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Cardiac resuscitation

Epinephrine to treat cardiac arrest—a double-edged sword

Randomized studies and evaluations of large registries have repeatedly shown that epinephrine used as a standard vasopressor for cardiopulmonary resuscitation increases the rate of return of spontaneous circulation. By contrast, epinephrine might decrease long-term survival and impair neurological outcome.

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Correspondence to Hans-Richard Arntz.

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Arntz, HR., Breckwoldt, J. Epinephrine to treat cardiac arrest—a double-edged sword. Nat Rev Cardiol 9, 380–382 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2012.71

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