Pharmacist trained to administer electric shocks
Friday 5th March 2010
A pharmacist has been trained to use electric shocks in order to steady the fluctuating heart rates of patients.
Sandra Allan at Luton & Dunstable Hospital - which was built in the 1930s and used to only have 170 beds - now uses a defibrillator to treat arrhythmia, Dunstable Today reports.
According to the publication, the medical centre is the first in the UK to develop the skills of a pharmacist in this way.
Ms Allan had worked at the hospital for a decade and undertook additional training in line with the National Service Framework for coronary heart disease.
She now runs arrhythmia clinics for patients who suffer atrial fibrillation.
Prior to the development, the waiting list for treatment of this kind was said to be up to nine months and the procedure was carried out on the coronary care unit with a cardiologist.
Now, the time people can expect to wait has fallen to one week.
Written by Angela Newbury
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