A major limitation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is that only about 20 percent of the amount of oxygen needed by the brain and the body is delivered during resuscitation. The result is a significant oxygen debt that causes cardiac arrest to become more resistant to CPR, which leads to even less oxygen being circulated—a detrimental cycle that ultimately leads to systemic inflammation and a reduced chance of survival.

While various modalities of improving the quality of resuscitation have been tested in past decades, these have focused mostly on individual interventions such as devices to deliver more effective chest compressions or medications to improve blood flow. Used alone, studies show that these approaches have limited effect. Our goal is to investigate novel ways to combine treatments or discover new methods to improve the quality of oxygen delivered to tissues, reducing the burden of damage during cardiac arrest.

Currently, our research team is studying the use of various technologies that have never before been explored as in-hospital tools to improve CPR or enhance the quality of resuscitation techniques beyond CPR. We are also developing new methods that may make a breakthrough in patient care. So far, our data show that it is possible to increase the amount of oxygen reaching the brain and body during resuscitation and therefore improve cardiac arrest treatment.

We are excited about these preliminary results and will make further announcements as we launch related studies. Members of the public who have undergone cardiac arrest or who have family members who have suffered with a cardiac arrest are invited to help with this study by emailing resuscitationlab@nyulangone.org.