METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REDUCING CARDIAC LOW PRESSURE STATES

• US 20080097535A1
• Filed: 10/18/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UAB Research Foundation (University of Alabama System)
• Original Assignee: UAB Research Foundation (University of Alabama System)
• Inventors: Walcott, Gregory, Ideker, Raymond E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,101,779 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/6
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products for reducing a risk of pulseless electrical activity (PEA) include detecting a first post-defibrillation blood flow of a subject and detecting a second post-defibrillation blood flow of the subject after the first post-defibrillation blood flow. If the first post-defibrillation blood flow of the subject is above a first threshold value and the second post-defibrillation blood flow is below a second threshold value, a plurality of electrical pulses that reduces a risk of PEA.

Claims

1. A method of reducing a risk of pulseless electrical activity (PEA) comprising:

detecting a first post-defibrillation blood flow of a subject;

detecting a second post-defibrillation blood flow of the subject after the first post-defibrillation blood flow; and

if the first post-defibrillation blood flow of the subject is above a first threshold value and the second post-defibrillation blood flow is below a second threshold value, delivering a plurality of electrical pulses that reduces a risk of PEA.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the blood flow of the subject is below the first threshold value, administering a non-electrical therapy to increase the blood flow of the subject.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the non-electrical therapy includes a drug therapy.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering a defibrillation electrical pulse sufficient to defibrillate the heart of the subject before detecting the first post-defibrillation blood flow of the subject.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a shock profile for the plurality of electrical pulses that is configured to reduce a likelihood of inducing fibrillation.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of electrical pulses are delivered at a time in a cardiac electrical cycle of the heart that reduces the likelihood of inducing fibrillation.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein a magnitude of the shock profile of the plurality of electrical pulses is insufficient to induce fibrillation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first threshold amount is between about 50 and 60 mmHg and the second threshold amount is between about 50 and 60 mmHg.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrical pulses are between about two and six pulses.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of electrical pulses is between about one and ten amps.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrical pulses is delivered at least about five minutes after the defibrillation shock.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeatedly delivering the plurality of electrical pulses.

13. A system for reducing a risk of pulseless electrical activity, the system comprising:

a electrical pulse generator configured to deliver an electrical pulse to the heart of the subject via one or more electrodes;

a controller configured to control the electrical pulse generator; and

a detector configured to detect a first post-defibrillation blood flow of the subject and to detect a second post-defibrillation blood flow of the subject after the first post-defibrillation blood flow;

wherein the controller is configured to deliver a plurality of electrical pulses that reduces a risk of PEA if the first post-defibrillation blood flow of the subject is above a first threshold value and the second post-defibrillation blood flow is below a second threshold value.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to deliver a defibrillation electrical pulse sufficient to defibrillate the heart of the subject before delivering the plurality of electrical pulses.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to select a shock profile for the plurality of electrical pulses that is configured to reduce a likelihood of inducing fibrillation.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to deliver the plurality of electrical pulses at a time in a cardiac electrical cycle of the heart that reduces the likelihood of inducing fibrillation.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein a magnitude of the shock profile of the plurality of electrical pulses is insufficient to induce fibrillation.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the first threshold amount is between about 50 and 60 mmHg and the second threshold amount is between about 50 and 60 mmHg.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of electrical pulses are between about two and six pulses.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of electrical pulses is between about one and ten Amps.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of electrical pulses is administered at least about five minutes after the defibrillation shock.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to repeatedly deliver the plurality of electrical pulses.

23. A computer program product for reducing a risk of pulseless electrical activity (PEA), the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code that detects a first post-defibrillation blood flow of a subject;

computer readable program code that detects a second post-defibrillation blood flow of a subject after the first post-defibrillation blood flow;

computer readable program code that delivers a plurality of electrical pulses that reduces a likelihood of PEA if the first post-defibrillation blood flow of the subject is above a first threshold value and the second post-defibrillation blood flow is below a second threshold value.

24. A method of reducing a risk of pulseless electrical activity (PEA) comprising:

detecting a decrease in blood flow for a heart of a subject post-defibrillation; and

delivering a plurality of electrical pulses having a shock profile configured decrease the risk of pulseless electrical activity and to reduce a likelihood of inducing fibrillation.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the plurality of electrical pulses are delivered at a time in the electrical cardiac cycle to reduce the likelihood of inducing fibrillation.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the plurality of electrical pulses are delivered more than five minutes after defibrillation.

27. A method of reducing a risk of pulseless electrical activity (PEA) comprising:

delivering a defibrillation electrical pulse sufficient to defibrillate a heart of a subject; and

detecting a decrease in the blood flow of the subject;

if the decrease in the blood flow is detected after a threshold time after defibrillation, administering a plurality of electrical pulses after the decrease in the blood flow is detected that reduces a risk of pulseless electrical activity.

28. A method of reducing a risk of pulseless electrical activity (PEA) comprising:

detecting a non-defibrillation related loss of blood flow; and

administering a plurality of electrical pulses after the decrease in the blood flow is detected that reduces a risk of pulseless electrical activity.