What to do if A + B doesn't work

Abstract

The majority of newborn resuscitations require very little beyond simple airway management and assisted ventilation. If cardiovascular collapse is serious enough to warrant additional support, resuscitation algorithms recommend moving to chest compressions and then on to medications and possibly volume replacement if vital signs remain marginal or absent. The evidence base upon which this part of the neonatal resuscitation algorithm is structured is sparse. Chest compressions and medications are rare interventions that do not lend themselves easily to clinical trials. Slowly but surely, however, the genesis of an empirical evidence base for this part of the algorithm is beginning to appear.

Keywords: Adrenaline; Asphyxia; Chest compressions; Newborn; Resuscitation; Volume expansion.