%0 Journal Article %A Meyer, John Thomas %A Campbell, Craig %A Hamzaoui, Mourad %T Delivering of safe and effective CPR by means of an external chest compression device at Hamad Medical Corporation %D 2016 %J Journal of Emergency Medicine, Trauma and Acute Care, %V 2016 %N 2 - International Conference in Emergency Medicine and Public Health-Qatar Proceedings %@ 1999-7094 %C 82 %R https://doi.org/10.5339/jemtac.2016.icepq.82 %I Hamad bin Khalifa University Press (HBKU Press), %X Objective: The objective of this study was to collect feedback from Ambulance Paramedics (AP) with respect of their experience of using an External Chest Compression Device (ECCD) on cardiac arrest patients. Aspects of particular interest were ease of use and their perceived effectiveness of delivered CPR. Background: HMCAS crews attend to several hundreds of cardiac arrests a year. To achieve Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC), the key requirements are the provision of effective chest compressions delivering oxygen to the brain, maintaining coronary perfusion pressure, and priming the heart for successful defibrillation. Providing effective manual chest compressions in the austere Qatar pre-hospital setting with high temperatures is challenging, hence all HMCAS emergency vehicles have been equipped with ECCD. Methods: HMCAS receives daily reports compiled by its Documentation Officers. These reports highlight specific cases in which use of the ECCD was indicated but not implemented. These cases are followed up and audited to assess if non-provision of automated chest compressions was clinically acceptable. HMCAS monitors specific key performance indicators, i.e. ’Use of the LUCAS™2 in Adult Medical CPR Cases’ as well as ’ROSC in Medical CPR’. Feedback was collected over a 3-month period using a 10-point Likert scale type questionnaire distributed to ambulance paramedic teams who had used the ECCD during a real medical cardiac arrest case. Results: The results are based on 54 returned feedback questionnaires. Using a scale with 1 being very difficult and 10 being very easy, ambulance paramedics’ mean rating of the device's ease of use was of 8.8/10. Similarly, on a scale indicating perceived effectiveness, staff indicated that they found the chest compressions provided by ECCD to be highly effective (mean = 9.41/10). Conclusion: HMCAS staffs are highly satisfied with making use of the device since it provides them with a safer work environment and they are less fatigued after finishing a CPR case, especially during the summer months. %U https://www.qscience.com/content/journals/10.5339/jemtac.2016.icepq.82