The importance of high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation The performance of high-quality, uninterrupted chest compressions is an important determinant of outcome from cardiac arrest (Box 19.1). Observational studies have shown that chest…

Introduction Patients and their relatives expect a prompt, effective response to in-hospital cardiac arrest. All clinical staff must be able to recognise the physiological and clinical signs of deterioration and…

Introduction Maternal cardiorespiratory arrest is fortunately an infrequent yet catastrophic event. Triennial audits from the UK have repeatedly confirmed that major haemorrhage, thromboembolism, amniotic fluid embolism and hypertensive disease of…

Introduction Improving outcomes from cardiac arrest requires high-quality care. Studies of both in- and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest show that there is a gap between what the guidelines say and what…

Introduction The term basic life support (BLS) is used to describe maintenance of a clear airway and support of breathing and the circulation in cases of cardiac arrest, without the…

Introduction Paediatric cardiorespiratory arrest is often caused by hypoxia, as the body has limited compensatory mechanisms to deal with severe illness or injury. Ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia is…

Introduction Out-of-hospital sudden death is a leading cause of death in the industrialised world. In Europe alone, 700,000 sudden cardiac arrests occur each year. There is marked variation in the…

Introduction Arrhythmias are common in the peri-arrest period: they may lead to cardiac arrest or they may occur soon after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), a time when the myocardium…

Introduction Deciding whether or not it is appropriate to attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) often evokes strong emotions in patients and their families and within the multidisciplinary team. When there is…