Rogue! Madness! Rogue!

All ahead 1/3.

For reasons I was asked not to mention (cue mysterious music and an odd closeup on a surprised face) I was asked to not "do anything online for awhile."

Well, I think this is long enough.

What brought me out of mandated hiding?

Blog on blog action of course!

Rogue Medic was on one of his usual data driven rants about mechanical CPR devices and how study after study reveal results of, well, nothing.  Read more here.  Personally I'm not a fan of the mechanical CPR devices.  I'd rather spend that money removing the stigma of mouth to mouth from our communities and introducing "Push hard, push fast, call 911" at the 7th grade level.

And wouldn't you know it, another blogger and old friend Sean over at Medic Madness jumped on Rogue's conclusions (well not exactly) in support of mechanical CPR.  More at this underlined word here.

When I read Sean's article I immediately went over to Rogue Medic for his inevitable reply.

BAM (Complete with surprised Scarecrow image.)

For those of you not clicking on the links (How on Earth are you going to understand why this is so important) here's the Reader's Digest version:

Rogue reminds us that the mechanical CPR devices have not increased survival in any location they have been deployed.  ROSC is through the roof, but if ROSC was our only goal the Epinephrine would be gone.  Survival to discharge with no neurological deficit is the goal and the mechanical devices are not helping despite their claims to the contrary.  I can't say my product does something it does not and not expect to get called out on it when someone with a 10th grade education reviews the data.

But Sean at Medic Madness fires back a sortie of examples of devices his agency deploys that do not impact survival.  Cots, power loaders (what a waste, another topic) and 12 lead monitors are discussed.  He also mentions that in rural systems all the fancy new pit crew compressions centric CPR doesn't work with only 2 rescuers at the scene.  On the surface Sean is right, that none of those things can be directly linked to survival, but the overwhelming point I read between the lines is that if we're going to hang survivability as the most important thing what are we doing about it?

We're talking about it.  Like adults.  No one is challenging Rogue's license, training or the color of his ambulance.  No one cares if Sean truly is mad, jocks a box for the here privates or rides backwards on a BRT.

The merits of the methods are being discussed for all to see and I count that as a win.  A win important enough to climb up from the depths to share with my remaining readership (Hi mom, Hi Linda).

A lot has changed in EMS since I joined this blogging thing in 2008.  Can you believe we're finally getting traction on spine boards?  With discussions like Sean and Rogue actually getting to the root of most of the conversations in the ambulance yards and bench seats Nationwide it can't hurt and I'm pretty sure it'll get the ol' brain pans fired up for the crowd gathering who no doubt smell blood in the water.

So a Tip of the Helmet to Medic Madness and Rogue Medic for having the conversation in public and keeping it Professional.

Well done, Gentlemen.

All ahead full!

-HM