Routine treatment for cardiac arrest doubles risk of brain damage – study

Landmark trial likely to change the way cardiac arrest has been treated in the UK for more than half a centuryA treatment given to thousands of people who suffer cardiac arrest in Britain every year nearly doubles the risk of permanent brain damage and only marginally improves the chances of survival, a landmark study has found.More than 30,000 people have cardiac arrests – where the heart stops beating – annually in the UK. More than half receive shots of adrenaline alongside other interventions that are designed to restart the heart. In most cases the attacks are still fatal, with fewer than 10% of patients surviving to be discharged from hospital.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Medical research Science Heart attack Society Source Type: news