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DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.971002
2010;122;S768-S786 Circulation
Kronick
Silvers, Arno L. Zaritsky, Raina Merchant, Terry L. Vanden Hoek and Steven L.
Geocadin, Janice L. Zimmerman, Michael Donnino, Andrea Gabrielli, Scott M.
Mary Ann Peberdy, Clifton W. Callaway, Robert W. Neumar, Romergryko G.
for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care
Part 9: Post�Cardiac Arrest Care: 2010 American Heart Association Guidelines
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Part 9: Post–Cardiac Arrest Care
2010 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary
Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care
Mary Ann Peberdy, Co-Chair*; Clifton W. Callaway, Co-Chair*; Robert W. Neumar;
Romergryko G. Geocadin; Janice L. Zimmerman; Michael Donnino; Andrea Gabrielli;
Scott M. Silvers; Arno L. Zaritsky; Raina Merchant; Terry L. Vanden Hoek; Steven L. Kronick
There is increasing recognition that systematic post–cardiacarrest care after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC)
can improve the likelihood of patient survival with good quality
of life. This is based in part on the publication of results of
randomized controlled clinical trials as well as a description of
the post–cardiac arrest syndrome.1–3 Post–cardiac arrest care has
significant potential to reduce early mortality caused by hemo-
dynamic instability and later morbidity and mortality from
multiorgan failure and brain injury.3,4 This section summarizes
our evolving understanding of the hemodynamic, neurologi-
cal, and metabolic abnormalities encountered in patients who
are initially resuscitated from cardiac arrest.
The initial objectives of post–cardiac arrest care are to
● Optimize cardiopulmonary function and vital organ perfusion.
● After out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, transport patient to an appro-
priate hospital with a comprehensive post–cardiac arrest treat-
ment system of care that includes acute coronary interventions,
neurological care, goal-directed critical care, and hypothermia.
● Transport the in-hospital post–cardiac arrest patient to an
appropriate critical-care unit capable of providing compre-
hensive post–cardiac arrest care.
● Try to identify and treat the precipitating causes of the
arrest and prevent recurrent arrest.
Subsequent objectives of post–cardiac arrest care are to
● Control body temperature to optimize survival and neuro-
logical recovery
● Identify and treat acute coronary syndromes (ACS)
● Optimize mechanical ventilation to minimize lung injury
● Reduce the risk of multiorgan injury and support organ
function if required
● Objectively assess prognosis for recovery
● Assist survivors with rehabilitation services when required
Systems of Care for Improving Post–Cardiac
Arrest Outcomes
Post–cardiac arrest care is a critical component of advanced life
support (Figure). Most deaths occur during the first 24 hours
after cardiac arrest.5,6 The best hospital care for patients with
ROSC after cardiac arrest is not completely known, but there is
increasing interest in identifying and optimizing practices that
are likely to improve outcomes (Table 1).7 Positive associations
have been noted between the likelihood of survival and the
number of cardiac arrest cases treated at any individual hospi-
tal.8,9 Because multiple organ systems are affected after cardiac
arrest, successful post–cardiac arrest care will benefit from the
development of system-wide plans for proactive treatment of
these patients. For example, restoration of blood pressure and
gas exchange does not ensure survival and functional recovery.
Significant cardiovascular dysfunction can develop, requiring
support of blood flow and ventilation, including intravascular
volume expansion, vasoactive and inotropic drugs, and invasive
devices. Therapeutic hypothermia and treatment of the underly-
ing cause of cardiac arrest impacts survival and neurological
outcomes. Protocolized hemodynamic optimization and multi-
disciplinary early goal-directed therapy protocols have been
introduced as part of a bundle of care to improve survival rather
than single interventions.10–12 The data suggests that proactive
titration of post–cardiac arrest hemodynamics to levels intended
to ensure organ perfusion and oxygenation may improve out-
comes. There are multiple specific options for acheiving these
goals, and it is difficult to distinguish between the benefit of
protocols or any specific component of care that is most
important.
A comprehensive, structured, multidisciplinary system of
care should be implemented in a consistent manner for the
treatment of post–cardiac arrest patients (Class I, LOE B).
Programs should include as part of structured interventions
therapeutic hypothermia; optimization of hemodynamics and
gas exchange; immediate coronary reperfusion when indi-
cated for restoration of coronary blood flow with percutane-
ous coronary intervention (PCI); glycemic control; and neu-
rological diagnosis, management, and prognostication.
Overview of Post–Cardiac Arrest Care
The provider of CPR should ensure an adequate airway and
support breathing immediately after ROSC. Unconscious
The American Heart Association requests that this document be cited as follows: Peberdy MA, Callaway CW, Neumar RW, Geocadin RG, Zimmerman
JL, Donnino M, Gabrielli A, Silvers SM, Zaritsky AL, Merchant R, Vanden Hoek TL, Kronick SL. Part 9: post–cardiac arrest care: 2010 American Heart
Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care. Circulation. 2010;122(suppl 3):S768–S786.
*Co-chairs and equal first co-authors.
(Circulation. 2010;122[suppl 3]:S768–S786.)
© 2010 American Heart Association, Inc.
Circulation is available at http://circ.ahajournals.org DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.971002
S768
by on October 19, 2010 circ.ahajournals.orgDownloaded from
patients usually require an advanced airway for mechanical
support of breathing. It may be necessary to replace a supraglot-
tic airway used for initial resuscitation with an endotracheal tube,
although the timing of replacement may vary. Methods for
securing an advanced airway are discussed in Part 8.1: “Airway
Management,” but several simple maneuvers deserve consider-
ation. For example, rescuers and long-term hospital providers
should avoid using ties that pass circumferentially around the
patient’s neck, potentially obstructing venous return from the
brain. They should also elevate the head of the bed 30° if
tolerated to reduce the incidence of cerebral edema, aspiration,
and ventilatory-associated pneumonia. Correct placement of an
advanced airway, particularly during patient transport, should be
monitored using waveform capnography as described in other
sections of the 2010 AHA Guidelines for CPR and ECC.
Oxygenation of the patient should be monitored continuously
with pulse oximetry.
Although 100% oxygen may have been used during initial
resuscitation, providers should titrate inspired oxygen to the
lowest level required to achieve an arterial oxygen saturation of
�94%, so as to avoid potential oxygen toxicity. It is recognized
that titration of inspired oxygen may not be possible immedi-
ately after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest until the patient is
transported to the emergency department or, in the case of
in-hospital arrest, the intensive care unit (ICU). Hyperventilation
or “overbagging” the patient is common after cardiac arrest and
should be avoided because of potential adverse hemodynamic
effects. Hyperventilation increases intrathoracic pressure and
inversely lowers cardiac output. The decrease in PaCO2 seen with
hyperventilation can also potentially decrease cerebral blood
flow directly.Ventilation may be started at 10 to 12 breaths per
minute and titrated to achieve a PETCO2 of 35 to 40 mm Hg or a
PaCO2 of 40 to 45 mm Hg.
The clinician should assess vital signs and monitor for
recurrent cardiac arrhythmias. Continuous electrocardio-
graphic (ECG) monitoring should continue after ROSC,
during transport, and throughout ICU care until stability has
been achieved. Intravenous (IV) access should be obtained if
not already established and the position and function of any
intravenous catheter verified. IV lines should be promptly
established to replace emergent intraosseous access achieved
during resuscitation. If the patient is hypotensive (systolic
blood pressure�90 mm Hg), fluid boluses can be considered.
Cold fluid may be used if therapeutic hypothermia is elected.
Vasoactive drug infusions such as dopamine, norepinephrine,
or epinephrine may be initiated if necessary and titrated to
achieve a minimum systolic blood pressure of�90 mm Hg or
a mean arterial pressure of �65 mm Hg.
Brain injury and cardiovascular instability are the major
determinants of survival after cardiac arrest.13 Because ther-
apeutic hypothermia is the only intervention demonstrated to
improve neurological recovery, it should be considered for
any patient who is unable to follow verbal commands after
ROSC. The patient should be transported to a facility that
reliably provides this therapy in addition to coronary reperfusion
(eg, PCI) and other goal-directed postarrest care therapies.
Overall the most common cause of cardiac arrest is
cardiovascular disease and coronary ischemia.14,15 Therefore,
a 12-lead ECG should be obtained as soon as possible to
detect ST elevation or new or presumably new left bundle-
branch block. When there is high suspicion of acute myocar-
dial infarction (AMI), local protocols for treatment of AMI
and coronary reperfusion should be activated. Even in the
absence of ST elevation, medical or interventional treatments
may be considered for treatment of ACS14,16,17 and should not
be deferred in the presence of coma or in conjunction with
Figure. Post–cardiac arrest care
algorithm.
Peberdy et al Part 9: Post–Cardiac Arrest Care S769
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hypothermia. Concurrent PCI and hypothermia are safe, with
good outcomes reported for some comatose patients who
undergo PCI.
Patients who are unconscious or unresponsive after cardiac
arrest should be directed to an inpatient critical-care facility
with a comprehensive care plan that includes acute cardio-
vascular interventions, use of therapeutic hypothermia, stan-
dardized medical goal-directed therapies, and advanced neu-
rological monitoring and care. Neurological prognosis may
be difficult to determine during the first 72 hours, even for
patients who are not undergoing therapeutic hypothermia.
This time frame for prognostication is likely to be extended in
patients being cooled.18 Many initially comatose survivors of
cardiac arrest have the potential for full recovery such that
they are able to lead normal lives.1,2,19 Between 20% and 50%
or more of survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest who are
Table 1. Multiple System Approach to Post–Cardiac Arrest Care
Ventilation Hemodynamics Cardiovascular Neurological Metabolic
● Capnography ● Frequent Blood Pressure
Monitoring/Arterial-line
● Continuous Cardiac Monitoring ● Serial Neurological Exam ● Serial Lactate
● Rationale: Confirm secure airway
and titrate ventilation
● Rationale: Maintain perfusion and
prevent recurrent hypotension
● Rationale: Detect recurrent
arrhythmia
● Rationale: Serial examinations define
coma, brain injury, and prognosis
● Rationale: Confirm adequate
perfusion
● Endotracheal tube when possible
for comatose patients
● Mean arterial pressure
�65 mm Hg or systolic blood
pressure �90 mm Hg
● No prophylactic antiarrhythmics ● Response to verbal commands or
physical stimulation
● PETCO2�35–40 mm Hg ● Treat arrhythmias as required ● Pupillary light and corneal reflex,
spontaneous eye movement
● Paco2�40–45 mm Hg ● Remove reversible causes ● Gag, cough, spontaneous breaths
● Chest X-ray ● Treat Hypotension ● 12-lead ECG/Troponin ● EEG Monitoring If Comatose ● Serum Potassium
● Rationale: Confirm secure airway
and detect causes or
complications of arrest:
pneumonitis, pneumonia,
pulmonary edema
● Rationale: Maintain perfusion ● Rationale: Detect Acute Coronary
Syndrome/ST-Elevation
Myocardial Infarction; Assess QT
interval
● Rationale: Exclude seizures ● Rationale: Avoid hypokalemia which
promotes arrhythmias
● Fluid bolus if tolerated ● Anticonvulsants if seizing ● Replace to maintain K �3.5 mEq/L
● Dopamine 5–10 mcg/kg per min
● Norepinephrine 0.1–0.5 mcg/kg
per min
● Epinephrine 0.1–0.5 mcg/kg per
min
● Pulse Oximetry/ABG . . . ● Treat Acute Coronary Syndrome ● Core Temperature Measurement If
Comatose
● Urine Output, Serum Creatinine
● Rationale: Maintain adequate
oxygenation and minimize FIO2
. . . ● Aspirin/heparin ● Rationale: Minimize brain injury and
improve outcome
● Rationale: Detect acute kidney
injury
● SpO2 �94% . . . ● Transfer to acute coronary
treatment center
● Prevent hyperpyrexia �37.7°C ● Maintain euvolemia
● PaO2�100 mm Hg . . . ● Consider emergent PCI or
fibrinolysis
● Induce therapeutic hypothermia if no
contraindications
● Renal replacement therapy if
indicated
● Reduce FIO2 as tolerated . . . ● Cold IV fluid bolus 30 mL/kg if no
contraindication
● Pao2/FIO2 ratio to follow acute
lung injury
. . . ● Surface or endovascular cooling for
32°C–34°C�24 hours
. . . ● After 24 hours, slow rewarming
0.25°C/hr
● Mechanical Ventilation . . . ● Echocardiogram ● Consider Non-enhanced CT Scan ● Serum Glucose
● Rationale: Minimize acute lung
injury, potential oxygen toxicity
. . . ● Rationale: Detect global
stunning, wall-motion
abnormalities, structural
problems or cardiomyopathy
● Rationale: Exclude primary
intracranial process
● Rationale: Detect hyperglycemia
and hypoglycemia
● Tidal Volume 6–8 mL/kg . . . ● Treat hypoglycemia (�80 mg/dL)
with dextrose
● Titrate minute ventilation to
PETCO2�35–40 mm Hg
Paco2�40–45 mm Hg
. . . ● Treat hyperglycemia to target
glucose 144–180 mg/dL
● Reduce Fio2 as tolerated to keep
Spo2 or Sao2 �94%
. . . ● Local insulin protocols
. . . ● Treat Myocardial Stunning ● Sedation/Muscle Relaxation ● Avoid Hypotonic Fluids
. . . ● Fluids to optimize volume status
(requires clinical judgment)
● Rationale: To control shivering,
agitation, or ventilator desynchrony
as needed
● Rationale: May increase edema,
including cerebral edema
. . . ● Dobutamine 5–10 mcg/kg per
min
. . . ● Mechanical augmentation (IABP)
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comatose on arrival at the hospital may have good one-year
neurological outcome.1,2,11 Therefore, it is important to place
patients in a hospital critical-care unit where expert care and
neurological evaluation can be performed and where appro-
priate testing to aid prognosis is available and performed in a
timely manner.
Attention should be directed to treating the precipitating
cause of cardiac arrest after ROSC. The provider should
initiate or request studies that will further aid in evaluation of
the patient. It is important to identify and treat any cardiac,
electrolyte, toxicological, pulmonary, and neurological pre-
cipitants of arrest. The clinician may find it helpful to review
the H’s and T’s mnemonic to recall factors that may contrib-
ute to cardiac arrest or complicate resuscitation or postresus-
citation care: hypovolemia, hypoxia, hydrogen ion (acidosis
of any etiology), hyper-/hypokalemia, moderate to severe
hypothermia, toxins, tamponade (cardiac), tension pneumo-
thorax, and thrombosis of the coronary or pulmonary vascu-
lature. For further information on treating other causes of
cardiac arrest, see Part 12: “Special Resuscitation Situations.”
Targeted Temperature Management
Induced Hypothermia
For protection of the brain and other organs, hypothermia is
a helpful therapeutic approach in patients who remain coma-
tose (usually defined as a lack of meaningful response to
verbal commands) after ROSC. Questions remain about
specific indications and populations, timing and duration of
therapy, and methods for induction, maintenance, and subse-
quent reversal of hypothermia. One good randomized trial1
and a pseudorandomized trial2 reported improved neurologi-
cally intact survival to hospital discharge when comatose
patients with out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation (VF)
cardiac arrest were cooled to 32°C to 34°C for 12 or 24 hours
beginning minutes to hours after ROSC. Additional studies
with historical control groups show improved neurological
outcome after therapeutic hypothermia for comatose survi-
vors of VF cardiac arrest.20,21
No randomized controlled trials have compared outcome
between hypothermia and normothermia for non-VF arrest.
However, 6 studies with historical control groups reported a
beneficial effect on outcome from use of therapeutic hypo-
thermia in comatose survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac
arrest associated with any arrest rhythm.11,22–26 Only one
study with historical controls reported better neurological
outcome after VF cardiac arrest but no difference in outcome
after cardiac arrest associated with other rhythms.27 Two
nonrandomized studies with concurrent controls28,29 indicate
a possible benefit of hypothermia after in- and out-of-hospital
cardiac arrest associated with non-VF initial rhythms.
Case series have reported the feasibility of using therapeu-
tic hypothermia after ROSC in the setting of cardiogenic
shock23,30,31 and therapeutic hypothermia in combination with
emergent PCI.32–36 Case series also report successful use of
fibrinolytic therapy for AMI after ROSC,37,38 but data are
lacking about interactions between fibrinolytics and hypo-
thermia in this population.
The impact of the timing of initiating hypothermia after
cardiac arrest is not completely understood. Studies of animal
models of cardiac arrest showed that short-duration hypother-
mia (�1 hour) achieved �10 to 20 minutes after ROSC had
a beneficial effect that was lost when hypothermia was
delayed.39–41 Beyond the initial minutes of ROSC and when
hypothermia is prolonged (�12 hours), the relationship
between the onset of hypothermia and the resulting neuro-
protection is less clear.42,43 Two prospective clinical trials in
which hypothermia was achieved within 2 hours2 or at a
median of 8 hours (interquartile range [IQR] 4 to 16 hours)1
after ROSC both demonstrated better outcomes in the
hypothermia-treated than the normothermia-treated subjects.
Subsequent to these studies, one registry-based case series of
986 comatose post–cardiac arrest patients35 suggested that
time to initiation of cooling (IQR 1 to 1.8 hours) and time to
achieving target temperature (IQR 3 to 6.7 hours) were not
associated with improved neurological outcome after dis-
charge. A case series of 49 consecutive comatose post–
cardiac arrest patients44 cooled intravascularly after out-of-
hospital cardiac arrest also documented that time to target
temperature (median 6.8 hours [IQR 4.5 to 9.2 hours]) was
not an independent predictor of neurological outcome.
The optimal duration of induce