Changes in Advanced Cardiac Life Support Applications in Adult Patient During COVID-19 Pandemia

ABSTRACT

The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19), which was first seen in Wuhan, China and later declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020, spread all over the world in a short time. COVID-19 infection is currently the most important public health problem in the world. COVID-19 infection emerges as a systemic disease, not just a respiratory system disease. Cardiac involvement is one of them, and it gives clinical findings in a wide range from myocardial infarction to cardiac arrest. COVID-19 infection patients are at risk for cardiac arrest and the mortality rate of these patients is also high. The most important intervention in cardiac arrest is advanced cardiac life support, which includes a range of treatments and clinical applications, applied to save lives and provide emergency care. In advanced cardiac life support, aerosol emission occurs during many applications such as chest compression, positive pressure ventilation and airway support. Healthcare workers at risk for infection during advanced cardiac life support are even more at risk for COVID-19 infection patients. In this case, an adequate, effective and safe advanced cardiac life support will provide both an increase in survival rates and protection of healthcare workers from infection. This review includes current guideline recommendations for the provision of effective and safe advanced cardiac life support in adult patients with probable or confirmed COVID-19 infection. © 2023, Dokuz Eylul University. All rights reserved.