Review of resuscitation physiology in children

More than 25% of children survive to hospital discharge after in-hospital cardiac arrests, and 5–10% survive after out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation differs in children from adults.Following the Airway, Breathing, Circulation format, this article reviews the physiology of paediatric cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. It addresses the appropriate interventions during cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, mechanisms of action of the drugs that are commonly used in advanced life support, and special resuscitation circumstances: premature and newly born infants, traumatic cardiac arrest, ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) CPR.New exciting discoveries in resuscitation science postulate that the key factor in improving outcomes of paediatric cardiac arrest is improving the quality of interventions. Evolving training strategies include simulation training with real-time feedback in simulated scenarios that use high-tech mannequins.