Survivalist Pro
Photo by cottonbro studio Pexels Logo Photo: cottonbro studio

What are 7 reasons you would stop giving CPR?

Reasons to cease CPR generally include: ROSC. ... pre-existing chronic illness preventing meaningful recovery. ... acute illness preventing recovery. ... no response to ACLS after 20min of efficient resuscitation in absence of ROSC, a shockable rhythm or reversible causes.

Can you make a living collecting coins?
Can you make a living collecting coins?

As a coin collector, it's nearly impossible to make money by just collecting coins. Instead, you can make money by selling all or part of your...

Read More »
What state has the best gun laws for gun owners?
What state has the best gun laws for gun owners?

New Hampshire is one of the highest-ranking states in the eastern U.S. Permitless carry is legal, use-of-force laws are strong and the state...

Read More »

Cessation of CPR

OVERVIEW

Most resuscitation attempts are unsuccessful — we need to know when to stop. The decision to stop CPR should be tailored according to the specifics of the individual case and is based on clinical judgement The decision is best made by the Team Leader in consultation with other team members Always maintain initial resuscitation efforts until adequate information is available to make the call to discontinue However, selected patients potentially have good outcomes with prolonged, aggressive resuscitation (see ‘when not to stop’)

KEY DETERMINANTS OF SURVIVAL

Survival from cardiac arrest is highly dependent on time to defibrillation and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) unless a primary reversible cause is present Survival to discharge from out-of-hospital arrest (OOHA) is minimal if the initial rhythm on arrival in ED is asystole or agonal — if asystole -> always check leads, gain settings and connections — Asystole for 20 minutes is generally considered non-survivable

KEY QUESTIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS

Key questions:

was arrest observed?

what was the initial rhythm?

cardiac vs non-cardiac cause? (better survival in cardiac group in OOHA)

time to CPR?

time to defibrillation?

time to ROSC?

A more detailed approach involves consideration of:

Factors related to circumstances of arrest

Prehospital measures and response

In hospital measures and response

CIRCUMSTANCES OF ARREST

Premorbid medical state, e.g. cancer, advanced dementia, etc

Time of arrest (or when ambulance service notified / Code Blue called)?

Time until resus commenced?

Time to first shock?

Time to ROSC (if occurred prehospital)?

Witnessed/unwitnessed?

Effective bystander CPR?

Rhythm on ambulance arrival?

PREHOSPITAL MEASURES AND RESPONSE

Number of shocks?

Intubated?

ROSC? Rhythm changes? (Progressing from initial non-shockable rhythms to a shockable rhythm is associated with improved outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest)

Any other measures, ACLS drugs?

Time since arrest

IN HOSPITAL MEASURES AND RESPONSE

Any reversal factors requiring treatment? (i.e. 4Hs and 4Ts)

Number of shocks?

Intubated?

Drugs given according to ACLS guidelines

ROSC? Rhythm changes?

ETCO2 readings > 10 mmHg? (Persistently low PETCO2 values (<10 mm Hg) during CPR in intubated patients after 20 mins has essentially zero survival) Bedside echo findings – any cardiac activity? (in a systematic review by Blyth et al, 2011 as many as 15.7% (lower 95% CI on sensitivity) of patients experienced ROSC despite a lack of cardiac activity on ultrasound)

Any other measures?

Time since arrest?

WHEN TO CEASE CPR

A general approach is to stop CPR after 20 minutes if there is no ROSC or viable cardiac rhythm re-established, and no reversible factors present that would potentially alter outcome.

Reasons to cease CPR generally include:

ROSC resuscitation guidelines require 2 min of CPR post defibrillation prior to checking for ROSC; may be identified by an upsurge in ETCO2 pre-existing chronic illness preventing meaningful recovery ie. nursing home resident with dementia, disseminated cancer

Is Godzilla a girl or?
Is Godzilla a girl or?

In the Legendary Godzilla films, Godzilla is referred to as a male.

Read More »
What is the best ammo to stockpile?
What is the best ammo to stockpile?

Bulk Ammo: Best Ammo to Stockpile Caliber #1: . 22 Long Rifle. ... Caliber #2: 9mm. For personal up close personal defense, the 9mm has become one...

Read More »

acute illness preventing recovery ie. 100% burns, non-survivable injuries, catastrophic TBI with no brain stem reflexes no response to ACLS after 20min of efficient resuscitation in absence of ROSC, a shockable rhythm or reversible causes In the prehospital setting a validated rule has been described by Morrison et al (2006): Stop CPR if: no return of spontaneous circulation no shocks are administered, and the arrest is not witnessed by emergency medical-services personnel Otherwise, the rule recommends transportation to the hospital, in accordance with routine practice

Other special situations:

in a newly born baby with no detectable heart rate that remains undetectable for 10 minutes, it is appropriate to consider stopping resuscitation

traumatic arrest (perform emergency thoracotomy if appropriate; closed-chest CPR is ineffective)

when rescuers are exhausted (in the prehospital setting)

If the patient is irrefutably dead! (e.g. rigor mortis, decomposition, hemisection, decapitation)

Remember – stop CPR after the second “ouch.” — tweeted by Joe Lex at SMACC

WHEN NOT TO STOP

More prolonged resuscitation is generally required in these settings:

continue in young people who have persistent VF until reversible factors have been fixed (see also Electrical storm) or therapeutic options exhausted

hypothermia (“not dead until warm and dead”)

asthma (need to correct dynamic hyperinflation)

toxicological arrest (full neurological recovery after >4 hours CPR is possible; asystole may be a direct drug effect that will recover in time)

thrombolytics given during CPR (should continue up to 2 hours post-administration)

pregnancy prior to resuscitative caesarean section

At The Alfred ICU about 50% of patients who meet the criteria below have excellent neurological outcomes when treated with a combination of mechanical CPR, intra-arrest cooling, ECPR and early cardiac catheterisation (CHEER trial):

no ROSC at 30 minutes

bystander CPR with initial rhythm VF/VT

age <65 years

no known significant comorbidities

References and Links

Journal articles

Larkin GL. Termination of resuscitation: the art of clinical decision making. Curr Opin Crit Care. 2002 Jun;8(3):224-9.. PMID: 12386501. Morrison LJ, Visentin LM, Kiss A, Theriault R, Eby D, Vermeulen M, Sherbino J, Verbeek PR; TOR Investigators. Validation of a rule for termination of resuscitation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. N Engl J Med. 2006 Aug 3;355(5):478-87. PMID: 16885551. [Free Full Text] Stub D, Bernard S, Pellegrino V, et al. Refractory cardiac arrest treated with mechanical CPR, hypothermia, ECMO and early reperfusion (the CHEER trial). Resuscitation. 86:88-94. 2015. [pubmed]

FOAM and web resources

What is a wolf mixed with a dog called?
What is a wolf mixed with a dog called?

A wolfdog is a canine produced by the mating of a domestic dog (Canis familiaris) with a gray wolf (Canis lupus), eastern wolf (Canis lycaon), red...

Read More »
What 3 things did John Locke believe in?
What 3 things did John Locke believe in?

Locke famously wrote that man has three natural rights: life, liberty and property. In his “Thoughts Concerning Education” (1693), Locke argued for...

Read More »
What are the 5 keys to life?
What are the 5 keys to life?

5 keys to living a fulfilled life The five most important things in life: Health. Health determines our ability to survive. ... Integrity....

Read More »
Do they still do the lie detector test on Love Island?
Do they still do the lie detector test on Love Island?

Love Island couples in previous seasons were tested in the most serious way – with an actual lie detector. The lie detector test has been scrapped...

Read More »