Resuscitation
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Buffer therapy during out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
The effects of infusing a buffer solution on resuscitability and outcome was tested in patients during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. A number (502) of adults with asystole or ventricular fibrillation with failure of first defibrillation attempt were entered into a prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Of these, 245 patients received 250 ml of sodium bicarbonate-trometamol- phosphate mixture with buffering capacity 500 mmol/l and 257 patients received 250 ml 0.9% saline. ⋯ Mean base excess at hospital admission was -9 after Tribonat vs. -11 after saline (P = 0.04, CI for difference 0.2-3.8). Only 16 of the 502 patients had arterial alkalosis on arrival in the hospital and no patient had a positive base excess. Patients resuscitated after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest had metabolic acidosis, but buffer therapy did not improve the outcome.