title: Arterial blood gases during and their dynamic changes after cardiopulmonary resuscitation: A prospective clinical study.
abstract: An arterial blood gas analysis (ABG) yields important diagnostic information in the management of cardiac arrest. This study evaluated ABG samples obtained during out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (OHCPR) in the setting of a prospective multicenter trial. We aimed to clarify prospectively the ABG characteristics during OHCPR, potential prognostic parameters and the ABG dynamics after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC).
  
  
  
  ABG samples were collected and instantly processed either under ongoing OHCPR performed according to current advanced life support guidelines or immediately after ROSC and data ware entered into a case report form along with standard CPR parameters.
  
  
  
  During a 22-month observation period, 115 patients had an ABG analysis during OHCPR. In samples obtained under ongoing CPR, an acidosis was present in 98% of all cases, but was mostly of mixed hypercapnic and metabolic origin. Hypocapnia was present in only 6% of cases. There was a trend towards higher paO2 values in patients who reached sustained ROSC, and a multivariate regression analysis revealed age, initial rhythm, time from collapse to CPR initiation and the arterio-alveolar CO2 difference (AaDCO2) to be associated with sustained ROSC. ABG samples drawn immediately after ROSC demonstrated higher paO2 and unaltered pH and base excess levels compared with samples collected during ongoing CPR.
  
  
  
  Our findings suggest that adequate ventilation and oxygenation deserve more research and clinical attention in the management of cardiac arrest and that oxygen uptake improves within minutes after ROSC. Hyperventilation resulting in arterial hypocapnia is not a major problem during OHCPR.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Spindelboeck
authors.affiliation: Clinical Department of General Anaesthesiology, Emergency and Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Anaesthesiology, Medical University of Graz, Austria. Electronic address: geza.gemes@medunigraz.at.
authors.forename: Geza
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gemes
authors.affiliation: Medizinercorps, Austrian Red Cross, Division of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Christa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Strasser
authors.affiliation: Medizinercorps, Austrian Red Cross, Division of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Toescher
authors.affiliation: Medizinercorps, Austrian Red Cross, Division of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kores
authors.affiliation: Clinical Department of General Anaesthesiology, Emergency and Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Anaesthesiology, Medical University of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Metnitz
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical University of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.affiliation: Clinical Department of General Anaesthesiology, Emergency and Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Anaesthesiology, Medical University of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Prause
mesh_terms: D000138:Acidosis / Q000097:blood; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058687:Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Advanced life support; Blood gas analysis; CPR