Systemic multi-organ injury following resuscitation from sudden cardiac arrest (CA) has long been recognized. First termed ‘post-resuscitation disease’ in the 1980’s this systemic injury was more appropriately re-named post-CA syndrome (PCAS) in 20081–2.

Excluding the brain, cardiovascular and respiratory failure have been considered to contribute the most to the severity of PCAS injury.

Of these two injuries, the later has received relatively little attention compared to the former despite long standing research documenting PCAS acute lung injury (ALI).

Safar and colleagues were among the first to note that the mechanics of ventilation were different between healthy adults and those following cardiac arrest.

Specifically, they noted that chest compressions on intubated cardiac arrest patients did not generate detectable ventilation compared to intubated healthy adult controls.

Read More