TUESDAY, June 25 (HealthDay News) -- To address variation in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) quality that can affect survival, the American Heart Association is calling for a renewed focus on improving resuscitation techniques and tracking, according to a consensus statement published online June 25 in Circulation.
Noting that provider ambiguity in prioritization of resuscitative efforts during an arrest affects quality of CPR performed as well as impedes the development of optimal systems of care to increase survival from cardiac arrest, Peter A. Meaney, M.D., M.P.H., from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues sought to address some of the variation in CPR monitoring, implementation, and quality improvement.
For the trained rescuer, key areas addressed by the consensus statement include metrics of CPR performance; monitoring, feedback, and integration of the patient's response to CPR; team-level logistics to ensure performance of high-quality CPR; and continuous quality improvement on provider, team, and systems levels.
"Clear definitions of metrics and methods to consistently deliver and improve the quality of CPR will narrow the gap between resuscitation science and the victims, both in and out of the hospital, and lay the foundation for further improvements in the future," the authors write.
Several authors disclosed financial ties to medical device companies.
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