Pharmacologic treatment of cardiac arrest

Abstract

Antiarrhythmic drugs currently recommended in the American Heart Association's Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) guidelines for the treatment of cardiac arrest have not been proved in controlled clinical trials to improve survival in patients with ventricular fibrillation (VF) or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT). Intravenous amio-darone is a promising agent for the treatment of VF and VT. Based on available evidence, amiodarone should be considered for use in patients with shock-refractory ventricular arrhythmias.

Key Words:

• cardiac arrest
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support
• defibrilla-tion
• amiodarone.