Original contribution
Resuscitation and arterial blood gas abnormalities during prolonged cardiopulmonary resuscitation

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0196-0644(84)80724-6Get rights and content

A study was undertaken to determine the pattern of arterial blood gas (ABG) concentration in the canine model undergoing prolonged cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) from fibrillatory arrest, and to determine the importance of acid base abnormalities in predicting resuscitation. Ventricular fibrillation was induced electrically in 12 dogs. CPR was begun at 3 minutes and continued for 27 minutes, at which time the dogs were defibrillated. ABG samples were taken at 0, 8, 18, and 28 minutes of ventricular fibrillation. Seven of the 12 dogs were resuscitated successfully. There was no difference in pH, PCO2, or PO2 between the survivors and nonsurvivors at any of the points measured. A pattern of pH and PCO2 abnormalities was noted in each dog over 30 minutes. Each developed a respiratory alkalosis that peaked at 8 minutes. During the next 22 minutes the pH gradually declined. This combination of respiratory alkalosis and metabolic acidosis resulted in normalization of the pH at about 18 minutes of fibrillation. We concluded that when adequate ventilation is provided in the canine model undergoing CPR, significant arterial acidemia does not occur for at least 18 minutes. Further, acid base abnormalities did not correlate with successful resuscitation.

References (15)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (43)

  • Cardiac Arrest and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

    2008, Critical Care Medicine: Principles of Diagnosis and Management in the Adult
  • Arterial Blood Gas Measurements

    2008, Critical Care Medicine: Principles of Diagnosis and Management in the Adult
  • Part 6: Advanced cardiovascular life support - Section 4: Devices to assist circulation

    2000, Resuscitation
    Citation Excerpt :

    Thus, arterial blood gases can be useful for evaluating oxygenation but should not be used to assess adequacy of CPR efforts. Studies on the use of oximetry for assessing tissue perfusion during CPR have shown that transconjunctival oxygen tension falls rapidly when a patient goes into cardiac arrest and returns to baseline when spontaneous circulation is restored [97]. Oximetry, however, has not been shown to be a useful prognostic guide for predicting resuscitation from cardiac arrest.

  • New thoughts on cardiopulmonary resuscitation

    1999, Veterinary Clinics of North America - Small Animal Practice
View all citing articles on Scopus

Presented at the University Association for Emergency Medicine Annual Meeting in Boston, June 1983.

Supported in part by a grant-in-aid from the American Heart Association, Arizona Affiliate, Phoenix.

View full text