MR. S, 57, EXPERIENCED a foreign body
airway obstruction and subsequent cardiac arrest while eating lunch at work.
His coworkers called 911 and began
CPR; an automated external defibrillator (AED) wasn’t available. Paramedics
responded to the scene, found Mr. S in
pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT),
performed rapid defibrillation, ensured
continued high-quality CPR, established
peripheral venous access, administered
I.V. epinephrine, and intubated him.
Return of spontaneous circulation
(ROSC) occurred after an estimated
code time of 16 minutes. He arrived at
the ED unresponsive in sinus bradycardia. His medical history includes hypertension and type 2 diabetes