Administration of epinephrine during cardiac arrest increases which?

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Multiple Choice

Administration of epinephrine during cardiac arrest increases which?

During cardiac arrest, the priority is to maximize perfusion to the vital organs. Epinephrine works mainly by causing alpha-adrenergic vasoconstriction, which raises systemic vascular resistance and increases diastolic aortic pressure. This boost in diastolic pressure improves coronary and cerebral perfusion pressures during CPR, so more blood reaches the heart muscle and the brain between compressions. While beta-adrenergic effects can increase heart rate and contractility, those benefits are limited when there’s no effective forward flow; the key advantage in arrest is enhanced blood flow to the heart and brain. Oxygen delivery depends on both flow and oxygen content, but the defining impact of epinephrine in this setting is the increased blood flow to these core organs.

During cardiac arrest, the priority is to maximize perfusion to the vital organs. Epinephrine works mainly by causing alpha-adrenergic vasoconstriction, which raises systemic vascular resistance and increases diastolic aortic pressure. This boost in diastolic pressure improves coronary and cerebral perfusion pressures during CPR, so more blood reaches the heart muscle and the brain between compressions. While beta-adrenergic effects can increase heart rate and contractility, those benefits are limited when there’s no effective forward flow; the key advantage in arrest is enhanced blood flow to the heart and brain. Oxygen delivery depends on both flow and oxygen content, but the defining impact of epinephrine in this setting is the increased blood flow to these core organs.

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