Routine Use of Sodium Bicarbonate During Hospital Cardiac…

Routine Use of Sodium Bicarbonate During Hospital Cardiac Arrest May Not Improve Survival, Major Study Finds TALMedora Health Desk When a patient's heart suddenly stops inside a hospital, every second matters. Doctors and emergency teams use multiple interventions to restore circulation, including chest compressions, defibrillation, medications, and advanced life support techniques. One treatment that has been commonly used for decades is sodium bicarbonate, a medication intended to correct severe acid buildup in the blood during prolonged cardiac arrest. However, new research published in JAMA suggests that routinely giving sodium bicarbonate during in-hospital cardiac arrest may not provide the benefits many clinicians hoped for. During cardiac arrest, blood flow to organs stops or becomes severely reduced. As oxygen levels fall, the body shifts to emergency metabolic pathways that produce excess acid. This condition, known as metabolic acidosis, can impair organ function and make resuscitation more challenging. Because sodium bicarbonate can neutralize acid, it has long been used during some resuscitation efforts with the belief that it might improve the chances of restoring circulation. Yet despite widespread use, strong evidence supporting this practice has remained limited. Researchers conducted a clinical trial to determine whether sodium bicarbonate improves outcomes in adults experiencin