How do Belgian mobile intensive care units deal with cardiovascular emergencies?
European Journal of Emergency Medicine · 2003-06-01 · Observational study
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To assess the availability and use of diagnostic tools, therapeutic equipment and drugs for the prehospital treatment of acute coronary syndromes, cardiopulmonary arrest and other cardiovascular emergencies in Belgian physician-staffed and hospital-based mobile intensive care units. METHODS: In April 2001, a questionnaire was sent to all Belgian mobile intensive care unit centres. RESULTS: The response rate was 90%. There was a 100% availability of many drugs and therapeutic equipment, with a well-established role in the care of cardiovascular emergencies: defibrillators, nitrates, epinephrine, atropine and diuretics. Important emergency drugs and tools were not ubiquitously available: external pacemakers (90%), aspirin (90%), bicarbonate (99%), amiodarone (87%), and intravenous beta-blockers (75%). Twelve-lead electrocardiogram recorders and thrombolytics had a rather low availability (46 and 20%, respectively) and were rarely used. There was a high availability of some drugs with limited data to support their use: oral calcium antagonists (61%), bretylium (65%) and isoproterenol (92%). CONCLUSIONS: In Belgian mobile intensive care units the availability and use of technical and diagnostic equipment and cardiac drugs varied to an important extent. A local multidisciplinary evaluation may improve prehospital cardiovascular care by implementing current guidelines.
Tags
Adrenaline · Amiodarone · Antithrombotics & thrombolytics · Acetylsalicylic acid · Atropine · Cardiovascular drugs · Other drugs · Prehospital physicians · Sodium bicarbonate · Thrombolytics · Transcutaneous pacing