03/05/2012 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

            SB 202-RESUSCITATION PROTOCOL DOCUMENTS                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DAVIS announced the consideration of SB 202.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:34:11 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR DENNIS EGAN,  sponsor of SB 202, introduced  the bill. He                                                               
read from the following sponsor statement:                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Cardiopulmonary   Resuscitation  (CPR)   standards  are                                                                    
     updated    regularly    based    on    new    research.                                                                    
     Unfortunately,  due to  the  slow  process of  changing                                                                    
     agency    regulations,   current    state   regulations                                                                    
     reference outdated and incorrect CPR standards.                                                                            
     For   example,    when   the    current   resuscitation                                                                    
     regulations  were adopted  in 2002,  the gold  standard                                                                    
     for adult CPR  was 15 chest compressions  for every two                                                                    
     breaths   administered.  Today,   the  American   Heart                                                                    
     Association   recommends  for   trained  rescuers   two                                                                    
     breaths  for every  30  compressions, and  compressions                                                                    
     only  for  an  average bystander.  Pediatric  standards                                                                    
     have also changed significantly  since the time current                                                                    
     CPR regulations were established.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     The  International Liaison  Committee on  Resuscitation                                                                    
     (ILCOR) is  an international  group of  scientists that                                                                    
     reviews studies,  makes treatment  recommendations, and                                                                    
     publishes  its  findings.  The addition  of  the  ILCOR                                                                    
     findings to AS 47.05.012  would allow Emergency Medical                                                                    
     Services  offices and  instructors  to  teach the  most                                                                    
     current   and   appropriate   resuscitation   standards                                                                    
     without  having to  go through  the lengthy  process of                                                                    
     revising agency regulations. This  bill is necessary to                                                                    
     maintain a  high standard of emergency  medical care in                                                                    
     Alaska.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DAVIS  requested a  motion  to  bring  SB 202  before  the                                                               
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR EGAN moved to adopt SB  202, labeled 27-LS 1381\M, as the                                                               
bill before the committee.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DAVIS objected for discussion purposes.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:37:30 PM                                                                                                                    
RICHARD ETHERIDGE,  Chief, Juneau  Fire Department,  testified in                                                               
support  of  SB  202,  which would  streamline  the  process  for                                                               
updating current regulations  for CPR. He noted how  much CPR has                                                               
changed over the years. People  around the world have studied the                                                               
most effective  delivery of CPR  and the bill would  bring Alaska                                                               
up to date on these procedures.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR EGAN thanked Chief Etheridge for his testimony.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:39:27 PM                                                                                                                    
DAVID HULL,  Chief, Alaska Council On  Emergency Medical Services                                                               
(ACEMS),  testified in  support of  SB  202. He  said that  ACEMS                                                               
supports the use of the  best methods of instructing CPR. Current                                                               
state regulations  have outdated  standards for CPR.  He stressed                                                               
the importance of the life-saving  qualities of CPR. He concluded                                                               
that  the bill  would help  support high  standards of  emergency                                                               
care in Alaska.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:42:13 PM                                                                                                                    
DR.  WARD HURLBURT,  Chief Medical  Officer,  Division of  Public                                                               
Health, Department  of Health and  Social Services,  testified in                                                               
support of  SB 202,  which would permit  the use  of contemporary                                                               
recommendations  in   determining  the   best  methods   for  CPR                                                               
training.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DAVIS closed public testimony.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR EGAN thanked the testifiers.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  DAVIS spoke  in support  of  the bill.  She removed  her                                                               
objection.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  MEYER moved  to  report  SB 202  out  of committee  with                                                               
individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  zero  fiscal                                                               
note.  There being  no objection,  SB 202  moved from  the Senate                                                               
Health and Social Services Standing Committee.