In cardiac arrest, which intervention most improves survival?

In cardiac arrest, which intervention most improves survival?

• A. Oxygen therapy
• B. CPR only
• C. Rapid transport
• D. Early defibrillation

Answer: (D)

In sudden cardiac arrest caused by shockable rhythms like ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia, restoring a normal rhythm as quickly as possible is what most improves survival. Defibrillation works by delivering a controlled electric shock that interrupts the chaotic electrical activity, giving the heart a chance to restart with a workable rhythm and effective blood flow. The speed of this intervention matters greatly: the sooner a shock is delivered, the higher the odds of return of spontaneous circulation and good neurological outcome, with survival dropping markedly with each minute that elapses. While CPR helps maintain circulation and oxygen delivery while a defibrillator is ready, and supportive measures like oxygen therapy and rapid transport are important parts of care, they don’t reverse the fundamental problem as directly or as powerfully as defibrillation does in a shockable arrest. So the strategy most strongly linked to improved survival is delivering an early defibrillation.

In sudden cardiac arrest caused by shockable rhythms like ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia, restoring a normal rhythm as quickly as possible is what most improves survival. Defibrillation works by delivering a controlled electric shock that interrupts the chaotic electrical activity, giving the heart a chance to restart with a workable rhythm and effective blood flow. The speed of this intervention matters greatly: the sooner a shock is delivered, the higher the odds of return of spontaneous circulation and good neurological outcome, with survival dropping markedly with each minute that elapses.

While CPR helps maintain circulation and oxygen delivery while a defibrillator is ready, and supportive measures like oxygen therapy and rapid transport are important parts of care, they don’t reverse the fundamental problem as directly or as powerfully as defibrillation does in a shockable arrest. So the strategy most strongly linked to improved survival is delivering an early defibrillation.