Friday, May 4, 2007

** Peel Region, Ontario medics to take part in CPR study

** New Zealand politico derides single man EMS crews

CANADA NEWS

** Peel Region medics in Ontario will soon be participating in an international study aimed at improving CPR techniques. According to a press release put out by the region (May 3), the scrutiny will use defibrillators to record chest compression data. Information will be derived from 10 Canadian and US Regional clinical centres. Once compiled, it will then be analyzed at a Washington, D.C. data co-ordinating centre.

NEW ZEALAND NEWS

** Lone ambulance crews are increasingly endangering the lives of both patients and providers. That is the word from a press release put out by the Green Party (May 3). According to the document, single man units responded to close to a 100 calls in the Horowhenua district during March and April. Among the calls were ones for cardiac pain, asthma and near drowning. Green Health spokesperson Sue Kedgley called the situation ridiculous. Kedgley said the approach was a violation of the National Ambulance Standard and the New Zealand Ambulance Contract.