuscitation measures were continued and warming was started at the emergency room. Due to persistent VF and deep hypothermia, the patient was transferred to a cardiothoracic surgical unit for rewarming with ECC. At commencement of ECC, CPR had been going for approximately 130 minutes and a total of 38 defibrillations had been made. During this time interval the patients was pulseless. At a core temperature of 30°C,...