| Table 1. Equipment available at rural facilities providing emergency cardiac care in Newfoundland and Labrador | ||||
| Type of facility; no. (and %) with equipment | ||||
| Equipment (and cost) | Rural hospital (n = 14) |
24-h emergency clinic (n = 9) |
Satellite clinic (n = 8) |
All facilities (n = 31) |
| Defibrillator ($8000) | 14 (100) | 6 (67) | 6 (75) | 26 (84) |
| Automatic defibrillator ($8000) | 5 (36) | 1 (11) | 4 (50) | 10 (32) |
| 12-lead ECG* | 14 (100) | 7 (78) | 7 (88) | 28 (90) |
| 12-lead ECG with computer interpretation ($12 000) | 5 (36) | 1 (11) | 0 (0) | 6 (19) |
| Facsimile machine ($400) | 14 (100) | 8 (89) | 4 (50) | 26 (84) |
| Wall protocols | 11 (78) | 5 (56) | 2 (25) | 18 (58) |
| Transcutaneous pacemaker ($7000) | 8 (57) | 0 (0) | 1 (12) | 9 (29) |
| Automatic blood pressure cuff ($3500) | 8 (57) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 8 (26) |
| Intravenous pump ($3500) | 14 (100) | 6 (67) | 1 (12) | 21 (68) |
| ACLS transport equipment† | 12 (86) | 6 (67) | 5 (62) | 23 (74) |
| Resuscitation bed‡ ($8000) | 12 (86) | 4 (44) | 2 (25) | 18 (58) |
| Central lines ($28) | 8 (57) | 1 (11) | 0 (0) | 9 (29) |
| Pulse oximeter ($5000) | 11(78) | 1 (11) | 0 (0) | 12 (39) |
| Thrombolysis§ | 13 (93) | 2 (22) | 0 (0) | 15 (48) |
|
*ECG = electrocardiograph.
†For use during interhospital transfer by qualified personnel when the ambulance service is not staffed to advanced life support level.[5] ‡Side-rails fold out horizontally to support limbs and procedure trays.[5] §Streptokinase or tissue plasminogen activator available in the emergency department. | ||||
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