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AI-DRAFTED — PHYSICIAN REVIEW IN PROGRESSThe citation for this entry was checked against Crossref and PubMed, but its summary and interpretation were drafted by an AI model from the published abstract and have not yet been individually read by a physician. Read the linked source before relying on this operationally.
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Emergency medical care requirements for large public assemblies and a new strategy for managing cardiac arrest in this setting[1]

Weaver WD, Sutherland K, Wirkus MJ · 1989 · Annals of Emergency Medicine

Summary

An assessment of emergency medical problems at the 1986 Vancouver World's Exposition found an average of 3.93 patients per 1,000 visitors seeking care (daily range 1.94–6.8), with patient load linearly but imperfectly related to attendance (r=0.63). Only 4.4% of on-site patients (seen by nurses and paramedics) were referred onward; 95% of problems were minor and few required physician skills. Of six cardiac arrests, two were in ventricular fibrillation and were defibrillated by trained lay security personnel using automatic external defibrillators, and both survived.

So what

An early demonstration that lay-responder AED programs work at venues — bystander defibrillation produced survivors — while confirming that ~95% of event presentations are minor and nurse/paramedic-manageable.

Key findings

  • 3.93 patients per 1,000 visitors sought care; load linearly related to attendance (r=0.63).
  • Only 4.4% referred onward; 95% of problems minor.
  • Two VF arrests defibrillated by trained lay personnel with AEDs; both survived.

Read the paper

Domains

Cardiac