Achieving ROSC in A Heartbeat

Achieving ROSC in a Heartbeat: Improving Outcomes in In-Hospital Cardiac Arrests

We all know that feeling-that shiver running down our spine, that skipped heartbeat we notice not on the patient monitor but coming from within our own selves, when that dreaded, yet all-to-frequent Code-Blue rings overhead. 

For as long as any of us can remember, ACLS guidelines for cardiac arrest include the same-old flow chart: begin CPR, attach pads, administer epi and amio, etc. 
But have you ever stopped and wondered how effective this age-old protocol actually is? Are we reviving enough of these patients to accept this protocol as adequate? Or perhaps there are other drugs we can utilize during a cardiac arrest event?

In this week’s episode, we discuss an amazing clinical trial that questions these very notions and explores the efficacy of steroids and pressors in achieving ROSC (‘return of spontaneous circulation). Tune in as we discuss the VAM-IHCA Trial and the implications this research will have on improving ROSC outcomes in cardiac arrest events in the hospital setting. 

As always, thank you for joining us on the RICU podcast where we keep you up to date on all the latest research in clinical medicine.