Cardiac Arrest: Difference between revisions

* <b>Drowning: </b>Drowning is a common cause of accidental death.<cite>Peden</cite> There are no differences between victims of salt water and fresh water drowning. Correction of hypoxia is critical in the outcome of these victims as cardiac arrest is a consequence of the hypoxia.  Care should be taken to start immediate resuscitation and restore oxygenation, ventilation and perfusion. During BLS it is recommended to start the BLS with 5 rescue breaths.<cite>Youn</cite> Rescue breathing is difficult after drowning due tot the presence of fluid in the airway and the high inflation pressure required after drowning. Furthermore regurgitation is common and removal of the regurgitated material during resuscitation is required.<cite>Manolios</cite> It is common for hypothermia to be present in victims of drowning, complicating the resuscitation attempt. After return of spontaneous circulation, pneumonia is common and patients are prone to develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).<cite>Gregorakos, Berkel</cite>

* <b>Electrocution:</b> Electrocution can result in multi-system injury and usually occur in the workspace in adult or at home in children. The direct effects of an electric shock on tissues, for instance paralysis of the respiratory system or muscles, VF in the myocardium, ischemia due to coronary artery spasm or asystole can result in a cardiac arrest. Electrical burns can complicate the resuscitation and care should be taken to avoid further complications resulting from these burns. Adequate fluid therapy is required if there is significant tissue destruction. Due to electrical burns around the neck and muscular paralysis early intubation and prolonged ventilatory support may be required.

* <b>Hyperthermia:</b> Exogenous or endogenous hyperthermia can result in heat stress, progressing to heat exhaustion and results in heat stroke. Heat stress can provoke edema, syncope and cramps and is treated with rest, cooling and oral rehydration and salt replacement. Heat exhaustion is a systemic reaction to prolonged heat exposure and is accompanied by headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, tachycardia, hypotension, muscle pain, weakness and cramps. Treatment is similar as in a heat stroke, but active cooling might be required in severe cases with ice packs or cold intravenous fluids. Heat stroke is a systemic inflammatory response with a core temperature above 40,6^oC. It can lead to varying levels of organ dysfunction accompanied by mental changes. It can occur during high environmental temperatures or during strenuous physical exercise in high environmental temperatures. Rapid cooling of the victim should occur as soon as possible. Patients with heat-stroke usually have electrolyte abnormalities and hypovolaemia.

* <b>Hypothermia:</b> In hypothermia (<35^oC) it is difficult to detect signs of life. Therefore resuscitation should proceed according to standard protocols until the patient has reached normothermia. Second to resuscitation, warming of the body temperature by passive or active external and internal methods should be started. Examples of passive rewarming are drying and insulation of the body, whilst examples of active rewarming are infusion of warmed intravenous fluids or forced air rewarming. As a result of rewarming vasodilatation occurs and fluid administration may be required.Resuscitation during hypothermia is difficult, the thorax is stiff and the heart is less responsive to medication and defibrillation. Furthermore drug metabolism is slowed, resulting in increased plasma levels of medication. Medication should be administered at double intervals in patients <35^oC and withheld in patient <30^oC. Rhythm disturbances usually seen at rewarming after hypothermia are bradycardia, atrial fibrillation, VF and asystole. Bradycardia and atrial fibrillation revert to normal sinus rhythm as the core body temperature increases.