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A study was conducted to evaluate and compare the survival rate in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest using compression-only (COCPR) by lay rescuers against conventional CPR. Results indicated that lay person COCPR resulted in higher survival rates in the case of such patients.

A study was conducted to determine whether minimally interrupted cardiac resuscitation (MICR) which is considered an alternate emergency medical procedure could improve the survival rate. MICR was found to improve the survival rate of cardiac patients.

The highlights of the American Heart Association's 2000 Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care are reviewed. Topics include ventilation, defibrillation, circulatory adjuncts, pharmacology, and asystole.

Results of a study to evaluate BLS and ALS termination-of-resuscitation rules in identifying patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest revealed that BLS and ALS were useful in identifying patients. There is a need to collect relevant survival data to better understand causes of cardiac arrest.

A study involving 34 patients was undertaken to determine whether end-tidal carbon dioxide monitoring during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) could be used in predicting chances of survival in patients suffering from cardiac arrest. CPR is a form of emergency medical care given to an apparently unconscious person whose heart is not functioning. Studies have shown that end-tidal carbon dioxide concentrations fall with cardiac arrest, and move toward normal when normal cardiac activity resumes. Evaluation of the effectiveness of ongoing CPR efforts is difficult. It is useful, but impractical, to measure various blood flow indicators to assess the status of the patient and the effectiveness of CPR. Studies in experimental cardiac arrest models have found that exhalation carbon dioxide monitoring during CPR correlates well with various measures of cardiac output and resuscitation outcome. The findings of this study suggest that larger volumes of carbon dioxide during exhalation are a positive predictor of survival (generally 10 mm. of mercury or greater)., ABSTRACT: The effectiveness of ongoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation efforts is difficult to evaluate. Recent studies suggest that carbon dioxide excretion may be a useful noninvasive indicator of resuscitation from cardiac arrest. A prospective clinical study was done to determine whether end-tidal carbon dioxide monitoring during cardiopulmonary resuscitation could be used as a prognostic indicator of resuscitation and survival. Thirty-five cardiac arrests in 34 patients were monitored with capnometry during cardiopulmonary resuscitation during a 1-year period. Nine patients who were successfully resuscitated had higher average end-tidal carbon dioxide partial pressures during cardiopulmonary resuscitation than 26 patients who could not be resuscitated (15 +/- 4 vs 7 +/- 5 mm Hg). The 3 patients who survived to leave the hospital had a higher average end-tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure than the 32 nonsurvivors (17 +/- 6 vs 8 +/- 5 mm Hg). All 9 patients who were successfully resuscitated had an average end-tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure of 10 mm Hg or greater. No patient with an average end-tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure of less than 10 mm Hg was resuscitated. Data from this prospective clinical trial indicate that findings from end-tidal carbon dioxide monitoring during cardiopulmonary resuscitation are correlated with resuscitation from and survival of cardiac arrest.

The article is a letter from the authors of the editorial "Surviving cardiac arrest: location, location, location" replying to a letter by Comilla Sasson, Arthur L. Kellermann and Bryan F. NcNally regarding the editorial on cardiac life support.

The authors reflect on the survival of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), discussing the application of proposed rules for termination of resuscitation (TOR) for patients suffering OHCA. The proposed rules, which concern both basic life support (BLS) personnel and advanced life support (ALS) personnel, are also discussed.

Explains the points of contention made by readers about an article published in a previous issue of the periodical 'Journal of the American Medical Association,' (JAMA) regarding the correlation between chemical compounds and coronary perfusion pressure which occurs during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.