No CPR in Trauma Arrest?

” In all traumatic arrests, you should look for a penetrating injury to the chest or epigastrium. If you find one, an emergency thoracotomy may be indicated ASAP.

If you don’t see a penetrating injury, consider a medical cause for the arrest.

There are a few key procedures in trauma arrest and the study recommends using the HOTT mnemonic.

H – Hypovolemia (control external hemorrhage, pelvic binding, long bone splinting and give blood)
O – Oxygenation (Airway management)
T – Tension PTX (Bilateral decompression and chest tubes)
T – Tamponade

If these three things are addressed and there’s no ROSC, you should consider stopping resuscitation

EMKF

Emergency Medicine Kenya Foundation (EMKF) is a not-for-profit (NGO) public benefit organisation registered in Kenya