Cardiac arrest during surgery

FishyBiscuits

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Hi guys,

Quick question for the medics out there - if someone was to go into cardiac arrest during surgery, could they feasibly recover with no additional complications (other than what would be considered normal for their surgery) or would there always be a high chance of brain damage/other lasting effects?

For some context, the patient is a female in her late teens, generally healthy, but has been in a fight and has a large slash wound across her abdomen. She's unconscious before she reaches the hospital (modern facilities, think 2010s USA), being in the later stages of hypovolemic shock (it's a close call that she survives). I kinda want her to go into cardiac arrest during her emergency surgery (for an out of body experience-type of thing, which makes sense in the world of my story), but I don't know if that's realistic so any info/pointers/suggestions would be very welcome.

Also, for my own curiosity, would the heart stopping during surgery count as them being technically 'dead' for a few minutes, or are there other things that need to happen? Just so I don't describe it wrong.

Thanks!
 

WeaselFire

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Quick question for the medics out there - if someone was to go into cardiac arrest during surgery, could they feasibly recover with no additional complications (other than what would be considered normal for their surgery) or would there always be a high chance of brain damage/other lasting effects?

For some context, the patient is a female in her late teens, generally healthy, but has been in a fight and has a large slash wound across her abdomen. She's unconscious before she reaches the hospital (modern facilities, think 2010s USA), being in the later stages of hypovolemic shock (it's a close call that she survives). I kinda want her to go into cardiac arrest during her emergency surgery (for an out of body experience-type of thing, which makes sense in the world of my story), but I don't know if that's realistic so any info/pointers/suggestions would be very welcome.

Also, for my own curiosity, would the heart stopping during surgery count as them being technically 'dead' for a few minutes, or are there other things that need to happen? Just so I don't describe it wrong.

Cardiac arrest is completely possible, due to anesthesia complications, previously unknown heart issues, various underlying conditions and even the issues with shock and trauma. Recovery, since she's already is a normal hospital and not out-patient surgery, is completely believable. Write it as you need it.

Technically, a heart being stopped is not death. A layman might describe it that way though. Out of body experiences and operating table "death" stories abound, Google will find you plenty.

Jeff
 

Siri Kirpal

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My understanding is the brain needs to flat line, as well as the heart, before the medics/physicians in attendance will even think to call it death.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal
 

frimble3

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Right in a hospital, being monitored, is probably the best possible place to have a cardiac arrest.
 

P.K. Torrens

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Hiya :)

The quick answer to your quick question is: yes.

There are some caveats/issues:
Cardiac arrest from hypovolemic shock has a massive associated mortality, so chances are she would be a goner.
If she was to go into cardiac arrest, the most likely time would have been before OR. She would have aggressive resuscitation with fluids before being transferred to OR, but you can fluff this any way you like (e.g. huge bleeding intra-operatively).
Heart stopping (which = cardiac arrest) is not the definition of death. Death is irreversible and is tied to neurological function, not heart function.

I am not sure if you were asking whether or not "out of body experiences" are realistic? If you are, the answer is that they are not, despite what cable TV tells you.

Hope that helps :)
 

FishyBiscuits

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Thanks guys! All very helpful. :)

I've got another question to follow on from this - how long would it take my character to recover from the effects of the blood loss after she leaves hospital? She's almost certainly going to have a blood transfusion, and I'm not sure how this will affect the recovery time. I know she'll be able to leave hospital after 3-4 days or so, but it's the long-term issues I'm trying to work out. How long will it take for her to not feel dizzy/lethargic after walking a bit, for example. And would she possibly need iron supplements, or would the transfusion mean that her levels aren't too bad?

Cheers! :)
 

Siri Kirpal

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I had a tonsillectomy from hell, back in the days when they couldn't cauterize the blood vessels, and the one that was oversize in my case was where they couldn't tie it either.

I did not have a transfusion. I was out of school for two weeks (during which time, I was often dizzy), instead of the usual one week, and had to forego all heavy exercise for a couple of months after that. I don't remember having iron supplements.

A transfusion might have helped. There were issues then, as there are now, with catching lethal bugs from someone else's blood, so my parents were grateful I didn't have to have one.

Hope that helps.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal
 

bwebs

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Cardiac arrest and recovering from it are both believable, wherever works. Dead is when the docs pronounce you dead. It'll take much longer to recover from the abdominal wounds that lost you the blood than the blood loss itself. They put it back in you and it's basically done. How weak/dizzy someone feels is extremely subjective. How tough is she? Out in 3-4 days maybe if nothing important was hit...sure. Real world something like this you'll probably still be feeling it for a month or more. Story world, some mentions of being weak and needing to sit down and you're pretty fine imo. Don't tear those stitches though or you might bleed out again! Do you want her to have iron supplements? sure that's fine.