EULALEE THOMPSON
WELL, I didn't expect such vigorous feedback to my last article (CPR and then what? The sequel, February 15) and not only from local readers but from overseas-based health professionals and others who read Your Health on-line (www.jamaica-gleaner.com).
Generally, the feedback discussion was about the applicability of 'the chain of survival' (all actions taken from the time a patient with heart (or respiratory) problems collapses, to his or her transport to the hospital's emergency room and recovery) to all cultures, environment and economies. There was also discussion about the efficacy of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and of CPR alone versus CPR and defibrillation.
Dr. Knox Hagley, chairman, The Heart Foundation of Jamaica (HFJ), while admitting that the Cricket World Cup may have spurred on some activities and that there were deficiencies in the operation of a chain of survival here, thought that the article could have pointed to the other uses, beside cardiac problems, of CPR; such as in cases of airway obstruction, electrocution, near-drowning, trauma and so on.
GET FAMILIAR WITH CPR
"The hope is that eventually the public will be familiar enough with CPR, so that even if they can't administer it, then at least they can get someone who can ... (and) the time is coming, in another year or so, where all medical practitioners will be required to be able to do CPR," he said.
He thought that my article may have discouraged persons who worked so hard to get the National Resuscitation Council (NRC) launched. Dr. Hagley usually gives me regular feedback on my articles and I have a lot of respect for him and his views. I also think that the HFJ is serving the public well. I was at their Beechwood Avenue offices last week (before writing the last article) and Deborah Chen, HFJ's executive director, showed me around. I saw comfortable patients being cared for by an affable staff. The competent CPR supervisor, Winston Henry, also gave me a 'crash course' in CPR and in automated external defibrillator use, and I was invited to participate in the next CPR training at the end of February. I recognise that it is the Ministry of Health's job to see to the proper functioning of the health system.
IT DOES NOT EXIST
However, I attended a function where a body was launched to, among other things, "regulate and standardise" the chain of survival. I don't see how one can regulate and standardise something that does not exist and the chain of survival (as recommended by the American Heart Foundation) does not exist in the Jamaican health system. If it existed there would be an emergency number (usually 119) to call, a dispatcher to collect the victim's information, send the police (who would be CPR-trained and equipped with an automated external defibrillator) and paramedics to the scene and the victim rushed to the emergency room in an ambulance. All this should occur within five minutes after collapse to give the victim a 50 per cent chance of survival. I am also not aware of any plan or programme to put this chain in place.
Please send your feedback to eulalee.thompson@gleanerjm.com.
