Two 2016 studies examine difficult questions in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: whether amiodarone or lidocaine improves outcomes, and how resuscitation duration relates to neurological recovery. Natalie May considers study design, statistical uncertainty and why translating findings into bedside decisions needs care.
JC: Arrested Developments. St.Emlyn’s Read More
When might withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment be considered in the emergency department? Using hypothetical cases and the 2008 UK code of practice, this 2016 discussion explores uncertain prognosis, reversible causes, patient wishes and the need for senior colleagues and families to be involved.
Chris Gray reports from the 2015 London Cardiac Arrest Symposium, covering adrenaline, care after resuscitation, mechanical CPR and survivors’ experiences. This conference archive captures the questions and uncertainties discussed at the time, before the results of the PARAMEDIC2 trial were available.
London Cardiac Arrest Symposium #LTC2015 St.Emlyn’s Read More
In this 2014 guest post, Mark Wilson explains the origins of GoodSAM: connecting nearby trained responders with emergencies before an ambulance arrives. He describes the thinking behind the app, its early defibrillator mapping and questions about responder participation, registration and indemnity during the project’s development.
Free Open Access RESUSCITATION – the GoodSamApp with Mark Wilson Read More
Should cooling begin during cardiac arrest rather than after circulation returns? This 2012 discussion explores the rationale for intra-arrest hypothermia, the limited human and animal evidence then available, and the author’s argument for trying an earlier approach despite that uncertainty.
Getting Chilly Quickly 2…. Early hypothermia for ROSC? Read More
Does reaching hypothermia sooner after cardiac arrest improve outcomes? This 2012 journal club examines an observational study of cooling times, using its results to explain relative risk, absolute risk and number needed to treat while questioning whether confounding could explain the apparent benefit of later cooling.
Getting Chilly Quickly at St.Emlyn’s Read More
What can the capnography trace tell a resuscitation team beyond airway position? This 2012 reflection explores its use in assessing compressions, recognising possible return of circulation and informing difficult decisions, while emphasising the limitations of interpreting end-tidal carbon dioxide in isolation.
ALS: Airway, Breathing, Capnography??? Read More
