PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

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CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION – WOULD YOU DO IT?

Several studies have shown the reluctance of health care workers in carrying out MMR.^5-8 Brenner et al have carried out surveys asking health care workers what they would do in six cardiac arrest situations. In one of the studies,⁵  they found that many physicians were reluctant to perform MMR resulting in marked delays in the ventilation of apnoiec patients. In another study,⁶ 45% of physicians and 80% of nurses would not do MMR on a stranger; only 15% would perform CPR on a stranger in a gay neighbourhood. All stated that their reason was fear of contracting communicable diseases especially HIV. Over half of all Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and all paramedics surveyed ⁸ said they would not perform MMR on an adult stranger. More worrying was that 29% of the paramedics and EMTs had been in situations requiring MMR in the community and 40% had either walked away or did only external compressions. Of those who had performed MMR, only 45% would do so again.

What would the results show if similar surveys were taken amongst our own health personnel? Perhaps the results would show less reluctance to perform CPR if we all took precautions beforehand to prepare for such situations. These would include:

• Proper CPR training – including training with the use of mouth-to-mask devices.
• Hepatitis B immunisation.
• Buy and carry personal mouth-to-mask device with one-way valve. These are now available in convenient portable forms.
• Post-exposure prophylaxis – if there is a possibility of biohazard exposure (blood or open sore in patient’s mouth or sharp injury incurred during resuscitation attempt), then proper post-exposure protocol should be followed and the need for prophylaxis assessed.

Chest compressions alone in the first few minutes may be enough especially in cases of sudden cardiac arrest. In the past few years, there has been considerable discussion on whether MMR is necessary at all in resuscitation. Chest compression alone has been shown to be effective in the early stages of sudden cardiac arrest and interruptions in compression led to lower coronary perfusion and a decrease in survival rates.⁹ However, a review by Berg¹⁰ showed that chest compressions together with MMR were superior to either technique alone.  Furthermore, MMR with minimally interrupted chest compressions were more important in arrests that were prolonged and due to asphyxia (as in most paediatric arrests).¹¹ The American Heart Association therefore concluded that the combination of compressions with ventilation were most likely to provide the best outcome for all victims of cardiac arrest.¹²

I would also recommend that the following measures be applied universally:

• CPR training should emphasize the very low risk of disease transmission. Training in the use of barrier mask should be included.
• Oral barrier devices should be made freely available in hospital and in public areas e.g. hotels, theaters, health clubs and restaurants.

A survey among health personnel in Malaysia conducted in 2005 found that nearly half of the 4989 subjects were either not confident at all or unsure about their ability in giving first-aid and CPR.¹³ The investigators however did not look at fear of infection in particular.

The fear of being infected is one that has plagued physicians for centuries. In A.D. 166, Galen fled the city of Rome fearing smallpox. Venice had to pass a law forbidding physicians from fleeing the plague in 1382.¹⁴ In the late 1980s, HIV made “universal precautions” routine and health care workers began questioning rights to decline care to HIV+ patients. In 2003, Dr. Carlo Urbani of WHO died after contracting SARS and there were nurses and physicians who refused to take care of SARS infected patients. Health care workers were confronted with an occupation that had suddenly become hazardous, not only to their health but also possibly to their families. Perhaps in the future, avian influenza, bioterrorism or possibly a new airborne virus may again renew the need for this discussion but as yet, the fear of doing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation appears unfounded.

 

REFERENCES

1. Mejicano GC, Maki DG. Infections acquired during cardiopulmonary resuscitation: estimating the risk and defining strategies for prevention. Ann Intern Med. 1998;129(10):813-8. [PubMed]
2. Robaayah Z (ed). Clinical Practice Guidelines on Acute Myocardial Infarction. Ministry of Health Malaysia, 2001.
3. UNAIDS. AIDS and HIV infection: Information for United Nations employees and their families. April 2000 (rev.1). Geneva, UNAIDS, 2000. [PDF]
4. Bierens JJ, Berden HJ. Basic CPR and AIDS: are volunteer life-savers prepared for a storm? Resuscitation. 1996;32:185-91 [PubMed]
5. Brenner BE, Van DC, Lazar EJ, Camargo CA. Determinants of physician reluctance to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. J Clin Epidemiol. 2000;53:1054-61 [PubMed]
6. Brenner BE, Kauffman J. Reluctance of internists and medical nurses to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Arch Intern Med. 1993;153(15):1763-9 [PubMed]
7. Brenner B, Stark B, Kauffman J. The reluctance of house staff to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation in the inpatient setting: what are the considerations? Resuscitation. 1994;28:185-93 [PubMed]
8. Hew P, Brenner B, Kauffman J. Reluctance of paramedics and emergency medical technicians to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. J Emerg Med. 1997;15:279-84 [PubMed]
9. Kern KB, Hilwig RW, Berg RA, et al. Importance of continuous chest compressions during cardiopulmonary resuscitation: improved outcome during a simulated single lay-rescuer scenario. Circulation.  2002;105:645-9 [PubMed]
10. Berg RA. Role of mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing in bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation for asphyxial cardiac arrest. Crit Care Med. 2000;28(11 Suppl):N193-195 [PubMed]
11. Hazinski MF, Nadkarni VM, Hickey RW, et al. Major changes in the 2005 AHA guidelines for CPR and ECC: Reaching the tipping point for change. Circulation. 2005;112(24 Suppl):lV206-11 [PubMed]
12. Highlights of the 2005 American Heart Association guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care. Currents in Emergency Cardiovascular Care. Winter 2005-2006;16(4).
13. Rosnah R, Fadhli Y, Zainal Ariffin O. Survey on first aid and CPR among health personnel in Malaysia. NCD Malaysia. 2005;4(4):3-10 [PDF]
14. Sokol DK. Doctors’ first duty: Professional or personal? International Herald Tribune. 2005. October 21.

 

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