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Guidelines would (erroneously) say that this patient who was defibrillated and resuscitated does not need emergent angiography

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

A patient had a cardiac arrest with ventricular fibrillation and was successfully defibrillated. The proof of this is that only 5% of patients enrolled had acute coronary occlusion. Coronary Angiography after Cardiac Arrest without ST-Segment Elevation. This study failed to do so. 5% vs. 58%!! As per Dr.

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Resuscitated from ventricular fibrillation. Should the cath lab be activated?

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

He was defibrillated into VT. He then underwent dual sequential defibrillation into asystole. But cardiac arrest is a period of near zero flow in the coronary arteries and causes SEVERE ischemia. See these related cases: Cardiac arrest, defibrillated, diffuse ST depression and ST Elevation in aVR. They started CPR.

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1 hour of CPR, then ECMO circulation, then successful defibrillation.

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

She was unable to be defibrillated but was cannulated and placed on ECMO in our Emergency Department (ECLS - extracorporeal life support). After good ECMO flow was established, she was successfully defibrillated. Here is a case of ECMO defibrillation with near shark fin that was due to proximal LAD occlusion. The K was normal.

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Ventricular Fibrillation, ICD, LBBB, QRS of 210 ms, Positive Smith Modified Sgarbossa Criteria, and Pacemaker-Mediated Tachycardia

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

He was defibrillated, but they also noticed that he was being internally defibrillated and then found that he had an implantable ICD. He was unidentified and there were no records available After 7 shocks, he was successfully defibrillated and brought to the ED. There was no bystander CPR. Cardiology agreed. Initial trop ~200.

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2023 AHA Update on ACLS

EMDocs

Emergent coronary angiography is not recommended over a delayed or selective strategy in patients with ROSC after cardiac arrest in the absence of ST-segment elevation, shock, electrical instability, signs of significant myocardial damage, and ongoing ischemia (Level 3: no benefit). COR 2b, LOE C-LD. COR 3, No benefit, LOE B-R.

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SGEM#344: We Will…We Will Cath You – But should We After An OHCA Without ST Elevations?

The Skeptics' Guide to EM

Defibrillation is the treatment of choice in these cases but does not often result in sustained ROSC ( Kudenchuk et al 2006). Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is responsible for the majority (60%) of all OHCAs in patients. Half of these arrests are witnessed with the other half being un-witnessed.

EMR 130
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A 50-something with chest pain.

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

More past history: hypertension, tobacco use, coronary artery disease with two vessel PCI to the right coronary artery and circumflex artery several years prior. VF was refractory to amiodarone, lidocaine, double-sequential defibrillation, esmolol, etc. It is unknown when this pain recurred and became constant.