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Cardiac arrest - out of hospital care - Management
Basis for recommendation
These recommendations are based on guidelines from the Resuscitation Council (UK) [Resusucitation Council, 2010].
- The 2005 Resuscitation Council guidelines recommended the administration of a single 3 mg dose of atropine for asystole and slow PEA (< 60 min-1); however, during cardiac arrest asystole is usually caused by primary myocardial pathology rather than excessive vagal tone and the available studies have failed to demonstrate that routine use of atropine is beneficial in the treatment of asystole or PEA. Routine use of atropine for asystole or PEA is no longer recommended [Resusucitation Council, 2010].
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