Postresuscitation Care

Cardiac arrest in infants and children is a rare but critical event that typically follows a period of respiratory or circulatory compromise and has a low survival rate. The only intervention demonstrated to increase survival rate is the provision of bystander CPR. This article examines the pathophysiology of the postarrest reperfusion state; postresuscitation care of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems; postresuscitation neurologic management; therapeutic hypothermia; blood glucose control; immunologic disturbances and infections; coagulation abnormalities; and gastrointestinal and hepatic dysfunction, among other topics.