Without evidence of benefit, an intervention should not be presumed to be beneficial or safe.

- Rogue Medic

What is this Treatment and Why Did We Stop Using it

This shouldn’t be too difficult to figure out.

What is Treatment X?

Recent studies suggest that Treatment X produces improved coronary and cerebral hemodynamics and defibrillation rates in animals and humans. Small case series in humans have also suggested that Treatment X given very late in cardiac arrest was more effective in producing initial return of spontaneous circulation, but not in aiding survival. Clinicians are already using Treatment X, despite the absence of better proof of its effectiveness.[1]


Image credit.

Jim Anderson answered my previous “What was this . . .?” within 20 minutes. I do not have any prizes to award, just a little bit of recognition. I will post the answer in a week, whether someone identifies Treatment X right away or nobody identifies Treatment X.

 

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What is Treatment X?

Why did we stop using Treatment X?

What does that suggest about other treatments that we continue to use?

The answer will be linked to here in a week.

Footnotes:

[1] ?

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Comments

  1. Sounds like High Dose Epi.

  2. sodium bicarb in cardiac arrest?

  3. I agree – sounds like high dose epi. We still give epi for cardiac arrest despite the lack of solid evidence that it improves outcomes.

  4. Thinking Sodium Bicarbonate – in the protocols I work under it is a back-line last resort drug. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a successful resuscitation anytime either I or someone I’ve worked with has used it.

  5. In P school as I am ACLS has done away with Sodium Bicarbonate . Albuterol also works to but it isn’t mentioned anywhere.

  6. Sodium Bicarb works if you think about increasing the Sodium concentration giving the heart a better chance at ROSC, not as a Acid/Base treatment… and we all know enough Epi can almost make a rock beat for a little while.