[Resuscitated--then what?].
The outcome of reanimation efforts by the emergency paramedics service and our hospital in 1994-1995 are presented in a retrospective analysis. Of 123 reanimation attempts, 34 (27.6%) were successfully carried out at the scene of injury. A total of 13 patients (10.6%) survived without cerebral damage. Three (2.4%) patients were transferred to a rehabilitation clinic with severe neurological deficiencies. The collective total survival rate was therefore 15.5%. The emergency assistance time of 4.6 minutes for the successful reanimation attempts was significantly shorter than the 7.5 minutes average time frame for the unsuccessful reanimation attempts. This clearly underscores the significance of an efficient emergency paramedic service and first aid training. The prognosis for a reanimated patient is primarily dependent upon the degree of brain damage incurred. Therefore, neuroprotectionary measures are of utmost importance. Valid general standards, however, do not exist. At the present time a mild hypothermic treatment is of special interest.