Impact of 2 Resuscitation Sequences on Management of Simulated Pediatric Cardiac Arrest

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation regularly publishes a Consensus on Science with Treatment Recommendations but guidelines can nevertheless differ when knowledge gaps persist. In case of pediatric cardiac arrest, the American Heart Association recommends following the adult resuscitation sequence i.e., starting with chest compressions. Conversely, the European Resuscitation Council advocates the delivery of 5 initial rescue breaths before starting chest compressions. Carrying out a randomized trial in children in cardiac arrest to assess the impact of these strategies would prove particularly challenging and ethical concerns may prevent such a trial from being performed. This will be a superiority, cross-over randomized trial whose goal is to determine the impact of these 2 resuscitation sequences on alveolar ventilation in a pediatric model of cardiac arrest. While not definitive, its results could help fill part of the current knowledge gap.