6533b834fe1ef96bd129ce54

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Carbon dioxide levels during pre-hospital active compression–decompression versus standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation

subject

description

Abstract In a prospective randomised study we investigated end-tidal carbon dioxide levels during standard versus active compression–decompression (ACD) cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) assuming that the end-tital carbon dioxide reflects cardiac output during resuscitation. In each group 60 patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were treated either with the standard or the ACD method. End-tidal CO 2 ( p et CO 2 , mmHg) was assessed with a side-stream capnometer following intubation and then every 2 min up to 10 min or restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). There was no difference in p et CO 2 between both patient groups. However, CO 2 was significantly higher in patients who were admitted to hospital as compared to patients declared dead at the scene. All of the admitted patients had a p et CO 2 of at least 15 mmHg no later than 2 min following intubation, none of the dead patients ever exceeded 15.5 mmHg. From these data we conclude that capnometry adds valuable information to the estimation of a patient's prognosis in the field (threshold, 15 mmHg), but we could not detect any difference in p et CO 2 between ACD and standard CPR.