Responding to a Cardiac Arrest: Keeping Paramedics Safe during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This commentary aims to provide an overview of the current state and territory ambulance service cardiac arrest management recommendations to paramedics during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlight relevant risks to personnel.

Keywords

paramedic COVID-19 cardiac arrest CPR pandemic

References

Paramedicine Board of Australia. Paramedicine Board of Australia Registrant Data. 2019. Available at: www.paramedicineboard.gov.au/News/Statistics.aspx

Coronavirus Update (Live): 2,503,392 cases and 171,796 deaths from COVID-19 virus pandemic - Worldometer [Internet]. Worldometers.info. 2020 Available at: www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ [Accessed 21 April 2020].

International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation [Internet]. Ilcor.org. 2020. Available at: www.ilcor.org/covid-19 [Accessed 21 April 2020].

Shin

, Yoo

, Bae

G Chang

Comparison of oropharyngeal leak pressure and clinical performance of LMA ProSeal and i-gel in adults: meta-analysis and systematic review.

J Int Med Res 2016; 44: 405–18. doi: 10.1177/03000060515607386

Langhelle

, Sunde

, Wik

, Steen

Airway pressure with chest compressions versus Heimlich manoeuvre in recently dead adults with complete airway obstruction.

Resuscitation 2000; 44: 105–8. doi: 10.1016/s0300-9572(00)00161-1

New South Wales Ambulance. Protocol NSWA1 - NSWA pandemic management protocol. New South Wales Government; 2020. [AUTHOR: PLEASE PROVIDE LINK].

Ambulance Tasmania. Medical Services - Update No: 4-2020 Clinical practice during COVID-19 pandemic v1.0. Hobart: Department of Health; 2020. Available at: www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/ambulance/clinical_services/medical_protocols/paramedic_protocols

Ambulance Victoria. Paramedic response for managing coronavirus (COVID-19). Version 18. Melbourne: Ambulance Victoria; 2020.

Queensland Ambulance Service. Medical Directors’ Circular NO. 16/2020. Brisbane: Queensland Health; 2020.

10.

SA Ambulance Service. Personal protective equipment assessment matrix - COVID-19 (COVN 026) Version 1.2. Adelaide: SA Ambulance Service; 2020.

11.

SA Ambulance Service. Clinical Communication. Guiding principles of practice for COVID-19 (CLC-20-007) Version 1.2. Adelaide: SA Ambulance Service; 2020.

12.

Coronavirus: St John disputes ‘no CPR on Covid-19 patients’ claim. Stuff. 2020. Available at: www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120797659/coronavirus-st-john-wont-perform-cpr-on-patients-with-covid19-unless-primary-cardiac-arrest [Accessed 22 April 2020].

13.

Alberta Health Services. AHS EMS COVID-19 Treatment approach for EMS practitioners. Alberta: Alberta Health Services; 2020.

14.

London Ambulance Service. LAS guidance for patient facing staff Version 4.0 Medical Directorate 10th April 2020. London: London Ambulance Service (LAS); 2020.

15.

Modes of transmission of virus causing COVID-19: implications for IPC precaution recommendations [Internet]. Who.int. 2020. Available at: www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/modes-of-transmission-of-virus-causing-covid-19-implications-for-ipc-precaution-recommendations [Accessed 22 April 2020].