14 Sep Three Criteria To Identify Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Patients With No Chance of Survival

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Prof. Xavier Jouven

Prof. Xavier Jouven
Service de Cardiologie
Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou
Paris

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: There are many cardiac arrests (around 300 000 per year in United States). The possibility to collect organs from a certain proportion of those cardiac arrests represents an important opportunity to fill the gap of the organ shortage.

It is absolutely mandatory to identify patients with no chance of survival. This study showed 3 criteria which allow this early identification. Several thousands of patients die every year waiting for organ transplantation.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: Our study showed 3 criteria which allow an early identification of patients with cardiac arrest without any chance to survive. These subjects can be proposed for organ donation.
This new approach could address the important issue of organ shortage.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: I hope these results will contribute to help emergency medicine and resuscitation international and national societies to elaborate new recommendations about out-of-hospital cardiac patients.

MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Response: Public and health care community will have difficulties accepting this new approach, but the debate worth it because on the other side patients with end-stage chronicle diseases and waitlisted for organ donation are suffering. The final aim of the study is to be more efficient with organ donation when there is absolutely no hope of survival after cardiac arrest.

We are fully aware there is a psychological barrier for medical staff and for families, which is normal. This is a society debate.

We take advantage of the 4th day of awareness about cardiac arrest on October 18th, 2016 to organize a meeting with people from varied fields such as philosophy, sociology, ethics, politics, and experts in emergency medicine, organ donation, graft process and surgery. Public and patients are expected to debate with this panel of specialists.

Things need time to be accepted but at least this study opens the door of change.

MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.

Citation:

upcoming ANNALS publication:

Early Identification of Patients With Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest With No Chance of Survival and Consideration for Organ Donation.

Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.

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Last Updated on September 14, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD