CHAPTER 100 ULTRASOUND FOR RESUSCITATION TERMINATION

Outcome in Cardiac Arrest Patients Found to Have Cardiac Standstill on the Bedside Emergency Department Echocardiogram

Blaivas M, Fox JC, Acad Emerg Med. 2001;8:616–621

BACKGROUND

While clear ACLS guidelines exist for the management of cardiac arrest, there has been limited research to guide the termination of resuscitation for cardiac arrest. For patients who arrive to the ED in cardiac arrest, resuscitation can often continue for prolonged periods of time and require significant resources when electrical activity on the monitor is the only sign of life. At the time of this study, limited bedside echocardiography (echo) had already been shown valuable in evaluating select etiologies in cardiac arrest, but not as a prognostic tool to guide resuscitation efforts.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the outcomes of patients presenting to the ED in cardiac arrest with echo confirmed cardiac standstill.

METHODS

Prospective, observational study conducted at a single US academic ED between 1999 and 2000.

Participants

Convenience sample of 173 patients presenting with ongoing CPR to an urban, community ED with resident staffing.

Intervention Evaluated

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