Summary

Lazarus phenomenon in an out-of-hospital emergency attended by a home emergency service

Rodríguez Aguado O, Suárez Portilla FJ, Novalbos Ruiz JP, De La Fuente Rodríguez JM, Rodríguez Fernández MR

Affiliation of the authors

Empresa Pública de Emergencias Sanitarias (EPES). Servicio Provincial de Cádiz. Universidad de Cádiz. Área de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública. Servicio Médico Correos S.E. Jefatura Provincial de Cádiz. Cádiz, Spain.

DOI

Quote

Rodríguez Aguado O, Suárez Portilla FJ, Novalbos Ruiz JP, De La Fuente Rodríguez JM, Rodríguez Fernández MR. Lazarus phenomenon in an out-of-hospital emergency attended by a home emergency service. Emergencias. 2011;23:43-6

Summary

Lazarus phenomenon, or spontaneous recovery following cardiopulmonary resuscitation

(CPR), is a rare event. We report a possible case attended by our home emergency team

in Cadiz, Spain. The family of a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease asked

for emergency care for breathlessness. On arrival, we found the patient unconscious and

in respiratory arrest but a central pulse could be detected; pupils were fixed, partially

dilated, and unresponsive. We immediately commenced advanced life-support

measures. Respiratory function deteriorated (severe bronchospasm); there followed a

worsening of hemodynamics and cardiac arrest. After 30 minutes of advanced CPR,

efforts ceased with the patient in asystole and apneic. Ten minutes later, pulse recovered

spontaneously. The patient was reintubated and transferred to the hospital, where he

died 12 days later. Although Lazarus phenomenon is unpredictable and rare, 2

conclusions can be drawn about this event in an out-of-hospital setting: a longer delay in

providing emergency care favors the persistence of asystole, and respiratory volumes

administered must be monitored strictly to avoid the risk of dynamic hyperinflation.

 

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