Tag Archives: CPR

CPR: A pair of hands aren’t enough

CPR: A Pair of Hands Aren’t Enough: You Also Need a Heart and a Brain “Anyone, anywhere, can now initiate cardiac resuscitation procedures. All that is needed are two hands.” [Kouwenhoven WB, Jude J, Knickerbocker G. Closed chest cardiac massage. … Continue reading

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CPR and the breath of death?

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7 For breath is life, and if you breathe well you will … Continue reading

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CPR: new standards; new needs

In 2005 the American heart association revised its standards for CPR increasing the number of compressions from 80 cpm to 100 cpm, eliminating pauses for ventilation, and urging that focus be shifted to compressions (perfusion) rather than ventilation. This latter … Continue reading

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ACD-CPR & the rise of the machine?

If conventional cardiopulmonary support (CPS) in cryonics is difficult to perform adequately, and impossible to sustain for more than brief periods (30-60 min) before exhausting even a 3-man standby team, this is even more the case for active compression-decompression CPS … Continue reading

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Cryonics sets example for emergency medicine

One of the most neglected aspects of cryonics is that its procedures, and the research to support them, can have important practical applications in mainstream fields such as organ preservation and emergency medicine. Contrary to popular opinion, cryonics does not … Continue reading

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Blood flow during CPR and reperfusion injury

An important objective during stabilization of cryonics patients is restoring circulation of blood to the brain. In ideal cases, this can be achieved by aggressive mechanical cardiopulmonary support, hemodilution ,and administration of vasoactive medications. In not-so-ideal cases, one or more … Continue reading

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Induction of hypothermia before CPR improves survival

It is difficult to match concerns about reperfusion injury during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with specific proposals for alternative interventions. After all, no matter how harmful the effects of oxygenation may be, not restoring circulation in a patient in cardiac arrest … Continue reading

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Incomplete ischemia during cardiopulmonary support

One concern about prolonged cardiopulmonary support in cryonics is that its decreasing effectiveness may not be able to meet cerebral oxygen demand, and may even become detrimental. Some investigators have  observed that severely reduced flow (cerebral blood flow less than 10% of … Continue reading

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Cerebral blood flow during and after cardiac arrest

As discussed in a previous post, perfusion of the brain following long-term (>5 min) ischemia has been shown to be significantly compromised, particularly in subcortical regions. An interesting recent article by Ristagno, et. al in Resuscitation (May 2008) has added … Continue reading

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Sustained abdominal compression

Conventional CPR typically generates around one-third to one-fourth of normal cardiac output, which is not sufficient to meet cerebral energy demands. In cryonics patients, cardiac output may be further compromised because many patients are atherosclerotic and/or have gone through a … Continue reading

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End tidal carbon dioxide monitoring in cryonics

The best non-invasive indicator of cardiac output and oxygenation during cardiopulmonary support (CPS) is end tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2). ETCO2 is the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (CO2) at the end of an exhaled breath. Until recently, cryonics standby kits … Continue reading

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Intranasal administration of vasoactive agents

Stabilization in cryonics requires immediate administration of vasoactive medications to maintain blood pressure, thereby assisting and enabling adequate perfusion during cardiopulmonary support. Traditionally, vasopressors such as epinephrine have been administered intravenously, requiring skilled technicians to establish an IV line as … Continue reading

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Load distributing band CPS

The Autopulse presents an alternative to the (high impulse) active compression-decompression devices that cryonics organizations currently employ to provide cardiopulmonary support (CPS) during stabilization. The Autopulse uses batteries instead of compressed oxygen and is easy to set up and operate. … Continue reading

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