Cardiac arrest is fatal and to resuscitate in time is challenging. In the hospital setup patient may get immediate help and may survive, but out of hospital patients it is very difficult. A study about the helpfulness of existing guidelines shows uncertainty.

Team@CMHF

The results of the two-component Prehospital Resuscitation Impedance Valve and Early Versus Delayed Analysis trial have revealed further uncertainties over existing guidelines for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).

The first part of the trial, conducted found no differences in survival between patients who received 30–60 seconds of emergency medical service (EMS)-administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before cardiac rhythm analysis (early analysis) and those who received 180 seconds of CPR before analysis (later analysis).

This comes despite the 2005 American Heart Association guidelines, which state that 2 minutes of CPR before analysis of cardiac rhythm could provide a greater benefit than CPR of shorter duration, report the authors.

The second part, conducted found that use of an impedance threshold device (ITD) during CPR did not significantly improve survival among OHCA patients, which is also contrary to these guidelines.

It was concluded: “The goal of resuscitation is saving lives; research helps achieve this goal but is not the goal itself.”

Reference: http://www.incirculation.net/NewsItem/Uncertainty-remains-over-outofhospital-cardiac-arr.aspx