Cardiac Arrest One Hour Following Pneumonectomy: Successful Resuscitation and Religation of Right Pulmonary Artery

Introduction This report records the successful resuscitation of a patient who had a cardiac arrest in the postoperative room one hour following the completion of a right pneumonectomy for pulmonary tuberculosis at Olive View Sanatorium, on Nov. 11, 1954. The patient had sudden cessation of all vital signs due to a massive hemorrhage from the right main pulmonary artery and was considered dead. The availability of trained personnel and proper facilities made immediate religation of the pulmonary artery and cardiac resuscitation possible. The patient left the hospital with no neurologic sequelae. Cardiac resuscitation after ventricular fibrillation or cardiac arrest occurring in the operating room is now a well-established procedure, which has been successfully performed on many occasions. In at least two instances successful resuscitation of a patient suffering from ventricular fibrillation outside the operating room has been reported. 2-4 We have been unable to find a similar report of the