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Pulmonary aspiration during unsuccessful cardiopulmonary resuscitation

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Abstract

The incidence of pulmonary aspiration in a group of patients who did not respond to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was assessed at autopsy and found to be 29%. This figure is undoubtedly an underestimate of the total problem, and some indication of the potential for aspiration during CPR is revealed by the fact that 46% of the patients studied had full stomaches at autopsy. Clearly this fact has implications for CPR methods as suggested by Cummings and Eisenberg [7]. The problem could be reduced by incorporating the use of cricoid pressure into the techniques of Basic CPR but this will require modification of current teaching.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sir Humphry Davy Department of Anaesthetics, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol, UK

    E. G. Lawes & P. J. F. Baskett

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  1. E. G. Lawes
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  2. P. J. F. Baskett
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Lawes, E.G., Baskett, P.J.F. Pulmonary aspiration during unsuccessful cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Intensive Care Med 13, 379–382 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00257678

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00257678

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