Recovery of arterial blood pressure after chest compression pauses in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Background And Aims: Chest compressions generating good perfusion during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in cardiac arrest patients are critical for positive patient outcomes. Conventional wisdom advises minimizing compression pauses because several compressions are required to recover arterial blood pressure (ABP) back to pre-pause values. Our study examines how compression pauses influence ABP recovery post-pause in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Physiological effects of providing supplemental air for avalanche victims. A randomised trial.

Background: Survival from avalanche burial is dependent on time to extraction, breathing ability, air pocket oxygen content, and avoiding rebreathing of carbon dioxide (CO). Mortality from asphyxia increases rapidly after burial. Rescue services often arrive too late.