Twenty-five years ago, the American Heart Association published the concept of The Chain of Survival. The Chain of Survival includes, early access, early CPR, early defibrillation, early advanced care and post care treatment. New Castle County Paramedics are making strides to improve all of these links. The Delaware Resuscitation Academy, presented by New Castle County Resuscitation Academy, reinforces the concept of early CPR and early defibrillation.
The Resuscitation Academy was created by Dr. Mickey Eisenberg in Seattle, Washington. Seattle Medic One and King County EMS were the first Emergency Medical Services agencies to adopt and implement the Resuscitation Academy. The New Castle County Resuscitation Academy team traveled to Seattle and to Howard County, Maryland, to participate in training on the curriculum. The Delaware Resuscitation Academy was established by the New Castle County Resuscitation Academy team.
In November 2015 New Castle County Emergency Medical Services Resuscitation Academy team presented the inaugural Delaware Resuscitation Academy. The academy class, taught by New Castle County Paramedics, represented 15 different fire departments in New Castle County, members of the Delaware State Fire School and Paramedics from New Castle and Sussex County, along with EMS providers from St. Francis EMS. The focus of the Resuscitation Academy was to provide tools to improve survival outcomes of patient who suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital.
The Resuscitation Academy is a two-day course focusing on the science of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the practical application through high performance, Pit Crew CPR. EMS providers practice different scenarios based on real life experiences. This scenario-driven practice helps first responders and EMS providers develop a cohesive team when rendering care to a patient who has suffered cardiac arrest outside of a hospital.
The curriculum also includes a component for feedback through quality improvement, and allows field supervisors to gather data for post-arrest feedback to be provided to the first responders and EMS providers involved in the care of the cardiac arrest patient.
New Castle County Paramedics respond to about five hundred cardiac arrests per year. In 2015 the cardiac arrest survivor rate was 14.6 percent and last year it increased to 15.4 percent. Emergency communications, paramedics, EMTs and firefighters work together and continue to improve the links in the chain of survival to better serve the community.
The New Castle County Resuscitation Academy team is currently in the process of planning a second Delaware Resuscitation Academy in 2017.
– Submitted by NCC EMS, written by PFC Yvonne T. Russell
