Overview

This volume covers the early development of mobile coronary care within the context of major societal and scientific changes, leading to pre-hospital emergency intensive care, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation. The success of the Belfast Cardiac Ambulance stimulated the development of broader pre-hospital emergency services and the concomitant growth of related expertise and paramedical personnel. This book celebrates the origins and early development of out-of-hospital resuscitative care. There is much to celebrate: Resuscitation, particularly from ventricular fibrillation, is commonplace. The science of resuscitation is well defined. Effective training programmes for basic and advanced skills are in place. Public training in CPR and use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are widespread.

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9781854570932

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The first thing to appreciate about this 191 page volume is that it is not a textbook. It was written to celebrate 2 events the 50th anniversary of the publication in the Lancet of the famous Pantridge and Geddes paper entitled; A mobile intensive-care unit in the management of acute myocardial infarction and also the 20th anniversary of the development of a coherent system of emergency medical services in the rugged, rural Canadian province of Nova Scotia. The story begins in 1950s North America, where the specialty of emergency medicine has not been invented yet and no self-respecting hospital doctor would willingly venture into the bear pit that was the emergency room. The situation outside hospital was even worse, with no organised ambulance service just volunteers often the local undertaker whose long hearse could at least fit a stretcher inside (conflict of interest perhaps?). The story then moves to Belfast and the recollections of Dr John Geddes, at that time SHO and then registrar working with Professor Frank Pantridge. The development of the portable defibrillator and cardiac ambulance are detailed some facts were new to me for example, Pantridge wrote to NASA asking for release of advanced miniaturised capacitors necessary for the electrical circuits in the portable defibrillator. NASA agreed and thus, Belfast stole a march on several American universities working on the same project! The book then goes on to chart the pioneers who developed both prehospital coronary/trauma care in North America and modernised emergency departments in certain major cities before finally focusing in on rural Nova Scotia which covers a vast swathe of territory. The final chapter is a short biography of Frank Pantridge. A worthwhile read for those with an interest in the history of Belfast Cardiology, CPR and pre-hospital care in the widest sense. - Dr John Purvis, Consultant Cardiologist. Ulster Medical Journal 2018

Author Information

Thomas F. Baskett MB, FRCS(C) FRCS(Ed) FRCOG FACOG, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

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