What Researchers Did
Researchers surveyed all 15 hyperbaric medicine units in Australia and New Zealand about how they handle cardiac arrest during HBOT, including their defibrillation equipment, emergency protocols, and training drills.
What They Found
Fourteen of 15 units (93%) responded. No cases of in-chamber cardiac arrest requiring defibrillation had ever been reported in Australasia. Only 43% of units conduct regular cardiac arrest training drills. While 79% of respondents wanted standardised emergency protocols across all units, most felt it would be difficult to achieve in practice.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified, though the safety and regulatory findings are directly applicable to Canadian hyperbaric facilities.
Study Limitations
The survey covers only Australasian units; Canadian hyperbaric units may have different protocols, regulations, and equipment standards that would require a separate survey.