Echocardiography in cardiac arrest

Cardiac arrest situations justifiably provoke a sense of urgency and drama for the attending staff. Seconds matter, because the duration of cardiac arrest clearly has a direct influence on outcome. Many cardiac arrest situations occur suddenly, without warning or obvious precipitant. On discovery of a patient in cardiac arrest, the process of emergency resuscitation begins, with a view to restoring cardiac output and systemic oxygenation, diagnosing the underlying cause, and correcting any correctable contributing factors. Emergency echocardiography can play a pivotal role in the diagnostic component of the resuscitation process