Briefing

A round-up of news from the professional journals

Public can save lives

Use of defibrillators by lay volunteers can double the survival rate
following sudden cardiac arrest, an Italian study has found. Speaking at the
European Society of Cardiology Congress in Vienna, Massimo F Piepoli, of
Guglielmo da Saliceto Hospital in Italy, told delegates that placing equipment
in public sites and training volunteers on its use could cut average treatment
times.
Nursing Times, 3 September 2003

Misdiagnosing PHT

GPs are misdiagnosing cases of lung disease as asthma, and could be causing
patients to die prematurely, a pulmonary hypertension (PHT) nurse expert has warned.
Ann Mainwood said that almost every week, a new patient comes to her with PHT,
having been treated for long periods for asthma. She is urging doctors and
asthma nurses to learn more about PHT.
Nursing Standard, 12 September 2003

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Nurses resist pressure

NHS Direct nurses are resisting pressure from managers to process calls more
quickly, an analysis of the nurse-led helpline has found. Researcher Gerard
Hanlon, of King’s College London, interviewed 60 callers, 33 nurses and call
handlers, and studied transcripts of 120 calls taken. He said there were no
official attempts to ration the amount of time nurses should spend on each
call, but said "there was pressure in this regard".
Nursing Standard, 12 September 2003