Managing Cardiac Arrest after Cardiac Surgery: The Impact of a Five Year Evolving Re-Sternotomy Policy and a Review of the Literature

Managing Cardiac Arrest after Cardiac Surgery: The Impact of a Five Year Evolving Re-Sternotomy Policy and a Review of the Literature

Although advances in knowledge and improvements in managing cardiac arrest resulting from research, training and implementation of guidelines has led to vast improvements in survival, the outcomes are still generally poor. Cardiac arrest in patients who have undergone cardiac surgery present different management challenges and is associated with a better prospect of successful outcome. In acknowledgement of this fact, the European Resuscitation Council published a specific section on resuscitation of patients with cardiac arrest after cardiac surgery in 2005.