Resuscitation outcomes comparing year 2000 with year 2005 ALS guidelines in a pig model of cardiac arrest.
BACKGROUND
Ventricular fibrillation remains the leading cause of death in western societies. International organizations publish guidelines to follow in case of cardiac arrest. The aim of the present study is to assess whether the newly published guidelines record similar resuscitation success with the 2000 Advanced Life Support Guidelines on Resuscitation in a swine model of cardiac arrest.


RESULTS
Nineteen landrace/large white pigs were used. Ventricular fibrillation was induced with the use of a transvenous pacing wire inserted into the right ventricle. The animals were randomized into two groups. In Group A, 10 animals were resuscitated using the 2000 guidelines, whereas in Group B, 9 animals were resuscitated using the 2005 guidelines. Both algorithms recorded similar successful resuscitation rates, as 60% of the animals in Group A and 44.5% in Group B were successfully resuscitated. However, animals in Group A restored a rhythm, compatible with a pulse, quicker than those in Group B (p=0.002). Coronary perfusion pressure (CPP) was not adversely affected by three defibrillation attempts in Group A.


CONCLUSIONS
Both algorithms' resulted in comparable resuscitation success, however, guidelines 2000 resulted in faster resuscitation times. These preliminary results merit further investigation.
Xanthos
Theodoros
T
Department of Experimental Surgery and Surgical Research N.S.Christeas, Athens School of Medicine, 15B Agiou Thoma Street, 11527 Athens, Greece. theodorosxanthos@yahoo.com
Tsirikos-Karapanos
Nikolas
N
Papadimitriou
Dimitrios
D
Vlachos
Ioannis S
IS
Tsiftsi
Katerina
K
Ekmektzoglou
Konstantinos A
KA
Papadimitriou
Lila
L
D022561:Advanced Cardiac Life Support / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000628:therapy*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D013552:Swine; D016896:Treatment Outcome