BET 1: Effectiveness of the precordial thump in restoring heart rhythm following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
A short-cut review was carried out to establish whether a precordial thump might be effective in restoring a perfusing heart rhythm in patients with pulseless VT or VF. Forty-seven papers were found in using the reported searches. Of these, three presented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses of these best papers are tabulated. It is concluded that using the precordial thump in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest rarely results in immediate return of spontaneous circulation and is more commonly associated with rhythm deterioration.
Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners, Michigan, USA.
James
J
Smith
Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners, Michigan, USA.
Bryan
B
Judge
D000368:Aged; D055416:Evidence-Based Emergency Medicine; D006336:Heart Massage / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D058687:Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest / Q000628:therapy*