title: Full recovery after prolonged cardiac arrest and resuscitation with mechanical chest compression device during helicopter transportation and percutaneous coronary intervention.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by bystanders and early advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) maneuvers, some patients present to the emergency department with persistent cardiac arrest caused by a coronary artery occlusion. Although emergency percutaneous intervention (PCI) has been shown to be effective in improving survival, transporting patients in cardiac arrest to the hospital is not considered to be effective, due to the poor quality of CPR in the ambulance. In the case reported here, a mechanical chest compression device was used while transporting the patient by helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS).
  
  
  METHODS
  A mechanical chest compression device was used to deliver chest compressions to a 53-year-old man in cardiac arrest. This device permitted the transfer of the patient by HEMS helicopter to the catheterization laboratory facility for a PCI. Return of spontaneous circulation was achieved 115 min after cardiac arrest and the patient survived without any neurological deficit. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: The mechanical chest compression device has permitted safe and effective CPR during helicopter transportation. Although this is only a single case, it may present a new perspective for the treatment of prehospital cardiac arrest that is refractory to ACLS therapies.
authors.affiliation: Anesthesia Department, Regional Hospital Treviso, Treviso, Italy; Intensive Care Department, Regional Hospital Treviso, Treviso, Italy; Emergency Department, Regional Hospital Treviso, Treviso, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Forti
authors.affiliation: Anesthesia Department, Regional Hospital Treviso, Treviso, Italy; Intensive Care Department, Regional Hospital Treviso, Treviso, Italy; Emergency Department, Regional Hospital Treviso, Treviso, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zilio
authors.affiliation: Anesthesia Department, Regional Hospital Treviso, Treviso, Italy; Intensive Care Department, Regional Hospital Treviso, Treviso, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zanatta
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, Regional Hospital Treviso, Treviso, Italy.
authors.forename: Marialuisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferramosca
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, Regional Hospital Treviso, Treviso, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gatto
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, Regional Hospital Treviso, Treviso, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gheno
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, Regional Hospital Treviso, Treviso, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rosi
mesh_terms: D017732:Air Ambulances; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000379:methods*; D006336:Heart Massage / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058687:Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest / Q000628:therapy*; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; D020127:Recovery of Function; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: HEMS helicopter; LUCAS; cardiopulmonary resuscitation; emergency percutaneous intervention; mechanical chest compression device; survival