Dead for 96 minutes, then revived... Wow!

[Chakravartin]

Your pulse may not be the best indicator of whether you're alive or not.

Add "monitor my CO2 levels" to your health proxy instructions.

http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.com/con...9.abstract

Abstract

A 54-year-old man with no known cardiac disease collapsed outdoors in a small rural community. The cardiac arrest was witnessed, and immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation was begun by a bystander and a trained first responder who was nearby. The patient was moved into a building across the street for continued resuscitation. First responders arrived with an automated external defibrillator, and ventricular fibrillation was documented. First responders delivered 6 defibrillation shocks, 4 of which transiently restored an organized electrocardiographic rhythm but with no pulse at any time. Additional emergency medical services personnel from nearby communities and an advanced life support (ALS) flight crew arrived. The flight crew initiated ALS care. The trachea was intubated, ventilation controlled, and end-tidal carbon dioxide tension continuously monitored. Antiarrhythmic and inotropic drugs were administered intravenously. An additional 6 shocks were delivered using the ALS defibrillator. End-tidal carbon dioxide measurements confirmed good pulmonary blood flow with chest compressions, and resuscitation was continued until a stable cardiac rhythm was restored after 96 minutes of pulselessness. The patient was transported by helicopter to the hospital. He was in cardiogenic shock but maintained a spontaneous circulation. Coronary angiography confirmed a left anterior descending coronary artery thrombotic occlusion that was treated successfully. After hospital admission, the patient required circulatory and ventilatory support and hemodialysis for acute renal failure. He experienced a complete neurologic recovery to his pre-cardiac arrest state. To our knowledge, this is the longest duration of pulselessness in an out-of-hospital arrest with a good outcome. Good pulmonary blood flow was documented throughout by end-tidal carbon dioxide measurements.

[mrbigstuff]

reading Edgar Allan Poe as a 14 year old freaked me out for good....

edit: I've told my wife pretty much what you say - leave me be, if I'm dead, I'm dead, but maybe I'm just "mostly dead."

[cbelt3]

Of course people like ex VP Dick Cheney technically have 'no pulse'... when they have a coronary assist device implanted.

But yeah, that's fricking amazing. A friend who is an EMT told us (Scouts meeting) that CPR brings patients back perhaps 15-25% of the time. And that the ones that do come back usually throw up on you shortly afterwards.

But hey... beats letting them die. I can personally attest to the effectiveness of defibrillators... having been restarted three times in the course of a day.

[SteveO]

Wow is right.

[RAMd®d]

He experienced a complete neurologic recovery to his pre-cardiac arrest state.

Wow! (again)

[rjmacs]

RAMd®d wrote:
He experienced a complete neurologic recovery to his pre-cardiac arrest state.

Wow! (again)

Well, this guy may not have been the brightest bulb at the time.... :devil: