Oxygenation and ventilation during prolonged experimental cardiopulmonary resuscitation with either continuous or 30:2 compression-to-ventilation ratios together with 10 cmH0 positive end-expiratory pressure.

Background: In refractory out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, the patient is commonly transported to hospital with mechanical continuous chest compressions (CCC). Limited data are available on the optimal ventilation strategy. Accordingly, we compared arterial oxygenation and haemodynamics during manual asynchronous continuous ventilation and compressions with a 30:2 compression-to-ventilation ratio together with the use of 10 cmHO positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP).

Ventilation during continuous compressions or at 30:2 compression-to-ventilation ratio results in similar arterial oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in an experimental model of prolonged cardiac arrest.

Background: In refractory out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, transportation to hospital with continuous chest compressions (CCC) from a chest compression device and ventilation with 100% oxygen through an advanced airway is common practice. Despite this, many patients are hypoxic and hypercapnic on arrival, possibly related to suboptimal ventilation due to the counterpressure caused by the CCC. We hypothesized that a compression/ventilation ratio of 30:2 would provide better ventilation and gas exchange compared to asynchronous CCC during prolonged experimental cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Out-of-hospital and in-hospital cardiac arrest during the COVID-19 pandemic: changes in demographics, outcomes and management.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, prehospital and hospital services were put under great stress because of limited resources and increased workloads. One expected effect was the increased number of out-of-hospital (OHCA) and in-hospital (IHCA) cardiac arrests that occurred during 2020 compared to previous years. Both direct and indirect mechanisms were involved.