[Implementation of post-resuscitation care in adult cardiac arrest patients - Experts' opinion]

Abstract

Current evidence on post-resuscitation care suffers from important knowledge gaps on new treatments and prognostication, mainly because of the lack of large multicenter randomized trials. However, optimization of post-resuscitation care is crucial, and the establishment of a treatment easy to be accepted and implemented locally, based on currently available evidence, is advisable. The present article is a multisociety experts' opinion on post-cardiac arrest that aims (i) to provide schematic and clear suggestions on therapeutic interventions to be delivered following resuscitation from cardiac arrest, so as to implement local protocols with a standardized post-resuscitation care; (ii) to suggest post-resuscitation therapeutic interventions that may result in improved survival with good neurological recovery, intended as a Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) score of 1-2; and finally (iii) to propose a pragmatic and schematic approach to post-resuscitation care for rapid initiation of intensive treatments (i.e. temperature management). The suggestions reported in this document are intended for adult patients resuscitated from both out-of-hospital and in-hospital cardiac arrest. They should be considered solely as an experts' opinion aimed to improve post-cardiac arrest care and they do not represent an official national guideline.