Optimizing neurologically intact survival from sudden cardiac arrest: a call to action

• Published in: The western journal of emergency medicine Vol. 15; no. 7; pp. 803 - 807
• Main Authors: Goodloe, Jeffrey M, Wayne, Marvin, Proehl, Jean, Levy, Michael K, Yannopoulos, Demetris, Thigpen, Ken, O'Connor, Robert E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine 01.11.2014; eScholarship Publishing, University of California
• Subjects: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation - methods; Clinical Protocols; Cognition Disorders - etiology; Cognition Disorders - physiopathology; Cognition Disorders - prevention & control; Death, Sudden, Cardiac - prevention & control; Electroencephalography; Emergency Medical Services; Heart Arrest - complications; Heart Arrest - physiopathology; Heart Arrest - therapy; Humans; Nervous System Diseases - etiology; Nervous System Diseases - physiopathology; Nervous System Diseases - prevention & control; Policy Making; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Prognosis; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Survival Analysis; Technology in Emergency Care; United States; United States
• ISSN: 1936-900X; 1936-9018
• DOI: 10.5811/westjem.2014.6.21832

The U.S. national out-of-hospital and in-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates, although improving recently, have remained suboptimal despite the collective efforts of individuals, communities, and professional societies. Only until very recently, and still with inconsistency, has focus been placed specifically on survival with pre-arrest neurologic function. The reality of current approaches to sudden cardiac arrest is that they are often lacking an integrative, multi-disciplinary approach, and without deserved funding and outcome analysis. In this manuscript, a multidisciplinary group of authors propose practice, process, technology, and policy initiatives to improve cardiac arrest survival with a focus on neurologic function.