Conclusion
Resuscitation has developed over thousands of years, following
a circuitous course of brilliant experimentation, serendipitous
observation, slow adoption, and forgotten-then-rediscovered
wisdom, which converged in the 1950s to bring about the era of
modern CPR. The frontiers continue to be advanced in the quest
to revive “hearts too good to die.”123 Our rate of successful
resuscitation remains disappointing, and aggressive dissemination
of the current CPR guidelines should be encouraged
because these evidence-based recommendations have been
shaped by numerous observations and studies that share the
common goal of improving resuscitation outcomes. Continued
investigation is needed to assess the quality of standard CPR and
to ensure adherence to performance guidelines as well as to
explore ways to improve cardiac massage and preserve neurological
function. A combination of novel techniques and broad
implementation strategies will almost certainly yield further
improvement in our efforts to resuscitate men and women who
suffer cardiopulmonary arrest.