title: Management of cardiac arrest in 2005: an update.
abstract: Although 40 years have passed since the advent of advanced cardiac life support, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest still carries an ultimate failure rate of 95%. This review reinforces the importance of public education, optimization of the local chain of survival, early bystander access and bystander basic life support, and early defibrillation. It emphasizes the role of simplified basic life support algorithms and demonstrates the low incremental benefit of complex skillful protocols employed in ACLS. The impact of automatic external defibrillators and new medications incorporated into ACLS algorithms is evaluated in the light of contemporary research. The persistent, discouraging, low functional survival rate (less than 5% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims) mandates reassessment of current strategies and guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel. ekaluski@asaf.health.gov.il
authors.forename: Edo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kaluski
authors.forename: Nir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Uriel
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Milo
authors.forename: Gad
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cotter
mesh_terms: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000379:methods*; D004554:Electric Countershock; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers