Mega Code Kelly™ Cardiac Arrest Training Demonstration on Tuesday morning, June 12, 2018 at Palatine Fire Station 84.
On Tuesday, June 12, 2018, RPM — Palatine Rural, Palatine, and Rolling Meadows Fire Departments — continued their accountability to the public they serve by demonstrating their highly skilled use of MegaCode Kelly™ — an advanced life support manikin by Laerdal Medical used for realistic training that focuses on a wide variety of advanced lifesaving skills for pre-hospital emergencies from advanced airway scenarios to cardiac support and resuscitation to IV therapy to advanced vital signs assessment. On Tuesday morning, firefighter/paramedics demonstrated the use of the Laerdal MegaCode Kelly™ in a full cardiac arrest scenario.
The separate fire agencies of RPM work together to provide a higher level of service to residents of three separate communities (Inverness, Palatine, Rolling Meadows), to provide a higher level of safety for firefighters, and to achieve decreased costs and improved operational efficiencies. The demonstration for news media on Tuesday highlighted how each firefighter/paramedic from separate agencies are able to work their roles in an Advanced Life Support scenario with minimal communication or orders. Communication was mainly limited to clarifying the effectiveness of their techniques and administration of pre-hospital care.
The critical, time sensitive demands of cardiac arrest resuscitation skills were coordinated by a lead paramedic — Rolling Meadows firefighter/paramedic Ryan Lettieri, who monitored and controlled the scenario with a dedicated electronic training control device, known as a SIMPAD®. Lettieri is heard on video requesting confirmation that the ECG visible on the scope coincides with the visual, auditory and palpable signs the paramedics detected. Palatine Rural Fire Lieutenant Roger Fyke and firefighter/paramedic Pete Retuerto rotated with chest compressions, while Rolling Meadows firefighter/paramedic Steve Zurek managed advanced airway techniques, such as endotracheal intubation (placing a tube directly inside the open space of the trachea for respiration).
Palatine firefighter/paramedic Zack Lane administered intraosseous (IO) drug access by using a device that looks like a power drill — injecting medications directly through hard bone of the tibia and into the soft bone marrow for immediate access to the vascular delivery system — blood circulation. The intraosseous route of fluid and medication administration is an alternative route compared to the preferred intravascular route when the intravascular route cannot be established in a timely manner — due to collapsed blood vessels, brittle blood vessels, or dark conditions which make it difficult to visualize blood vessels.
Palatine firefighter/paramedic Chad Kurka served his role and responsibilities managing the ECG monitor and defibrillation shocks.
Palatine Fire Department’s Deputy Chief Scott Mackeben, Division Chief Paul Macaluso, EMS Coordinator (Operations) Marc Campise, and Simulation Coordinator Firefighter Andrew Milewski oversaw the cardiac arrest training scenario, which took place at Palatine Fire Station 84 in Palatine. Northwest Community Hospital EMS Continuing Education Coordinator Susan Wood also attended the training demonstration, explaining and overseeing techniques.
The skills enhancement provided by training with the manikin enhances one of the most important regular roles of firefighter/paramedics in the suburbs — fighting sudden cardiac death and fighting cardiac arrest from other causes, such as trauma and severe allergic reactions.
Just some of the manikin features include …
Advanced Airway Training
Intravenous and Intraosseous medication administration and fluid resuscitation
Realistic vital signs assessment
Realistic blood pressure measurement
Realistic pulses
Realistic lung sounds
ECG interpretation
Chest Compressions
Vocal sounds
The SIMPAD® provides wireless training control and time stamps activities for peer paramedic debriefing.
The training demonstration also included use of a ResQPOD® — a device manufactured by Zoll that lowers pressure in the chest during the recoil phase of CPR. Essentially a intermittent vacuum, the device lowers intracranial pressure (ICP), and improves blood flow to the brain and vital organs. Zoll claims that cited studies have shown that when combined with high-quality CPR, the ResQPOD …
doubles blood flow to the heart,
increases blood flow to the brain by 50%, and
increases survival from cardiac arrest by 25% or more.
Firefighter/paramedics also explained how they are using a King Vision® aBlade Video Laryngoscope (for endotracheal intubation) and conducting a field trial of a Piston Driven CPR Assist device, which provides uninterrupted chest compressions while the patient cot is moving, especially over uneven ground, and while the ambulance is maneuvering turns and bumpy roads. The King Vision Laryngoscope by Ambu uses a full color TFT LCD display to show the image captured inside the trachea by a CMOS camera blade lens with light source and anti-fog treatment.
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Palatine Rural, Palatine, Rolling Meadows Fire Departments (RPM) Form Unified Fireground Response
^^ MOBILE? USE VOICE MIC ^^
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Rolling Meadows firefighter/paramedic Ryan Lettieri and Palatine firefighter/paramedic Marc Campise.
Northwest Community Hospital EMS Continuing Education Coordinator Susan Wood.
Ambu KingVISION video laryngoscope product demonstration.