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Experience with a mobile coronary care unit in Brisbane
1Department of Cardiology, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Australia.
Annals of Emergency Medicine
|September 1, 1989
Summary
A mobile coronary care unit in Brisbane showed limited success, with survival linked to early CPR and ventricular fibrillation detection. Its operations ceased, with ambulance crews now trained in advanced cardiac care.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Cardiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Mobile coronary care units aim to improve outcomes for cardiac emergencies.
- Assessing the effectiveness of specialized units in metropolitan settings is crucial for resource allocation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the performance of a hospital-based mobile coronary care unit in Brisbane.
- To identify factors influencing patient survival in cardiac arrest calls attended by the unit.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 2,260 calls over 18 months for a mobile coronary care unit.
- Comparison of unit's arrival times and patient outcomes with standard ambulance services.
- Correlation of survival rates with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) findings.
Main Results:
- Standard ambulances arrived first to 78% of calls.
- 10% of patients had died or arrested; 45% of these were in ventricular fibrillation.
- Survival was associated with pre-arrival CPR and the presence of ventricular fibrillation.
Conclusions:
- The mobile unit's performance was inferior to centers with defibrillation-capable first responders.
- The unit's operations were discontinued.
- Ambulance crews are now being trained in recognizing and treating ventricular fibrillation.