Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Nov 1985
Can better basic and advanced cardiac life support improve outcome from cardiac arrest?
The effect of basic and advanced cardiac life support (BLS and ACLS) on long-term survival is dependent upon both the response time and the quality of intervention. Retention research using the results of classroom testing as indirect indicators has shown that performance of BLS and ACLS skills is poor. This suggests that BLS and ACLS courses do not teach the knowledge and skills well, the information is too difficult to retain, testing procedures are faulty, and/or the performance standards are unrealistic. To maximize the likelihood of successful resuscitation from cardiac arrest, we propose the following: (a) simplify the BLS procedures; (b) simplify the BLS and ACLS curricula; (c) simplify teaching strategies; (d) simplify testing based on what steps are required to sustain life; (e) define objective criteria for knowledge acquisition and skill performance; (f) base refresher training on diagnosed deficiencies and evaluate innovative ways to improve retention; (g) develop a resuscitation record to provide accurate documentation of patient status, dysrhythmias, therapy, and responses to therapy; (h) develop a process evaluation tool to evaluate individual and group performances during actual resuscitation; and (i) form an international consortium of BLS and ACLS investigators.
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Critical care medicine · Nov 1985
Circulatory arrest pressure as a prognostic indicator of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
In a porcine model of cardiac arrest, the intravascular pressure measured during circulatory standstill was positively correlated with the success of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. When volume was expanded before cardiac arrest, circulatory arrest pressure increased and the success of resuscitation increased. After volume expansion, the hematocrit was reduced and colloid osmotic pressure was decreased. However, neither hematocrit nor colloid osmotic pressure changes were directly related to survival.
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Critical care medicine · Nov 1985
Echocardiographic observations during cardiopulmonary resuscitation: a preliminary report.
Echocardiographic studies were conducted during CPR to establish whether blood flow through the heart was passive or whether cardiac compression accounted for forward blood flow. M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiographic studies were performed on anesthetized minipigs during external CPR and open-chest cardiac massage. With external compression, mitral valve closure was observed during compression systole and valve opening during compression diastole. ⋯ Echocardiographic observation of the tracer demonstrated forward blood flow across the pulmonic and aortic outflow tracts during compression. There was minimal valvular regurgitation. These findings support the concept of cardiac compression as a mechanism for forward blood flow during open- and closed-chest CPR.