Cardiac Arrest & Post-Resuscitation Care
Recognise arrest promptly and understand the priorities of trained resuscitation teams.
Quick revision ↓ Medical Dictionary
01Recognise and call
An unresponsive person who is not breathing normally may be in cardiac arrest; gasping is not normal breathing. Activate emergency help and begin resuscitation according to current local training. Bring the defibrillator promptly and allocate clear roles without delaying chest compressions.
02Maintain effective CPR
High-quality compressions with minimal interruption and effective ventilation are central. Use an AED or manual defibrillator according to training and rhythm assessment. Shockable rhythms are ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia; asystole and PEA require a non-shockable pathway.
03Search for reversible causes
The team should seek reversible causes while resuscitation continues, including hypoxia, hypovolaemia, metabolic disturbance, temperature problems, thrombosis, tamponade, tension pneumothorax and toxins. Ultrasound or other assessments must not create prolonged interruptions to compressions.
04Care after circulation returns
Return of spontaneous circulation begins another phase of care. Support oxygenation, ventilation and blood pressure, obtain an ECG and investigate the cause. Prevent fever in appropriate unconscious survivors under the post-arrest protocol, and monitor for seizures and recurrent instability.
05Communicate and review
Neurological prognosis requires appropriate timing, exclusion of confounders and multimodal specialist assessment. Avoid conclusions from one early finding. Explain uncertainty to relatives, document events and support staff and survivors through debriefing and recovery planning.
High-Yield Revision
- Gasping is not normal breathing in an unresponsive patient.
- Minimise interruptions to compressions.
- ROSC requires continued organised care.
Common Pitfalls
- Shocking asystole as though it were ventricular fibrillation.
- Making neurological predictions from one early sign.
References & Further Reading
Read the relevant guideline sections alongside these original clinical teaching cases. Local pathways, available services and individual patient factors determine care.
Reference review: 29 September 2026. Consult current local protocols for prescribing, procedures and escalation.