Usefulness of Cardiac Arrest Centers: Extending Lifesaving Post-Resuscitation Therapies: The Arizona Experience

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17 Scopus citations

Abstract

The post-cardiac arrest syndrome is a complex, multisystems response to the global ischemia and reperfusion injury that occurs with the onset of cardiac arrest, its treatment (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and the re-establishment of spontaneous circulation. Regionalization of post-cardiac arrest care, utilizing specified cardiac arrest centers (CACs), has been proposed as the best solution to providing optimal care for those successfully resuscitated after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. A multidisciplinary team of intensive care specialists, including critical care/pulmonologists, cardiologists (general, interventional, and electrophysiology), neurologists, and physical medicine/rehabilitation experts, is crucial for such centers. Particular attention to the timely initiation of targeted temperature management and early coronary angiography/percutaneous coronary intervention is best provided by such CACs. A State-wide program of CACs was started in Arizona in 2007. This is a voluntary program, whereby medical centers agree to provide all resuscitated cardiac arrest patients brought to their facility with state-of-the-art post-resuscitation care, including targeted temperature management for comatose patients and strong consideration for emergent coronary angiography for all patients with a likely cardiac etiology for their cardiac arrest. Survival improved by more than 50% at facilities that became CACs with a commitment to provide aggressive post-resuscitation care to all such patients. Providing aggressive, post-resuscitation care is the next real opportunity to increase long-term survival for cardiac arrest patients.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1156-1163
Number of pages8
JournalCirculation Journal
Volume79
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - May 11 2015

Keywords

  • Cardiac arrest centers
  • Coronary angiography
  • Post-cardiac arrest syndrome
  • Post-resuscitation care
  • Therapeutic hypothermia

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

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