Death following spontaneous recovery from cardiopulmonary arrest in a hospital mortuary: ‘Lazarus phenomenon’ in a case of alleged medical negligence

Maeda, Hitoshi; Fujita, Masaki; Zhu, Bao Li; Yukioka, Hidekazu; Shindo, Mitsuo; Quan, Li; Ishida, Kaori

doi:10.1016/s0379-0738(02)00107-x

Cited by 31 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The small number of reported cases around the world does not, in authors' opinion, reflect fears of legal repercussions, despite what is proved by our above-reported case, which is not unique [6], suggests that the advanced international ACLS algorithms are valid for almost all patients who suffer cardiac arrest. While some cases slip outside the statistical generalisations, this is almost inevitable.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 61%

A new case of Lazarus phenomenon?

Salvia

Guardo

Orrico

et al. 2004

Forensic Science International

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 61%

A new case of Lazarus phenomenon?

Salvia

Guardo

Orrico

et al. 2004

Forensic Science International

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“…It is believed that the condition is grossly under-reported, partly because of fear of legal repercussions [7][8][9]. The implications of even a few reports of autoresuscitation are significant, not only because it can cause dismay and distress to healthcare professionals, bystanders and family, but also because delayed ROSC could lead to questions being asked about whether resuscitation had been conducted properly and whether it was stopped prematurely [10][11][12][13]. Personnel delivering resuscitation should know about the existence of autoresuscitation before being confronted with it [4,14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Autoresuscitation (Lazarus phenomenon) after termination of cardiopulmonary resuscitation - a scoping review

Gordon

Pasquier

Brugger

et al. 2020

Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med

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Background: Autoresuscitation describes the return of spontaneous circulation after termination of resuscitation (TOR) following cardiac arrest (CA). We aimed to identify phenomena that may lead to autoresuscitation and to provide guidance to reduce the likelihood of it occurring. Materials and methods: We conducted a literature search (Google Scholar, MEDLINE, PubMed) and a scoping review according to PRISMA-ScR guidelines of autoresuscitation cases where patients undergoing CPR recovered circulation spontaneously after TOR with the following criteria: 1) CA from any cause; 2) CPR for any length of time; 3) A point was reached when it was felt that the patient had died; 4) Staff declared the patient dead and stood back. No further interventions took place; 5) Later, vital signs were observed. 6) Vital signs were sustained for more than a few seconds, such that staff had to resume active care. Results: Sixty-five patients with ROSC after TOR were identified in 53 articles (1982-2018), 18 (28%) made a full recovery. Conclusions: Almost a third made a full recovery after autoresuscitation. The following reasons for and recommendations to avoid autoresuscitation can be proposed: 1) In asystole with no reversible causes, resuscitation efforts should be continued for at least 20 min; 2) CPR should not be abandoned immediately after unsuccessful defibrillation, as transient asystole can occur after defibrillation; 3) Excessive ventilation during CPR may cause hyperinflation and should be avoided; 4) In refractory CA, resuscitation should not be terminated in the presence of any potentially-treatable cardiac rhythm; 5) After TOR, the casualty should be observed continuously and ECG monitored for at least 10 min.

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“…Due to legal concerns, underreporting of these cases is strongly suspected [3, 5]. Previous reports have tried to associate this phenomenon with various mechanisms or coincidences.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Intraoperative Case of Spontaneous Restoration of Circulation from Asystole: A Case of Lazarus Phenomenon

Ekmektzoglou

Koudouna

Bassiakou

et al. 2012

Case Reports in Emergency Medicine

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This case report refers to a victim of intraoperative cardiac arrest, who restored spontaneous circulation despite of cessation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The victim, a 53-year-old man, was undergoing a surgical investigation and rehabilitation of a thigh hematoma. Two minutes after discontinuation of a 46 min CPR, a normotensive sinus node rhythm appeared at monitor. Despite of lack of an adequate explanation, the authors believe that the combination of the high total dose of adrenaline with the cessation of mechanical ventilation might augment venous return and lead to restoration of spontaneous circulation.

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Death following spontaneous recovery from cardiopulmonary arrest in a hospital mortuary: ‘Lazarus phenomenon’ in a case of alleged medical negligence

Cited by 31 publications

References 18 publications

A new case of Lazarus phenomenon?

A new case of Lazarus phenomenon?

Autoresuscitation (Lazarus phenomenon) after termination of cardiopulmonary resuscitation - a scoping review

An Intraoperative Case of Spontaneous Restoration of Circulation from Asystole: A Case of Lazarus Phenomenon

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