# Steps after a cardiac arrest outside hospital

Care pathway · id `cardio:pathway-out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrest` · Cardiovascular Atlas · release `5dcd9b263fe17744` (public)

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Browse, condition area: Acute care and long-term living  

## In plain language

The steps that two patient pages and one trial describe, from the moment someone collapses to care in hospital. First, recognize the signs and call 9-1-1. Then give CPR and use an AED until help arrives. In hospital, an adult who stays in a coma after the heart is restarted may have their body temperature managed. This is a reading guide built from two US government patient pages and one randomized trial. It gives no guideline recommendation, class or timing.

## Technical summary

Each step cites a claim. Steps 1 and 2 rest on two government patient pages (one is cite-only, so its wording is restated). Step 3 rests on a trial abstract and applies to comatose adults after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest of presumed cardiac or unknown cause. Not a substitute for calling emergency services.

## Connected pages

- The emergency this pathway follows: Sudden cardiac arrest (`cardio:sudden-cardiac-arrest`)
- Step 2 of the pathway: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) (`cardio:cpr`)

## Provenance

Content hash: 345d4db3754c3acb39dfe5f66135d372b3c0f9743b801a971be035a66084e8a6
Last substantive edit: 2026-10-15
Evidence last checked: 2026-10-15