Pediatric In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Purpose of Review: Between 5000 and 10,000 hospitalized children receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) each year. The objective of this review is to convey current knowledge regarding pediatric in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Recent Findings: Rates of survival after pediatric IHCA have improved substantially over the last two decades. This has been largely driven by early recognition and transfer of deteriorating patients to intensive care units prior to cardiac arrest and an enhanced understanding of the importance of delivering high-quality CPR and post-resuscitation care. Areas of active inquiry include CPR quality monitoring methods, physiology-guided CPR, assisted ventilation during CPR, extracorporeal CPR, post-cardiac arrest care, and therapeutic hypothermia. Summary: Pediatric IHCA impacts thousands of hospital children each year. Providers who care for critically ill children should understand cardiac arrest and CPR epidemiology and physiology, current CPR guidelines, and the roles of various resuscitation therapies. © 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.