Life-Saving PCI Leading to Successful CPR

Effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can sufficiently preserve vital organs even during prolonged cardiac arrest. In the setting of acute myocardial infarction, accurate and wise strategy, including primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of the culprit lesion can be life-saving, even if complicated by prolonged cardiac arrest unresponsive to CPR. We describe the case of a 53-year-old man who was successfully managed after prolonged refractory cardiac arrest following acute myocardial infarction (Iranian Heart Journal 2009; 10 (2):37-39).