STAFF from West Midlands Ambulance Service will trial a new ground-breaking treatment for patients suffering a cardiac arrest.
The study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research and co-ordinated by the University of Warwick, aims to work out once and for all if adrenaline is helpful or harmful when used for cardiac arrest.
It has been launched after an urgent need was identified by The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation, European Resuscitation Council and Resuscitation Council (UK) see if adrenaline therapy is safe and effective. The organisation sets the current resuscitation guidelines.
Some patients will receive adrenaline and some will not and then researchers will follow-up the cases in hospitals to compare what happens.
The data will be analysed as the trial progresses so that if a significant difference (one way or the other) is detected, the trial can be stopped early.
Mike Smyth, research fellow at Warwick Medical School and WMAS paramedic, said: “We’ve been using adrenaline in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest for over 50 years now, but we don’t know if it’s beneficial for improved patient outcomes.
“There has been data that had emerged recently that suggests patients who receive adrenaline during their resuscitation was worse neurologic (brain function) outcomes.
“Therefore it is important for us to find out for patients if we are harming them by giving them adrenaline.”
Four other ambulance trusts – South Central Ambulance Service, London Ambulance Service, Welsh Ambulance Service and North East Ambulance Service – will take part in the trial which begins in this region in June.
