The use of cough-CPR in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

A case of a patient with an acute anterior myocardial infarction (MI) and ventricular fibrillation is presented. The patient was resuscitated after cough-cardiopulmonary resuscitation (C-CPR) was administered in the emergency department. The patient received thrombolytic therapy without complication. Cough-CPR is a technique not in widespread use. With the advent of thrombolytic therapy for patients with acute myocardial infarctions, a relative contraindication to thrombolytic therapy is present in patients who receive "standard CPR." The use of cough-CPR in witnessed dysrhythmias can alleviate this problem. Cough-CPR can also reduce the morbidity of resuscitations.