Best Case Ever 42 Pediatric Cardiac Arrest

When was the last time you saw ventricular fibrillation in a 4 month old? Dr. Rob Simard tells his Best Case Ever of a Pediatric Cardiac Arrest in which meticulous preparation, sticking to his guns, early activation of the transportation service, and clever use of point of care ultrasound helped save the life of a child. He explains the importance of debriefing your team after an emotionally charged case.



Published November 2015

Dr. Simard's tips on drawing up epinephrine in preparation for pediatric cardiac arrest

Use 3 tuberculin syringes (1mL each) and attach a 3-way stopcock to the cardiac cart epinephrine syringe and draw up 3 tuberculin syrninges of epinephrine in advance.

 

Annals of EM study on colour coded pre-filled syringes for pediatric resuscitation showing faster time to administration and lower medication error rates Full PDF

From Annals of EM



References

Moreira ME, Hernandez C, Stevens AD, et al. Color-Coded Prefilled Medication Syringes Decrease Time to Delivery and Dosing Error in Simulated Emergency Department Pediatric Resuscitations. Ann Emerg Med. 2015;66(2):97-106.e3.

Other FOAMed Resources

Debriefing in the ED on St Emlyns Blog

American College of Cardiology 2015 Update for Pediatric Life Support Guidelines Key Points

 

Dr. Helman & Dr. Simard of no conflicts of interest to declare