Clinical experience with a low-energy pulsed biphasic waveform in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
The efficiency of a pulsed biphasic waveform (PBW) was compared with that of biphasic truncated exponential (BTE) waveforms. First defibrillation shock outcome was studied in a population of 104 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients in ventricular fibrillation as the presenting rhythm. The call to first shock time was 8.2+/-5.4 min. At 5s post-shock, defibrillation efficiency was 90%. The arrest was witnessed in only 50% of the patients and only 5% received bystander CPR. Despite these limitations 38% of the patients achieved restoration of a spontaneous circulation at departure from scene and 9.8% were discharged from the hospital. These observations demonstrate a rate of first shock success in termination of ventricular fibrillation comparable to that reported with biphasic truncated exponential waveforms in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Didon
Jean-Philippe
JP
Schiller Médical SAS, 4 rue L. Pasteur, F-67160 Wissembourg, France. jpdidon@schiller.fr
Fontaine
Guy
G
White
Roger D
RD
Jekova
Irena
I
Schmid
Johann-Jakob
JJ
Cansell
Albert
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D047548:Defibrillators; D004554:Electric Countershock / Q000379:methods*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy