Date of Award
7-31-2020
Document Type
Open Access Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Medical Science (MMSc)
First Advisor
David Cone, MD
Abstract
Cardiac arrest, characterized by the loss of mechanical activity of the heart, is a life-threatening medical condition that is almost always fatal if not treated immediately. The protocols for cardiopulmonary resuscitation used by emergency medical personnel during out-of-hospital cardiac arrests do not account for cardiac and thoracic anatomic variation when positioning chest compressions. This study will examine whether evaluating chest compression efficacy using transthoracic echocardiography in the prehospital setting will increase the rates of survival to hospital admission in adults suffering atraumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. We will recruit paramedics from four emergency medical services agencies to participate in a prospective crossover study and be trained in basic echocardiography to be used in the field. The results of this study may support imaging in out-of-hospital settings to promote more effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation, increasing rates of survival for patients suffering cardiac arrest.
Recommended Citation
Zhakov, Alexandra, "Effect of Prehospital Echocardiography in Cardiac Arrest to Augment Chest Compression Positioning" (2020). Yale School of Medicine Physician Associate Program Theses. 37.
https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/ysmpa_theses/37
This Article is Open Access