INTRODUCTION: Out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrest (OHCA) is a major public health challenge and post-return-of-spontaneous-circulation (ROSC) goals have shifted from just survival to survival with intact neurology. Although post-ROSC care is crucial for survival with intact neurology, there are insufficient well-established protocols for post-resuscitation care. We aimed to evaluate post-resuscitation care in the emergency department (ED) of adult (aged ≥16 years) OHCA patients with sustained ROSC and its associated neurologically intact survival. METHODS: A retrospective review of electronic medical records was conducted for OHCA patients with sustained ROSC at the ED. Data including demographics, pre-hospital resuscitation, ED resuscitation, post-resuscitation care and eventual outcomes were analysed. RESULTS: Among 921 OHCA patients, 85 (9.2%) had sustained ROSC at the ED. Nineteen patients (19/85, 22.4%) survived, with 13 (13/85, 15.3%) having intact neurology at discharge. Electrocardiogram and chest X-ray were performed in all OHCA patients, whereas computed tomography (CT) was performed inconsistently, with CT brain being most common (74/85, 87.1%), while CT pulmonary angiogram (6/85, 7.1%), abdomen and pelvis (4/85, 4.7%) and aortogram (2/85, 2.4%) were done infrequently. Only four patients (4.7%) had all five neuroprotective goals of normoxia, normocarbia, normotension, normothermia and normoglycaemia achieved in the ED. The proportion of all five neuroprotective goals being met was significantly higher ( P = 0.01) among those with neurologically intact survival (3/13, 23.1%) than those without (1/72, 1.4%). CONCLUSION Post-resuscitation care at the ED showed great variability, indicating gaps between recommended guidelines and clinical practice. Good quality post-resuscitation care, centred around neuroprotection goals, must be initiated promptly to achieve meaningful survival with intact neurology.
Humans ; Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest/mortality* ; Retrospective Studies ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/methods* ; Return of Spontaneous Circulation ; Aged ; Adult ; Treatment Outcome ; Electrocardiography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Aged, 80 and over

With the gradual development and popularization of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in China, some prefecture-level medical institutions in China have carried out and formed their own pre-hospital extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) model. Although the development levels of various prefecture-level cities are uneven and the start times vary, at present, the prefecture-level hospitals in China generally go through the development process of ECMO-in-hospital ECPR-pre-hospital ECPR-professional medical recovery center. Among them, in-hospital ECPR has the advantages of timely resuscitation, guaranteed quality of resuscitation, and fast activation speed of the ECPR team, and currently has a high success rate, with a low proportion of patients with neurological complications. However, pre-hospital ECPR is more challenging, requiring the coordination between pre-hospital and in-hospital emergency forces, multidisciplinary cooperation, and the quality of resuscitation before ECPR cannot be fully guaranteed, the long duration of patient's low perfusion, and other factors make the survival rate of patients without neurological damage obviously lower than that of in-hospital ECPR. China has a large population base, and comprehensive domestic and foreign data show that there should be no less than several million cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest under the age of 60 every year, so there is much to be done to improve the survival rate of pre-hospital ECPR. Pre-hospital ECPR is a project of concentrated resources and technology, which has high requirements for the multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment capabilities of medical institutions. The optimization of the implementation process of in-hospital and pre-hospital ECPR teams, the advancement of the timing of ECPR intervention, the selection of patients, the support and construction of multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment capabilities after ECPR, and the management of related complications and risk factors are closely related to the prognosis of ECPR patients. The recoverability of the brain and heart is currently the key factor restricting the further improvement of the survival rate of patients after ECPR. Considering that the recovery of neurological function mainly depends on the duration of the early low perfusion, the in-hospital treatment after the implementation of ECPR is mainly the low-temperature brain protection strategy, the effect of which is still controversial, so the recovery of cardiac function is the key that seriously restricts the survival of patients after ECPR in addition to neurological prognosis. The recoverability of the heart after ECPR can be implemented from multiple angles: the research on pathophysiological issues such as the matching of the heart itself after the implementation of ECPR, and the matching between the heart and ECMO, and the proposal of corresponding countermeasures will help to improve the survival rate of patients after ECPR. The large population and the potential salvageable population make the development of ECPR technology in China's tertiary hospitals urgent and necessary, with challenges and opportunities coexisting.
Humans ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/methods* ; China ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation/methods* ; Emergency Medical Services ; Risk Factors ; Prognosis

The important studies in the field of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) in 2024 focused on the application of cardiac support technologies in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with cardiogenic shock (CS): veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-A ECMO) has not shown advantages in either short- or long-term outcomes and may increase the risk of bleeding and vascular complications; in contrast, micro-axial flow pumps demonstrate potential in improving mortality. The effects of veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-V ECMO) combined with prone positioning on severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remain uncertain. The survival benefit of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients has been further validated. The potential benefits of extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO2R) require further investigation. Additionally, new guidelines released in 2024 focus on Neurological monitoring and management during ECMO, as well as the Definition and management of right ventricular injury during veno-venous ECMO. ECMO management requires more refined strategies, including optimized oxygenation targets, anticoagulation, blood transfusion, and weaning strategies to improve patient outcomes.
Humans ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation/methods* ; Shock, Cardiogenic/therapy* ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ; Myocardial Infarction/therapy*

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of different chest compression rates (60-140 times/min) on hemodynamic parameters, return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), resuscitation success, and survival in a porcine model of cardiac arrest (CA) followed by cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). METHODS: Forty healthy male domestic pigs were randomly divided into five groups based on chest compression rate: 60, 80, 100, 120, and 140 times/min (n = 8). All animals underwent standard anesthesia and tracheal intubation. A catheter was inserted via the left femoral artery into the thoracic aorta to monitor aortic pressure (AOP), and another via the right external jugular vein into the right atrium to monitor right atrial pressure (RAP). In each group, animals were implanted with a stimulating electrode via the right external jugular vein to the endocardium, and ventricular fibrillation (VF) was induced by delivering alternating current stimulation, resulting in CA. After a 1-minute, manual chest compressions were performed at the assigned rate with a compression depth of 5 cm. The first defibrillation was delivered after 2 minutes of CPR. No epinephrine or other pharmacologic agents were administered during the entire resuscitation process. From 1 minute before VF induction to 10 minutes after ROSC, dynamic monitoring of AOP, coronary perfusion pressure (CPP), and partial pressure of end-tidal carbon dioxide (P_ETCO₂). Cortical ultrastructure was examined 24 hours post-ROSC using transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: With increasing compression rates, both the total number of defibrillations and cumulative defibrillation energy significantly decreased, reaching their lowest levels in the 120 times/min group. The number of defibrillations decreased from (4.88±0.83) times in the 60 times/min group to (2.25±0.71) times in the 120 compressions/min group, and energy from (975.00±166.90)J to (450.00±141.42)J. However, both parameters increased again in the 140 times/min group [(4.75±1.04)times, (950.00±207.02)J], the differences among the groups were statistically significant (both P < 0.01). As compression frequency increased, P_ETCO₂, pre-defibrillation AOP and CPP significantly improved, peaking in the 120 times/min group [compared with the 60 times/min group, P_ETCO₂ (mmHg, 1 mmHg≈0.133 kPa): 18.69±1.98 vs. 8.67±1.30, AOP (mmHg): 95.13±7.06 vs. 71.00±6.41, CPP (mmHg): 14.88±6.92 vs. 8.57±3.42]. However, in the 140 times/min group, these values declined significantly again [P_ETCO₂, AOP, and CPP were (10.59±1.40), (72.38±11.49), and (10.36±4.57) mmHg, respectively], the differences among the groups were statistically significant (all P < 0.01). The number of animals achieving ROSC, successful resuscitation, and 24-hour survival increased with higher compression rates, reaching a peak in the 120 times/min group (compared with the 60 times/min group, ROSC: 7 vs. 2, successful resuscitation: 7 vs. 2, 24-hour survival: 7 vs.1), then decreased again in the 140 times/min group (the animals that ROSC, successfully recovered and survived for 24 hours were 3, 3, and 2, respectively). Transmission electron microscopy revealed that in the 60, 80, and 140 times/min groups, nuclear membranes in cerebral tissue were irregular and incomplete, nucleoli were indistinct, and mitochondria were swollen with reduced cristae and abnormal morphology. In contrast, the 100 times/min and 120 times/min groups exhibited significantly attenuated ultrastructural damage. CONCLUSIONS Among the tested chest compression rates of 60-140 times/min, a chest compressions frequency of 120 times/min is the most favorable hemodynamic profile and outcomes during CPR in a porcine CA model. However, due to the wide spacing between groups, further investigation is needed to determine the optimal compression rate range more precisely.
Animals ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/methods* ; Swine ; Male ; Heart Arrest/therapy* ; Heart Massage/methods* ; Hemodynamics

The ultimate goal of cardiac arrest-cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CA-CPR) is to reduce brain damage and promote neurological recovery. Although the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) has improved, the proportion of patients who survive to discharge is very low, so how to evaluate the recovery of brain function after resuscitation is particularly important in clinical work. From a clinical perspective, although early prognostic indicators are not perfect, identifying high-risk features may help clinicians determine the severity of brain injury caused by a patient's potential course of disease. This review, based on recent literature, selects several commonly used clinical brain function evaluation indicators to provide theoretical and practical support for assessing brain function recovery in patients after CPR.
Humans ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/methods* ; Heart Arrest/physiopathology* ; Brain/physiopathology* ; Recovery of Function ; Prognosis

Targeted temperature management (TTM) has been partially applied in patients with restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after cardiac arrest (CA). In the 2020 American Heart Association (AHA) cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) guidelines, TTM is used as advanced life support after ROSC for the treatment of patients with CPR. TTM has a protective effect on cardiac function after CA, but the specific mechanism of its protective effect on cardiac function remains unclear. In this paper, the basic experimental progress, clinical trial progress and development prospect of TTM on the protective mechanism of cardiac function after CA are reviewed.
United States ; Humans ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/methods* ; Temperature ; Heart Arrest/therapy* ; Hypothermia, Induced/methods* ; Body Temperature

Objectives: To investigate the current application status and implementation difficulties of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) in children with sudden cardiac arrest. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted in 35 hospitals. A Children's ECPR Information Questionnaire on the implementation status of ECPR technology (abbreviated as the questionnaire) was designed, to collect the data of 385 children treated with ECPR in the 35 hospitals. The survey extracted the information about development of ECPR, the maintenance of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine, the indication of ECPR, and the difficulties of implementation in China. These ECPR patients were grouped based on their age, the hospital location and level, to compare the survival rates after weaning and discharge. The statistical analysis used Chi-square test and one-way analysis of variance for the comparison between the groups, LSD method for post hoc testing, and Bonferroni method for pairwise comparison. Results: Of the 385 ECPR cases, 224 were males and 161 females. There were 185 (48.1%) survival cases after weaning and 157 (40.8%) after discharge. There were 324 children (84.2%) receiving ECPR for cardiac disease and 27 children (7.0%) for respiratory failure. The primary cause of death in ECPR patients was circulatory failure (82 cases, 35.9%), followed by brain failure (80 cases, 35.0%). The most common place of ECPR was intensive care unit (ICU) (278 cases, 72.2%); ECPR catheters were mostly inserted through incision (327 cases, 84.9%). There were 32 hospitals (91.4%) had established ECMO emergency teams, holding 125 ECMO machines in total. ECMO machines mainly located in ICU (89 pieces, 71.2%), and the majority of hospitals (32 units, 91.4%) did not have pre-charged loops. There were no statistically significant differences in the post-withdrawal and post-discharge survival rates of ECPR patients among different age groups, regions, and hospitals (all P>0.05). The top 5 difficulties in implementing ECPR in non-ICU environments were lack of ECMO machines (16 times), difficulty in placing CPR pipes (15 times), long time intervals between CPR and ECMO transfer (13 times), lack of conventional backup ECMO loops (10 times), and inability of ECMO emergency teams to quickly arrive at the site (5 times). Conclusion: ECPR has been gradually developed in the field of pediatric critical care in China, and needs to be further standardized. ECPR in non-ICU environment remains a challenge.
Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Aftercare ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/methods* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac/prevention & control* ; East Asian People ; Heart Arrest/therapy* ; Patient Discharge ; Retrospective Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant challenges for the resuscitation of paediatric patients, especially for infants and children who are suspected or confirmed to be infected. Thus, the paediatric subcommittee of the Singapore Resuscitation and First Aid Council developed interim modifications to the current Singapore paediatric guidelines using extrapolated data from the available literature, local multidisciplinary expert consensus and institutional best practices. It is hoped that this it will provide a framework during the pandemic for improved outcomes in paediatric cardiac arrest patients in the local context, while taking into consideration the safety of all community first responders, medical frontline providers and healthcare workers.
Infant ; Child ; Humans ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/methods* ; COVID-19/therapy* ; Pandemics ; Singapore ; Heart Arrest

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence factors of different compression modes on restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and outcomes in patients with cardiac arrest. METHODS: Based on the national database of emergency cardiac arrest treatment, the clinical data of 517 patients with cardiac arrest admitted to 14 teaching hospitals in 7 provinces from July 2015 to July 2017 were enrolled. According to the way of compression, the patients were divided into mechanical compression group and hands-only compression group. The demographic data, resuscitation parameters [compression frequency, monitored ventilation frequency, duration of resuscitation, drug usage] and physiological parameters [end-expiratory partial pressure of carbon dioxide (P_ETCO₂), pulse oxygen saturation (SpO₂)] were collected. The ROSC rates and 24-hour, 7-day, 28-day survival rates were compared between the two groups. Multivariate Logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of ROSC according to whether the duration of resuscitation was longer than 60 minutes. RESULTS: Of 517 patients, 24 were excluded because of incomplete data. A total of 493 patients were enrolled in the analysis with 214 patients in the mechanical compression group, and 279 in the hands-only compression group. Compared with hands-only compression group, the patients in mechanical compression group had higher age, proportion of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and P_ETCO₂, fewer un-shockable rhythm, less compression rate, more epinephrine and sodium bicarbonate usage, and longer duration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Although the rate of ROSC in the mechanical compression group was higher than that in the hands-only compression group [36.9% (79/214) vs. 30.5% (85/279)], there was no significant difference in the rate of ROSC between the two groups [odds ratio (OR) = 1.10, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 0.68-1.76, P = 0.693], even after adjusted for con-variables by multivariate Logistic regression (OR = 1.21, 95%CI = 0.54-1.88, P = 0.054). Furthermore, 24-hour, 7-day, and 28-day survival rate also showed no significant difference in both univariate model and multivariate model. Comparisons of resuscitation parameters and physiological parameters between the two groups showed that when the duration of CPR < 60 minutes, the pressing frequency of the mechanical compression group was lower, ventilation frequency and adrenaline dosage were higher; and when the duration of CPR ≥ 60 minutes, the adrenaline dosage and P_ETCO₂ of the mechanical compression group were higher. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that among patients with a duration of CPR < 60 minutes, un-shockable rhythm (OR = 0.29, 95%CI = 0.05-0.75, P = 0.015), compression rate > 120 times/min (OR = 0.39, 95%CI = 0.24-0.64, P < 0.001), ventilation frequency > 40 times/min (OR = 0.50, 95%CI = 0.31-0.84, P = 0.034) were independent risk factors for ROSC; while P_ETCO₂ ≥ 20 mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa) was protective factor for ROSC (OR = 2.79, 95%CI = 1.88-4.49, P < 0.001). However, for patients with CPR duration ≥ 60 minutes, ≥ 65 years old (OR = 0.33, 95%CI = 0.15-0.67, P = 0.018), admission at night (OR = 0.74, 95%CI = 0.59-0.94, P = 0.035), un-shockable rhythm (OR = 0.38, 95%CI = 0.25-0.65, P = 0.001), non-cardiogenic cardiac arrest (OR = 0.35, 95%CI = 0.25-0.48, P = 0.013), previous history of diabetes mellitus (OR = 0.46, 95%CI = 0.27-0.82, P = 0.015) were independent risk factors for ROSC, and cardiac arrest occurred in emergency room (OR = 2.02, 95%CI = 1.02-2.92, P = 0.023), mechanical compression (OR = 1.41, 95%CI = 1.12-1.75, P = 0.043), P_ETCO₂ ≥ 20 mmHg (OR = 2.94, 95%CI = 1.34-4.54, P = 0.012), previous history of acute coronary syndrome (ACS; OR = 2.47, 95%CI = 1.15-3.78, P = 0.043) were protective factors for ROSC. CONCLUSIONS Mechanical compression CPR had no significant differences in the rate of ROSC and 24-hour, 7-day, 28-day survival rates for cardiac arrest patients in the emergency departments compared with hands-only compression CPR. For those who undergone CPR duration more than 60 minutes, mechanical compression was associated with a higher rate of ROSC.
Aged ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/methods* ; Heart Arrest/therapy* ; Humans ; Pressure ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility of ultrasound to measure blood flow on patients with chest compression cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and to find out a real-time, noninvasive hemodynamic evaluation method. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted. All adult patients undergoing CPR admitted to Department of Emergency and intensive care unit (ICU) of Zhengzhou People's Hospital from May 2016 to November 2018 were enrolled. The blood flow over the right carotid arteries during chest compressions was recorded with a bedside ultrasound machine. The peak systolic flow velocity (PSV) and end diastolic flow velocity (EDV) of carotid artery were recorded at 1 minute after the start of CPR and 1 minute before the end of CPR. The mean compression frequency during the whole recovery period was recorded, the rate of compression reaching the standard was evaluated by ultrasound (the rate of compression 100-120 times/min was defined as up to standard), and the interruption time of compression was calculated retrospectively according to the ultrasound image data recorded during CPR. RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients were enrolled, and 21 patients were successfully rescued, with a successful rate of 53.8%, the time of restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) was (10.9±5.3) minutes. The time from CPR to retrieve an ultrasound image was 1.1-4.9 minutes, with an average of (2.5±1.2) minutes. Satisfactory ultra-sonographic images were obtained in 28 patients during the whole course of chest compression. The acquisition rate was 71.8% (28/39). In the process of compression, if the frequency of compression was less than 100 times/min or the velocity of carotid artery dropped (PSV < 30 cm/s), the chest compressors should be reminded and corrected in time. The PSV at 1 minute after CPR start of 28 patients with satisfactory ultrasound images was (62.9±18.5) cm/s, and the EDV was (13.9±3.5) cm/s, the PSV at 1 minute before the end of CPR was (55.4±18.4) cm/s, and the EDV was (12.9±3.7) cm/s. There was no significant difference in above parameters between the two time points (both P > 0.05), suggesting that satisfactory resuscitation effect was achieved in the whole process of CPR. The compression frequency of 28 patients was 100-149 times/min with an average of (117±47) times/min. The rate of compression with standard was 85.7% (24/28), and the total interruption time of compression accounted for 4.4% of all compression time (25.9 minutes/587.2 minutes). CONCLUSIONS Ultrasound measurement of common carotid artery blood flow during CPR has the advantage of real-time and non-invasive, and it is feasible in clinical work.
Adult ; Blood Flow Velocity/physiology* ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/methods* ; Carotid Artery, Common/physiology* ; Feasibility Studies ; Humans ; Pressure ; Prospective Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography, Doppler