Cardiopulmonary resuscitation should be extended to more than 35 minutes for children, study shows

Extending cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for longer than previously recommended—to more than 35 minutes—is associated with higher rates of survival than expected without impairing neurological function, says a large study1 in children that follows similar findings in a recent study2 in adults.

The study analysed data from the American Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines Resuscitation programme (GWTG-R), a prospective multicentre registry that collects information on in-hospital cardiac arrest. Researchers examined hospital records for 3419 children (mean age 4.9 years) undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation after cardiac arrest in 328 US and Canadian hospitals between 2000 and 2009.

Results …