The trajectory of repairs in the defibrillator sequence during emergency cardiac arrest calls – Balancing progressivity and intersubjectivity

Authors

  • Nirukshi Perera Curtin University
  • Marine Riou Université Lumière Lyon 2, France and Curtin University
  • Stephen Ball St John WA, Australia and Curtin University
  • Tanya Birnie Curtin University
  • Alani Morgan Curtin University
  • Austin Whiteside Curtin University, Australia and St John WA
  • Janet Bray Curtin University, Australia; Monash University
  • Paul Bailey Curtin University, Australia; St John WA
  • Judith Finn Curtin University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/cam.19263

Keywords:

cardiac arrest, emergency medical communication, ambulance calls, defibrillator, repair, emergency dispatch, conversation analysis

Abstract

Due to the urgent, time-sensitive nature of interactions in emergency ambulance phone calls, dealing with repairs (communication trouble) can be challenging. We investigate a critical medical emergency known as out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and focus on how ambulance call-takers handle repairs during an interactive sequence concerning the retrieval of automatic external defibrillators (AED). Clear communication about AEDs is vital, because the device can deliver a life-saving shock to an OHCA patient’s heart. We examined repair initiations, and their subsequent trajectories, during the defibrillator sequences in 58 OHCA emergency calls. We found evidence of competing influences in resolving such repairs: (1) providing a repair solution (including ensuring caller comprehension of what a defibrillator is) to achieve intersubjectivity that could resolve the question of defibrillator availability; or (2) progressing the call as swiftly as possible to an immediately applicable life-saving intervention such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The findings suggest that in certain institutional contexts, such as emergency medical service dispatch, the resolution of repairs in communication can take varying trajectories in order to achieve the most feasible goal in immediate time. We suggest that emergency medical services consider these trajectories in helping ambulance call-takers anticipate repairs in OHCA calls.

Author Biographies

  • Nirukshi Perera, Curtin University

    Nirukshi (Niru) Perera is a Research Fellow in Linguistic Analysis at the Prehospital, Resuscitation and Emergency Care Research Unit (PRECRU), Curtin University, Australia. With a background in sociolinguistics and discourse analysis, she applies conversation analysis to understand communication in emergency cardiac arrest ambulance phone calls.

  • Marine Riou, Université Lumière Lyon 2, France and Curtin University

    Marine Riou is an Associate Professor in English Linguistics at Université Lumière Lyon 2, France, and Adjunct Research Fellow at Curtin University, Australia. She combines the methodologies of conversation analysis and corpus linguistics to study ordinary conversations and institutional interactions.

  • Stephen Ball, St John WA, Australia and Curtin University

    Stephen Ball is a Research Fellow and Deputy Director of the Prehospital, Resuscitation and Emergency Care Research Unit (PRECRU), Curtin University, Australia. He is also an honorary Research Fellow at St John Western Australia.

  • Tanya Birnie, Curtin University

    Tanya Birnie is a Research Assistant with the Prehospital, Resuscitation and Emergency Care Research Unit (PRECRU), Curtin University, Australia.

  • Alani Morgan, Curtin University

    Alani Morgan is a Research Assistant with the Prehospital, Resuscitation and Emergency Care Research Unit (PRECRU), Curtin University, Australia.

  • Austin Whiteside, Curtin University, Australia and St John WA

    Austin Whiteside is the Operations Manager (Systems & Performance) at the State Operations Centre of St John Ambulance Western Australia; an associate investigator with the Prehospital, Resuscitation and Emergency Care Research Unit (PRECRU), Curtin University, Australia; and an Australasian Cultural/Language committee member with the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch. His area of expertise is to develop, implement and refine methods and strategies to continually improve the performance of ambulance response in Western Australia.

  • Janet Bray, Curtin University, Australia; Monash University

    Janet Bray is an Associate Professor within the Pre-Hospital, Emergency and Trauma Unit in the School of Public Health and Preventative Medicine at Monash University, Australia. She is also an associate investigator with the Prehospital, Resuscitation and Emergency Care Research Unit (PRECRU), Curtin University, Australia.

  • Paul Bailey, Curtin University, Australia; St John WA

    Paul Bailey is the Medical Director and Chair of the Research Governance Committee at St John Western Australia.

  • Judith Finn, Curtin University

    Judith Finn is a Research Professor and Director of the Prehospital, Resuscitation and Emergency Care Research Unit (PRECRU), Curtin University, Australia. She is a clinical epidemiologist with a background as a critical care registered nurse. Her primary research focuses on investigating strategies to improve outcomes for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.

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Published

2022-02-17

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 2 (2020)

Section

Articles

License

copyright Equinox Publishing Ltd.

How to Cite

Perera, N., Riou, M., Ball, S., Birnie, T., Morgan, A., Whiteside, A., Bray, J., Bailey, P., & Finn, J. (2022). The trajectory of repairs in the defibrillator sequence during emergency cardiac arrest calls – Balancing progressivity and intersubjectivity. Communication and Medicine, 17(2), 150-164. https://doi.org/10.1558/cam.19263