Early amiodarone or lidocaine administration during in-hospital cardiac arrest caused by shockable rhythms.

Introduction: Published data investigating a time-dependent effect of initiation of antiarrhythmic therapy for shockable in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) is lacking. We aimed to evaluate the association between time of intravenous amiodarone or lidocaine administration and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in patients with IHCA caused by ventricular fibrillation (VF) or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (pVT).

Methods: This was a retrospective, multi-center, single health system, observational cohort study of patients with an IHCA caused by VF/pVT and who received amiodarone or lidocaine during 2014-2024.