Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Induced Consciousness A Case Report in an Elderly Patient

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation-induced consciousness is a rarely described and often misunderstood phenomenon, although it can be encountered. High quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may lead a patient to recover consciousness while in cardiac arrest. The authors present the case of an 89-year-old male patient who received CPR after a cardiac arrest. Spontaneous movements during CPR were noted and prompted several CPR interruptions. These movements immediately stopped during chest compression pauses. Physical restraint was used in order to be able to continue with the CPR algorithm, but sedation may be the best approach. Guidelines on how to identify and manage these cases need to be developed. LEARNING POINTS: Although rare, cardiopulmonary resuscitation-induced consciousness is a phenomenon that physicians should be aware of, given the implications it may have during resuscitation manoeuvres. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation-induced consciousness can readily be recognised by the presence during cardiac arrest of spontaneous and purposeful patient movements that immediately cease after stopping chest compressions. The use of sedative and analgesic drugs such as ketamine may be the best choice to manage cardiopulmonary resuscitation-induced consciousness, as an alternative to physical restraint.