Cardiac arrest is a condition where the heart stops beating, and which leads to death unless treated immediately. Up to 90% of the people with cardiac arrest die. We are studying the best way to treat patients with cardiac arrest.
Specifically, we are conducting a research study in which we compare the use of nitric oxide, a colorless gas to standard of care procedures after people are resuscitated from out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Previous studies have shown that inhaled nitric oxide may reduce heart and brain injury when administered shortly after cardiac arrest. The University of Pittsburgh plans to enroll 130 subjects aged 18 years or older in this study through December 2017. Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) is FDA approved as a treatment for respiratory failure in newborn babies, but is not FDA approved in the patient population that we wish to study. The purpose of the research study is to decide if the use of iNO is better than standard of care. We will also collect some blood and urine samples to look at how the body reacts to iNO versus standard procedures.
The dosage and length of administration planned for this study has been well tolerated in critically ill patients, and adverse events resulting from this treatment are not expected.
Normally, researchers get permission (consent) before a person can be included in a study. A person having a cardiac arrest will not be able to give consent at the time they could be enrolled. Since a cardiac arrest must be treated quickly, there will not be enough time to locate and talk to the person’s legal representative about the study, so the person will be enrolled in the study without his/her legal representative’s consent. This is called “Exception from Informed Consent” (EFIC). Once the representative is located or the patient wakes up, they will be asked to give their permission to continue in the study.
We are asking you to complete this survey to get your opinion on the upcoming study.