Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Hadassah Medical Center and The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel. Peroua@mail.hadassah.org.il
Adenosine antagonists may have therapeutic potential in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Aminophylline, a widely available adenosine antagonist, is not included in the Guidelines for Advanced Life Support by the European Resuscitation Council or the American Heart Association. This report addresses a case of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest caused by inferior wall myocardial infarction in which effective circulation was restored subsequent to aminophylline administration, after prolonged conventional resuscitation had resulted in asystole.