Lessons from a Legend: Dr. Joseph Ornato's Impact on Resuscitation Research

Triple-board-certified, Dr. Joseph Ornato was one of the authors of the seminal ‘chain of survival’ paper 26 years ago. Published in 1991 in Circulation, "Improving survival from sudden cardiac arrest: the "chain of survival" concept. A statement for health professionals from the Advanced Cardiac Life Support Subcommittee and the Emergency Cardiac Care Committee, American Heart Association,"1 was authored by Drs. Richard Cummins, Joseph Ornato, William Thies and Paul Pepe. The term 'chain of survival' provides a useful metaphor for the elements of the Emergency Cardiac Care (ECC) systems concept. The five links in the adult chain of survival are: Immediate recognition of cardiac arrest and activation of the emergency response system; Early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with an emphasis on chest compressions; Rapid defibrillation; Effective advanced life support; and Integrated post-cardiac arrest care. A similar 1991 article, "Improving Survival from Sudden Cardiac Arrest: The Role of the Automated External Defibrillator,"2 remains an important aspect of resuscitation plans in the EMS community, but has fallen through the planning and implementation cracks in many EMS systems. Placing AEDs in strategic locations and training civilians to find and deploy them is a proven approach that has resulted in return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and neurologically-intact patient discharges in many notable EMS system...
Source: JEMS Patient Care - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Cardiac & Resuscitation Patient Care Source Type: news