Effect of injection site on circulation times during cardiac arrest

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation requires effective, prompt drug administration. In order to analyze Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) recommendations for site of drug administration, we studied dye circulation times after central, femoral, and peripheral venous injection during both closed and open chest CPR using a canine arrest model. Measurements of circulation times were made after injection of indocyanine green dye at femoral, central, and peripheral venous sites. Circulation times during closed chest CPR were 62.7 +/- 19.6 sec after central injection, 86.6 +/- 23.5 sec after femoral injection, and 93.6 +/- 17.9 sec after peripheral injection (p less than .001). During closed chest CPR, peak dye concentration after central injection was significantly higher than that after peripheral injection (4.0 +/- 1.3 vs. 3.1 +/- 0.8 mg/L, p less than .01). Circulation times were significantly shorter during open chest CPR with times again shortest after central injection. This animal model suggests that prompt drug delivery during CPR is enhanced by central venous injection of medication. There appears to be no advantage in femoral over peripheral injection.