Pearl #8 Anticipate LOSC written by
Medic Scribe 1572119737
on the 26
th October 2019 at 20:55
- Posted in Ambulance Blog
Anticipate LOSC (Loss of Spontaneous Circulation). Once you have pulses back with ROSC (Return of Spontaneous circulation) anticipate you will lose them and have your plan in place. Premix your epi or norepi-drip and have it ready to go. Don’t start moving the patient immediately after getting ROSC. I usually wait 5 minutes to get the patient secure and make certain they are stable before starting to carry them down that windy staircase. If they arrest on the staircase, it will difficult both to recognize the lost of pulses and then to start compressions. While most know that a sudden rise in ETCO2 during an arrest signals return of pulses as the restored circulation sweeps the buildup CO2 in the distal portions of a body up to the lungs where it is ventilated off, the reverse applies when a patient loses pulses. ETCO2 45, you have pulses and a blood pressure back, you are all slapping each other on the back on a great job done getting the patient back, when you glance at the ETCO2. It is down to 14. Better get back on the chest. ETCO2 signals the loss of pulses as well as regaining pulses. Check out this trend summary of a patient who arrested three times.
About
Emergency Shorts:
Blogs and short stories from those who look after everybody else. Police, Ambulance, Paramedics, Fire Fighters and Military Soldiers, they work tirelessly to help and protect us.
If you're an emergency service worker, start posting your stories and thoughts- don't worry you can post under a pseudonym if you like.
If you want your blog to be included on Emergency Shorts
and we'll add it to the list.