Cardiac Arrest

The FDA has classified Olympus Medical’s recall of its high-flow abdominal insufflation device as class I, following reports of 21 malfunctions, 10 serious injuries and one death associated with over-inflation.

There is growing evidence that elite athletes with genetic heart disease could reasonably return to play after a sudden cardiac arrest, although a shared decision-making process may be appropriate.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests rose by 19% during the COVID-19 pandemic in King County, Washington, yet data suggest pandemic-related changes in emergency medical services response and care — not the virus itself — affected survival.

Adults are more likely to survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest if they receive bystander defibrillation, even when an ambulance arrives within as little as 2 minutes, researchers reported.

Adults in the U.K. quickly transferred to a specialized cardiac arrest center after resuscitated cardiac arrest were no less likely to die at 30 days than patients transferred to their closest ED, researchers reported.

GE HealthCare announced a recall of arterial oxygen saturation sensors due to a malfunction that may reduce the amount of energy sent to the heart during defibrillation without notification to the care provider.

Asian individuals experience poorer outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the U.S. compared with white individuals, despite similar rates of bystander CPR, researchers reported.

Volunteer responders dispatched to assist people experiencing out-of-hospital cardiac arrest may improve rates of bystander CPR, automated external defibrillator use and 30-day survival, researchers reported.

An analysis of social media reactions after the televised collapse of Damar Hamlin suggests many people do not see an active role for themselves after witnessing a sudden cardiac arrest, prompting a call for public awareness campaigns.

Data show there are seasonal variations in the incidence of in-hospital cardiac arrest for both men and women across the U.S., with researchers noting a “consistent winter peak” that warrants further investigation.