Pharmacotherapy In Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

Cardiac arrest is defined as cessation of cardiac mechanical activity. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an attempt to restore spontaneous circulation through several maneuvers and techniques. Although the two interventions, which are competent basic life support and prompt defibrillation, improve the survival rate, several adjuvant cardiac medication drugs are advocated to treat cardiac arrest during advanced cardiac life support. Since the introduction of modern CPR there have been many advances in the field of pharmacotherapy in CPR. Therefore, we aimed to summarise the cardiac medication drugs used for patients in ventricular fibrillation (VF) or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT) or non VF/VT in the practice of advanced cardiac life support. Towards achieving this aim, the effects and practical issues related to vasopressors, antiarrythmic agents and, others such as sodium bicarbonate, calcium, magnesium and atropine will be addressed in the scope of the recent updates in the literature.