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…

Introduction Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is defined as ‘Natural death due to cardiac causes, heralded by abrupt loss of consciousness within 1 hour of the onset of acute symptoms; pre-existing…

Resuscitation in sport Cardiac arrest occurring during sporting activity is fortunately relatively rare. Most cases are non-traumatic (80%) and occur in young males. Of these non-traumatic causes, 90% are cardiac…

Introduction Patients requiring resuscitation often have an obstructed airway, usually caused by loss of consciousness, but occasionally it may be the primary cause of cardiorespiratory arrest. Immediate restoration of airway…

Introduction Cardiac pacing devices can be either temporary or permanent. Temporary techniques include percussion (fist) pacing, transcutaneous pacing and transvenous pacing. Permanent pacemakers (PPM) are used for the treatment of…

Introduction Defibrillation is the passage of sufficient electrical current across the heart to depolarise a critical mass of myocardium, preventing the continued propagation of the fibrillatory wave fronts and allowing…

Introduction In the year ending June 2009, there were just under one million incidents reported to the Department of Health by NHS facilities in England. Over 90% of these resulted…

Introduction Major trauma is the term used to describe serious or multiple injuries associated with a significant possibility of death or disability. The term can be further subdivided into blunt…

Introduction Worldwide, there are approximately 450,000 deaths each year from drowning. Most occur in low- and middle-income countries, but in 2006 there were 312 accidental deaths from drowning in the…

Introduction Most in-hospital cardiac arrests (IHCAs) are predictable events associated with slow and progressive deterioration in the patient’s cardiac, respiratory and neurological function due to a non-cardiac problem. Overall survival…