Acute cardiac care & resuscitation
Association between survival and number of shocks for pulseless ventricular arrhythmias during pediatric in-hospital cardiac arrest in a national registry
Authors' conclusion
Subjects who received a single shock were more likely to survive to hospital discharge even after adjusting for duration of resuscitation.
Study context
- Population
- Children >48 hours of life and ≤18 years with in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) from initial VF/pVT who received defibrillation, 2000–2020
- Participants
- 251 vs 415
- Exposure
- Single shock vs multiple shocks
- Single shockn = 251
- Multiple shocksn = 415reference
- Outcome
- Survival to hospital discharge
Methodological detailsnational registry (American Heart Association's (AHA) Get with the Guidelines®-Resuscitation (GWTG-R))
- National registry (AHA GWTG-R)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Survival improved with a single shock vs multiple shocks, even after adjusting for duration of resuscitation
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Survival by number of shocks (2, 3, ≥4)
- No difference in survival between 2, 3 or ≥4 shocks
Early dose escalation (multiple shocks)
- No difference with early dose escalation
Median first shock dose
- Consistent with AHA dosing recommendations; not different between single and multiple shocks
Original publication
Association between survival and number of shocks for pulseless ventricular arrhythmias during pediatric in-hospital cardiac arrest in a national registry. Resuscitation. Published 4 April 2024. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it