Ask For “Vasopressin” If Heart Stops; Hormone Boosts Cardiac Arrest Survival Rate

If a person could ask for drugs when their heart stops, they might want to ask for a drug called vasopressin, new research suggests. Starting CPR with this drug, instead of the old standard, seems to improve survival for some patients. When the heart stops, powerful drugs are given in an attempt to get the organ running again. Currently, a shot of adrenaline, also called epinephrine, is recommended as the first drug to be given.

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