Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 23, 2026

Normothermic Cardiac Arrest and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Mouse Model of Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury
10:25

Normothermic Cardiac Arrest and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Mouse Model of Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Published on: August 30, 2011

18.7K

Avalanche victims in cardiac arrest are unlikely to survive despite adherence to medical guidelines

Jessika Métrailler-Mermoud1, Olivier Hugli2, Pierre-Nicolas Carron2

  • 1Emergency Service, Hôpital du Valais, 1951 Sion, Switzerland; Emergency Service, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, BH 09, CHUV, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.

Resuscitation
|June 12, 2019
PubMed

Insights

This study analyzed avalanche victims in cardiac arrest (CA), finding that while medical management generally followed guidelines, no patients survived. This highlights potential areas for improving avalanche rescue protocols and patient care.

Area of Science:

  • Emergency Medicine
  • Wilderness Medicine
  • Traumatology

Background:

  • Avalanche incidents pose significant risks, often leading to cardiac arrest (CA).
  • Effective medical management is crucial for improving outcomes in avalanche victims.
  • International guidelines exist for managing avalanche victims in CA.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe and analyze the medical management of avalanche victims in CA.
  • To assess clinical course and adherence to international recommendations.
  • To identify areas for improvement in avalanche rescue protocols.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective study of avalanche victims in CA from 2004-2016.
  • Inclusion of data from a single physician-staffed alpine helicopter emergency medical service.
  • Abstraction of data on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), transport, and extracorporeal life support rewarming (ECLSR).

Main Results:

  • 66 victims were studied; 47% declared dead on scene.
  • 20% had prehospital return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC).
  • 93% of critical decisions aligned with guidelines, yet no survivors were recorded.

Conclusions:

  • Medical management of avalanche victims in CA largely adhered to guidelines.
  • No survivors were observed in this cohort, indicating a need for further research.
  • Potential undertreatment in some cases suggests room for protocol optimization.
Abstract

Keywords:
AccidentalAvalancheCardiac arrestECPRGuidelinesHEMSHypothermiaResuscitationTriage

More Related Videos

A Piglet Perinatal Asphyxia Model to Study Cardiac Injury and Hemodynamics after Cardiac Arrest, Resuscitation, and the Return of Spontaneous Circulation10:55

A Piglet Perinatal Asphyxia Model to Study Cardiac Injury and Hemodynamics after Cardiac Arrest, Resuscitation, and the Return of Spontaneous Circulation

Published on: January 13, 2023

2.3K
Author Spotlight: A Unique Mouse Model of Asphyxia-Induced Cardiac Arrest07:18

Author Spotlight: A Unique Mouse Model of Asphyxia-Induced Cardiac Arrest

Published on: April 14, 2023

2.3K

Related Concept Videos

Survival Tree01:19

Survival Tree

Survival trees are a non-parametric method used in survival analysis to model the relationship between a set of covariates and the time until an event of interest occurs, often referred to as the "time-to-event" or "survival time." This method is particularly useful when dealing with censored data, where the event has not occurred for some individuals by the end of the study period, or when the exact time of the event is unknown.
 Building a Survival Tree
Constructing a...
407
Survival Curves01:18

Survival Curves

Survival curves are graphical representations that depict the survival experience of a population over time, offering an intuitive way to track the proportion of individuals who remain event-free at each time point. These curves are widely used in fields such as medicine, public health, and reliability engineering to visualize and compare survival probabilities across different groups or conditions.
The Kaplan-Meier estimator is the most common method for constructing survival curves. This...
684
Guidelines for Nursing Documentation II01:26

Guidelines for Nursing Documentation II

Effective documentation is an integral part of nursing practice. Here are some essential guidelines to follow when documenting patient care:
Timely documentation is crucial to ensure continuity of care for patients. Any delays in recording or reporting medical information can result in medical errors and even adverse patient outcomes. From medication administration to diagnostic test results, every detail must be accurately and promptly documented to provide the best possible care for patients.
1.6K
Legal Guidelines for Documentation01:06

Legal Guidelines for Documentation

The legal guidelines for nursing documentation are essential for ensuring accurate, professional, and ethical recording of patient care. The guidelines are discussed here:
2.1K
Guidelines for Sketching a Curve01:23

Guidelines for Sketching a Curve

Curve sketching is a systematic method for understanding the overall behavior of a function by analyzing its key mathematical features. A function defines a curve on the coordinate plane, where the horizontal axis represents the input variable and the vertical axis represents the output. The process begins by determining the domain, which specifies the set of input values for which the function is defined and establishes the horizontal extent of the graph.Intercepts with the horizontal and...
110
Guidelines for Writing Outcome01:11

Guidelines for Writing Outcome

When developing expected outcomes for a patient care plan, the nurse should adhere to the following recommendations:
Patient outcomes reflect the patient's response to the goal rather than what the nurse aims to achieve. Terminology should be observable and measurable to avoid the reader's interpretation. The desired outcome should be realistic and achievable in the designated care timeframe. Expected outcomes should align with adjunctive therapies. The outcome should enhance care...
3.7K