Cardiac arrest

A cardiac arrest is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the ventricles of the heart to contract effectively during systole. The resulting lack of blood supply results in cell death from oxygen starvation. Cerebral hypoxia, or lack of oxygen supply to the brain, causes victims to immediately lose consciousness and stop breathing.

Ethical Issues

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and advanced cardiac life support are not always in a person's best interest. This is particularly during terminal illness when resuscitation will not alter the outcome of the disease. Properly performed CPR often fractures the rib cage. Defibrillation, especially repeated several times as called for by ACLS protocols, may also cause electrical burns. Internal cardiac massage, an ACLS procedure performed by emergency medicine physicians in requires splitting open the rib cage, which is painful during the weeks of recovery. While such treatment is worthwhile when it saves a life, it is undignified and simply adds to the suffering of a victim with a terminal illness who wishes to die peacefully.

Related Topics:
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation - Advanced cardiac life support - Rib - Defibrillation - Emergency medicine - Terminal illness

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It is not surprising that some people with a terminal illness choose to avoid such "heroic" measures and die peacefully.

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People with views on the treatment they wish to receive in event of a cardiac arrest to should discuss these views with both their doctor and with their family.

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It is also important that these views are written down somewhere in the medical record. In the event of cardiac arrest, health professionals need to act quickly on the information that is available to them. As cardiac arrest often happens out of regular hours, the resuscitation team rarely includes anybody who actually knows the patient.

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A patient may ask their doctor to record a do not resuscitate (DNR) order in the medical record. Alternatively, in many jurisdictions, a person may formally state their wishes in an "advance directive" or "advance health directive".

Related Topics:
Do not resuscitate - Advance directive - Advance health directive

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See also death and hospice.

Related Topics:
Death - Hospice

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