Cardiac Arrest Top 10
- What are the most effective mechanisms for improving the rate of lay responder/bystander CPR?
- What interventions at the scene of a cardiac arrest (ie. longer time before transport, advanced life support crews, mechanical CPR, ) improve resuscitation and survival outcomes?
- How do we improve response times and survival from cardiac arrest in rural areas in Canada?
- What resuscitation medications (ie. epinephrine, antiarrhythmics, bicarbonates, TXA, esmolol, ) are the most effective in improving resuscitation and survival outcomes after cardiac arrest?
- What care do patients’ family members need during and after their loved one has a cardiac arrest?
- What should post-discharge care include for cardiac arrest survivors, what is the role of rehabilitation and how can recovery be best supported post cardiac arrest?
- How can we communicate back to everyone involved in the resuscitation (ie. survivor, family, paramedics, ED staff) after a cardiac arrest?
- What factors best predict neurologically intact survival following sudden cardiac arrest in adults?
- Are their biomarkers or genetic tests that are effective for predicting sudden cardiac arrest?
- What are the psycho-social impacts of survivorship on quality of life, both short and long-term and how are they addressed? (relationships, finances, functioning, employment, etc.)
The following questions were also discussed and put in order of priority at the final workshop
- What are the most effective ways to educate people on CPR and automatic external defibrillator (AED) use?
- What are the long-term behavioural or cognitive outcomes for survivors of cardiac arrest?
- Do patients/families have a realistic idea of likely outcomes after cardiac arrest?
- What are the most common things we do that result in the worst patient outcomes after cardiac arrest?
- What resources do cardiac arrest survivors need to achieve best possible health status?
- Which risk factors best predict sudden cardiac arrest?
- How many people are organ donors and how can we optimize organ donation following cardiac arrest?
- What are the risk factors for, and rate of, re-arrest?
- What do we know about Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders/wishes including how it is registered, communicated and implemented in cardiac arrest cases?
- How many cardiac arrest survivors would want to be resuscitated again?