Episode 946: Time to Defibrillation

Episode 946: Time to Defibrillation

Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD

Educational Pearls:

Quick background info

  • Cardiac arrest is when the heart stops pumping blood for any reason. This is different from a heart attack in which the heart is still working but the muscle itself is starting to die.

  • One cause of cardiac arrest is when the electrical signals are very disrupted in the heart and start following chaotic patterns such as Ventricular tachycardia (VTach) and Ventricular fibrillation (VFib)

  • One of the only ways to save a person whose heart is in VFib or VTach is to jolt the heart with electricity and terminate the dangerous arrhythmia.

A recent study in the Netherlands looked at how important the time delay is from when cardiac arrest is first identified to when a defibrillation shock from an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is actually given.

  • Their main take-away: each minute defibrillation is delayed drops the survival rate by 6%!

  • These findings reinforce the importance of rapid AED deployment and early defibrillation strategies in prehospital cardiac arrest response.

References

  1. Stieglis, R., Verkaik, B. J., Tan, H. L., Koster, R. W., van Schuppen, H., & van der Werf, C. (2025). Association Between Delay to First Shock and Successful First-Shock Ventricular Fibrillation Termination in Patients With Witnessed Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest. Circulation, 151(3), 235–244. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.124.069834

Summarized by Jeffrey Olson, MS3 | Edited by Meg Joyce, MS1 & Jorge Chalit, OMS3

Donate: https://emergencymedicalminute.org/donate/

Jaksot(1144)

Episode 973: Meningitis Retention Syndrome

Episode 973: Meningitis Retention Syndrome

Contributor: Travis Barlock MD Educational Pearls: Meningitis retention syndrome is a relatively novel and rare clinical condition Aseptic meningitis + acute urinary retention One study reports an i...

8 Syys 20252min

Episode 972: Hepatic Encephalopathy

Episode 972: Hepatic Encephalopathy

Contributor: Alec Coston, MD Educational Pearls: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is defined as a disruption in brain function that results from impaired liver function or portosystemic shunting. Manifes...

3 Syys 20253min

Episode 971: Calcium Pretreatment for Diltiazem in AFib with RVR

Episode 971: Calcium Pretreatment for Diltiazem in AFib with RVR

Contributor: Taylor Lynch, MD Educational Pearls: What is atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response (AFib with RVR) and how does it differ from atrial fibrillation (AFib)? AFib is an abnorm...

25 Elo 20252min

Episode 970: Fever Management

Episode 970: Fever Management

Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Recorded March 2025 What is the best treatment for a fever? Tylenol? Ibuprofen? Combined? Alternating the two? The journal Pediatrics aimed to answer...

22 Elo 20252min

Episode 969: Shoulder Reduction

Episode 969: Shoulder Reduction

Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: There are many techniques for reducing a shoulder dislocation A recent study discussed a new variation of closed reduction technique: wrist-clamping ...

11 Elo 20252min

Episode 968: Heavy Metals

Episode 968: Heavy Metals

Contributor: Megan Hurley MD Educational Pearls: Acute toxicity of heavy metals: Gastrointestinal upset is the most common presentation Chronic toxicity of heavy metals: Symptoms depend on the meta...

4 Elo 20252min

Episode 967: Dilutional Hyponatremia

Episode 967: Dilutional Hyponatremia

Contributor: Taylor Lynch, MD Educational Pearls: Dilutional Hyponatremia: Occurs when there is an excess of free water relative to sodium in the body. Causes a falsely low sodium concentration witho...

28 Heinä 20252min

EMSAC 2024

EMSAC 2024

Contributors: Col. (Dr.) Stacy Shackelford Dr. Sean Keenan Paramedic Alan Moreland Dr. Chris Tems Kara Napolitano From military-inspired trauma protocols to behavioral health alternatives and cardiac ...

26 Heinä 202511min

Suosittua kategoriassa Tiede

rss-mita-tulisi-tietaa
rss-poliisin-mieli
rss-duodecim-lehti
tiedekulma-podcast
rss-lihavuudesta-podcast
utelias-mieli
docemilia
mielipaivakirja
radio-antro
rss-opeklubi
sotataidon-ytimessa
hippokrateen-vastaanotolla
rss-laakaripodi
rss-mental-race
rss-luontopodi-samuel-glassar-tutkii-luonnon-ihmeita
rss-sosiopodi