We know our core medications for ACLS (epinephrine, amiodarone, lidocaine) but what is the role of other medications, like calcium? We know calcium can be used in the non-ACLS setting for hyperkalemia to prevent or treat arrhythmias or for severe hypocalcemia.

Calcium has an unclear role though in our ACLS algorithms for when (or if) it should be routinely utilized.

Thankfully, we had the recent COCA trial to help us answer this question.

This study examined the efficacy of calcium administration as a standard ACLS intervention among OHCA patients without known or suspected hyperkalemia.

Read More