Opioid-related cardiac arrest patients differ from other cardiac arrests

One recent study found that opioid overdose victims who suffer cardiac arrest are distinctly different from other cardiac arrest patients, yet they may be more likely than others to survive long enough to be admitted to a hospital, according to preliminary research to be presented at the American Heart Association’s Resuscitation Science Symposium 2019—November 16-17 in Philadelphia. “Cardiac arrests due […]

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Early EEG helps predict cardiac arrest outcomes in comatose

(HealthDay)—Early electroencephalography (EEG) reliably predicts the outcome of comatose patients after cardiac arrest, according to a study recently published in the Annals of Neurology. Barry J. Ruijter, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Twente in Enschede, Netherlands, and colleagues assessed whether early EEG can reliably predict outcomes among comatose patients after cardiac arrest. Blinded reviewers assessed five-minute EEG epochs at […]

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CPR is key to survival of sudden cardiac arrest

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation increases the possibility of surviving sudden cardiac arrest. But it’s not just trained professionals who can jump in to perform CPR. There are simple, life-saving steps any bystander can take. “We think it should be a basic life skill,” such as knowing to call 911 when there’s a fire, said Dr. Clifton Callaway, a professor and executive vice […]

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Drones a lifesaver for cardiac arrest patients?

Drones, the unmanned aircraft that got its start as part of the U.S. military’s arsenal and is today being used by everyone from photographers to farmers, are now heralded as a solution to a problem that’s bedeviled emergency medical personnel for years: How to deliver lifesaving defibrillators to people suffering cardiac arrest in areas not quickly reached by ambulances. Experiencing […]

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New rules on saving kids stricken with cardiac arrest

Saving a child with heart disease whose heart has stopped requires a different approach than reviving a child with a healthy heart, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Cardiac arrest in the hospital is 10 times more common among children with congenital heart defects or other acquired heart conditions compared to children with healthy hearts, […]

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AHA: Florida lifeguards helped save man’s life after cardiac arrest

For J.R. Bourne, a day at the beach rekindles good and bad memories. It’s the place where the Jacksonville Beach, Florida, resident died and was brought back to life thanks to fast-thinking first responders and an automated external defibrillator. Back in June 2015, then-40-year-old Bourne was playing soccer on the beach with his friend Luis when he suddenly collapsed and […]

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