resuscitate

Resuscitate is a verb meaning to revive someone who is unconscious or clinically dead or to restore vitality to something that has lost its strength. In medical contexts, resuscitation refers to interventions that restore spontaneous circulation and breathing after cardiac arrest or severe illness. These procedures range from basic life support performed by laypersons to advanced cardiac life support delivered by trained professionals.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is the central technique in many resuscitation efforts. It combines chest compressions to maintain blood flow with ventilation to oxygenate the lungs. In appropriate cases, defibrillation is used to correct certain abnormal heart rhythms. Medical teams may employ airway management, intravenous medications, continuous monitoring, and, when necessary, advanced interventions such as endotracheal intubation, intraosseous access, and mechanical circulatory support, including extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

Historically, modern resuscitation emerged in the mid-20th century, with CPR brought to prominence in the 1960s. Since then, guidelines have been issued by organizations such as the American Heart Association and the European Resuscitation Council and have emphasized high-quality chest compressions, minimization of interruptions, and rapid defibrillation. Public access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) has become widespread in many countries.

Beyond medicine, resuscitation can refer to reviving a declining project, organization, ecosystem, or tradition, often through targeted interventions to restore function or vitality. Ethical considerations include advance directives, do-not-resuscitate orders, and judgments about quality of life and likelihood of meaningful recovery.

Related topics include resuscitation, CPR, defibrillation, and life support.