Resuscitation
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To examine the impact of administration of cardioactive drugs on the outcome from out of hospital cardiac arrest. ⋯ The addition of cardioactive drug administration to the treatment of out of hospital cardiac arrest does not improve survival.
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End-tidal CO2 concentration correlates with pulmonary blood flow during cardiopulmonary resuscitation and has been claimed to be a useful tool to judge the effectiveness of chest compression. A high concentration of end-tidal CO2 has been related to a better outcome. However, most authors have noticed a decrease in end-tidal CO2 concentration after administration of epinephrine, concomitant with an increase in coronary perfusion pressure and an increased incidence of return of spontaneous circulation. ⋯ M.), and 43 +/- 1%, respectively, and pulmonary blood flow by 134 +/- 13 and 125 +/- 16%, respectively, within 1 min, simultaneously increasing coronary perfusion pressure from 10 +/- 2 to 45 +/- 5 mm Hg and from 11 +/- 1 to 38 +/- 5 mm Hg, respectively. The coronary perfusion pressure slowly fell, but the effects on end-tidal CO2 and pulmonary blood flow were prolonged. In conclusion, vasopressors increased coronary perfusion pressure and the likelihood of a return of spontaneous circulation, but decreased end-tidal CO2 concentration and induced a critical deterioration in cardiac output and thus oxygen delivery in this model of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.