Emergency Ultrasound in the Context of Cardiac Arrest and Circulatory Shock: “How to Avoid Cardiac Arrest”

In the recently published 2021 European Resuscitation Council Guidelines on Adult Advanced Life Support, focused echocardiography was upgraded to a target recommendation. Several key recommendations were made, including that point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) should only be used during CPR performed b...

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Main Authors: Rudolf Horn, Michael Blaivas, Daniel Wastl, Guido Michels, Armin Seibel, Susanne Morf, Marco Widler, Christoph F. Dietrich
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Life
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/4/646
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author Rudolf Horn
Michael Blaivas
Daniel Wastl
Guido Michels
Armin Seibel
Susanne Morf
Marco Widler
Christoph F. Dietrich
author_facet Rudolf Horn
Michael Blaivas
Daniel Wastl
Guido Michels
Armin Seibel
Susanne Morf
Marco Widler
Christoph F. Dietrich
author_sort Rudolf Horn
collection DOAJ
description In the recently published 2021 European Resuscitation Council Guidelines on Adult Advanced Life Support, focused echocardiography was upgraded to a target recommendation. Several key recommendations were made, including that point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) should only be used during CPR performed by experienced users and prolonged interruptions longer than 10 s (as accepted for pulse checking) during chest compressions should be avoided. Ultrasound does not replace clinical evaluation nor awareness of the clinical scenario. However, in addition to other assessments such as laboratory analyses, ultrasound can help to directly identify a cause for the peri-arrest state. The advantage of ultrasound is that examinations can be performed at the bedside while other tests are being carried out and repeated as frequently as required. This article focusses on how to use ultrasound during peri-arrest situations, requirements for ultrasound equipment, reversible causes of cardiac arrest, and the use of the RUSH protocol, focused echocardiography, and “deresuscitation” (post resuscitation/return of spontaneous circulation).
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series Life
spelling doaj-art-bf1e5aaafba649bca6d82b1a2824a9b32025-08-20T03:13:47ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292025-04-0115464610.3390/life15040646Emergency Ultrasound in the Context of Cardiac Arrest and Circulatory Shock: “How to Avoid Cardiac Arrest”Rudolf Horn0Michael Blaivas1Daniel Wastl2Guido Michels3Armin Seibel4Susanne Morf5Marco Widler6Christoph F. Dietrich7Center da sandà Val Müstair, 7536 Sta. Maria, SwitzerlandDepartment of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29209, USABad Homburg Center of Intensive Care Medicine, Hochtaunus-Kliniken, 61352 Bad Homburg, GermanyNotfallzentrum, Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Brüder Trier, 54292 Trier, GermanyInterdisciplinary Intensive Care Medicine, DRK Krankenhaus Kirchen, 57548 Kirchen, GermanyCenter da sandà Val Müstair, 7536 Sta. Maria, SwitzerlandDepartment Allgemeine Innere Medizin (DAIM), Kliniken Hirslanden Beau Site, Salem und Permanence, 3013 Bern, SwitzerlandDepartment Allgemeine Innere Medizin (DAIM), Kliniken Hirslanden Beau Site, Salem und Permanence, 3013 Bern, SwitzerlandIn the recently published 2021 European Resuscitation Council Guidelines on Adult Advanced Life Support, focused echocardiography was upgraded to a target recommendation. Several key recommendations were made, including that point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) should only be used during CPR performed by experienced users and prolonged interruptions longer than 10 s (as accepted for pulse checking) during chest compressions should be avoided. Ultrasound does not replace clinical evaluation nor awareness of the clinical scenario. However, in addition to other assessments such as laboratory analyses, ultrasound can help to directly identify a cause for the peri-arrest state. The advantage of ultrasound is that examinations can be performed at the bedside while other tests are being carried out and repeated as frequently as required. This article focusses on how to use ultrasound during peri-arrest situations, requirements for ultrasound equipment, reversible causes of cardiac arrest, and the use of the RUSH protocol, focused echocardiography, and “deresuscitation” (post resuscitation/return of spontaneous circulation).https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/4/646cardiopulmonary resuscitationPOCUShemodynamicsguidelineadvanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS)
spellingShingle Rudolf Horn
Michael Blaivas
Daniel Wastl
Guido Michels
Armin Seibel
Susanne Morf
Marco Widler
Christoph F. Dietrich
Emergency Ultrasound in the Context of Cardiac Arrest and Circulatory Shock: “How to Avoid Cardiac Arrest”
Life
cardiopulmonary resuscitation
POCUS
hemodynamics
guideline
advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS)
title Emergency Ultrasound in the Context of Cardiac Arrest and Circulatory Shock: “How to Avoid Cardiac Arrest”
title_full Emergency Ultrasound in the Context of Cardiac Arrest and Circulatory Shock: “How to Avoid Cardiac Arrest”
title_fullStr Emergency Ultrasound in the Context of Cardiac Arrest and Circulatory Shock: “How to Avoid Cardiac Arrest”
title_full_unstemmed Emergency Ultrasound in the Context of Cardiac Arrest and Circulatory Shock: “How to Avoid Cardiac Arrest”
title_short Emergency Ultrasound in the Context of Cardiac Arrest and Circulatory Shock: “How to Avoid Cardiac Arrest”
title_sort emergency ultrasound in the context of cardiac arrest and circulatory shock how to avoid cardiac arrest
topic cardiopulmonary resuscitation
POCUS
hemodynamics
guideline
advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS)
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/4/646
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