Final answer:
Cardiac arrest patients can be treated with CPR, the use of AEDs, in-hospital defibrillation, and controlled hypothermia. These treatments are designed to manage the emergency and maintain vital blood flow or to restart the heart.
Step-by-step explanation:
For patients experiencing cardiac arrest, there are various routes of administration for treatment and medication. One immediate intervention is cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), which involves manual chest compressions to maintain a semblance of blood flow, especially to critical organs like the brain. Moreover, it's not uncommon for ambulances and many public venues to have automated external defibrillators (AEDs), which can diagnose a patient's heart rhythm and apply an electrical shock to attempt to restore a normal heartbeat.
In more clinical settings, such as during open-heart surgery, a defibrillator can be applied directly to the heart muscle, using calculated voltage based on the resistance in the path of the current. Additionally, in the emergency department, controlled hypothermia can be induced to slow the patient's metabolic rate and reduce the heart's workload, aiding in the recovery process.
These interventions are critical in managing cardiac arrests and saving lives. They are part of a suite of emergency medical techniques used to extend the window within which more advanced medical care can be administered.