BMJ  2004;329 (16 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7471.0-a

Nurses take on cardioversion

Nurses can carry out cardioversion in people with atrial fibrillation in a day surgery unit, saving acute hospital beds and junior doctors' time. Auditing a newly introduced, nurse led electrical cardioversion service in London, Currie and colleagues (p 892) found that, among 143 patients treated, 92% went back into sinus rhythm. Three had to be admitted to hospital, but for less than 24 hours; none had serious complications. Waiting times were reduced from 27 weeks to eight weeks.

Credit: MICHAEL DONNE/SPL

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Article

Introduction of nurse led DC cardioversion service in day surgery unit: prospective audit

M P Currie, S P Karwatowski, J Perera, and E J Langford
BMJ 2004 329: 892-894. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]