Current opinion in critical care
-
Cardiac arrest survival rates remain low despite increased access to advanced cardiac life support. Survival from cardiac arrest is, at least in part, related to the perfusion pressures and blood flow achieved during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). A number of alternative CPR devices have been developed that aim to improve the perfusion pressures and/or blood flow achieved during CPR. ⋯ A number of other devices, including the inspiratory impedance threshold valve, minimally invasive direct cardiac massage, phased chest and abdominal compression-decompression CPR, and vest CPR, are all capable of improving perfusion pressures and/or blood flow compared with standard external chest compressions. However, no convincing human outcome data has been produced yet for any of these devices. Although an interesting area of research, none of the alternative CPR devices convincingly improve long-term patient outcomes.
-
Curr Opin Crit Care · Jun 2002
Review Comparative StudyLithium dilution measurement of cardiac output and arterial pulse waveform analysis: an indicator dilution calibrated beat-by-beat system for continuous estimation of cardiac output.
Lithium dilution cardiac output (LiDCO trade mark; LiDCO, London, UK) is a minimally invasive indicator dilution technique for the measurement of cardiac output. It was primarily developed as a simple calibration for the PulseCO trade mark (LiDCO, London, UK) continuous arterial waveform analysis monitor. The technique is quick and simple, requiring only an arterial line and central or peripheral venous access. ⋯ The nominal stroke volume is converted to actual stroke volume by calibration of the algorithm with LiDCO trade mark. Initial studies indicate good fidelity, and the results from centers in the United States and the United Kingdom are extremely encouraging. The PulseCO trade mark monitor incorporates software for interpretation of the hemodynamic data generated and provides a real-time analysis of arterial pressure variations (ie, stroke volume variation, pulse pressure variation, and systolic pressure variation) as theoretical guides to intravascular and cardiac filling.
-
Curr Opin Crit Care · Jun 2002
ReviewTermination of resuscitation: the art of clinical decision making.
Despite all of the progress in reanimating patients in cardiac arrest over the last half century, resuscitation attempts usually fail to restore spontaneous circulation. Thus, the most common of all resuscitation decisions after initiation remains the decision to stop. ⋯ However, this most central decision is often left open to chance, provider preference, family wishes, futility judgments, and resource concerns-a host of subjective considerations at the bedside and beyond. This article sheds light on these considerations, acknowledging the pivotal role that resuscitation science and guidelines can play in the multifactorial decision to discontinue resuscitative efforts.