In-hospital Cardiac Arrest: How to Become a Good �Samaritan�?

In-hospital Cardiac Arrest: How to Become a Good “Samaritan”?

Every second is important when treating patients in cardiac arrest. Standardization and guidelines are, therefore, critical to get an early effective good quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Sudden cardiac arrest is a considerable public health issue in Europe and USA. Studies estimate the number of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest per year at 155,000 in the United States of America and 275,000 in Europe. The survival rate variability was considerable between studies (i.e., in Europe: 3 to 31%). We are still facing a huge challenge to increase the survival rate and to achieve better neurologic outcome. Diagnosis and treatment of the underlying cause are fundamental to successful resuscitation. Recent 2010 international consensus are important to address this challenge.