Pediatric Cardiac Arrest Resuscitation

Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2020 Nov;38(4):819-839. doi: 10.1016/j.emc.2020.06.007. Epub 2020 Sep 9.

Abstract

Pediatric cardiac arrest is a relatively rare but devastating presentation in infants and children. In contrast to adult patients, in whom a primary cardiac dysrhythmia is the most likely cause of cardiac arrest, pediatric patients experience cardiovascular collapse most frequently after an initial respiratory arrest. Aggressive treatment in the precardiac arrest state should be initiated to prevent deterioration and should focus on support of oxygenation, ventilation, and hemodynamics, regardless of the presumed cause. Unfortunately, outcomes for pediatric cardiac arrest, whether in hospital or out of hospital, continue to be poor.

Keywords: Cardiac arrest; Epidemiology; Pediatric; Prognosis; Treatment.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Airway Management
  • Blood Glucose / analysis
  • Child
  • Child Abuse / therapy
  • Electric Countershock
  • Electroencephalography
  • Emergency Service, Hospital
  • Epinephrine / therapeutic use
  • Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
  • Heart Arrest / etiology
  • Heart Arrest / therapy*
  • Heart Defects, Congenital / therapy
  • Heart Rate
  • Humans
  • Hypothermia / complications
  • Hypothermia / therapy
  • Hypothermia, Induced
  • Lung Diseases / therapy
  • Parents
  • Physical Examination
  • Poisoning / therapy
  • Process Assessment, Health Care
  • Reference Values
  • Respiratory Insufficiency / therapy
  • Respiratory Rate
  • Resuscitation / methods*
  • Resuscitation Orders
  • Sepsis / therapy
  • Shock / etiology
  • Shock / therapy
  • Vasoconstrictor Agents / therapeutic use
  • Wounds and Injuries / therapy

Substances

  • Blood Glucose
  • Vasoconstrictor Agents
  • Epinephrine