title: Divalent ions in cardiopulmonary-cerebral resuscitation.
abstract: The science of resuscitation has advanced considerably during the past 25 years as a consequence of modern cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Complete cerebral ischemia for more than 6 min will result in irreversible brain damage in human subjects. However, recent studies suggest that there may be time-dependent therapeutic measures which could improve the neurologic outcome after CPR. These studies suggest that cerebral ischemia is multifactorial in nature and that Ca2+, Mg2+ and Fe2+ ions are important in producing the sequential events which take place at a cellular level. Therefore, a variety of specific and nonspecific calcium entry blockers (e.g. nimodipine, lidoflazine and Mg2+), N-methyl-D-aspartate blockers (e.g. MK-801), and an iron-chelating agent (e.g. deferoxamine) may prove useful as therapeutic agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Critical Care Medicine, Yamaguchi University Hospital, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maekawa
mesh_terms: D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002413:Cations, Divalent / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D009017:Morbidity; D012151:Resuscitation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002413:Cations, Divalent