In this post I link to and excerpt from Dr. Reuben Streyer’s outstanding Emergency Medicine Updates‘ CPR Induced Consciousness: 30 Second Video [and Post]. APRIL 27, 2018.
Here are the excerpts:
An 82 year old healthy and high functioning gentleman had been feeling unwell for several days with progressive dyspnea. He walked into the emergency department with his son, sat down in a chair in ambulatory triage and promptly became unresponsive. He was wheeled into the resus bay where he was apneic and pulseless with a PEA rhythm. Cardiac arrest care included chest compressions, laryngeal mask ventilation, epinephrine, calcium, and bicarbonate, without ROSC. Ultrasound initially showed no cardiac activity which progressed to minimal cardiac activity without palpable pulses, ECG demonstrated ST elevations in V1 and V2. 50 mg alteplase was given without improvement of echo or ROSC; a second 50 mg dose was given 15 minutes later which also had no discernible effect.
Throughout the period of cardiac arrest care, including during periods of cardiac standstill, the patient became awake during chest compressions and opened his eyes, tracked staff, made purposeful movements toward the laryngeal tube and toward the person doing chest compressions as well as flailing, distressed lower extremity movements. 100 mg ketamine was given to good effect, repeated once. After 75 minutes, the decision was made with the patient’s son that further resuscitative efforts were unlikely to be successful. Chest compressions were halted, and the patient was pronounced deceased.
Please see the rest of the post for more critical details.
