Focus on post-resuscitation care

In patients who are admitted to an intensive care unit after resuscitation from cardiac arrest (CA) mortality attains 60–70% [1]. Two-thirds of these deaths are due to hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury (HIBI) and occur mainly after 72 h, as a result of withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment (WLST) based on the prediction of a poor neurological outcome [2]. The second most common cause of post-resuscitation death, especially in the very early phase after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), is circulatory failure. Current research on post-resuscitation care focuses on interventions aimed at reducing these two important causes of morbidity and mortality after CA