The drug was added to the American Heart Association's advanced life support guidelines last September. It's supposed to significantly improve your chances of surviving cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest kills 1,000 Americans each day. It's one of the most critical calls an advanced life support team can handle, but now some have a new weapon to revive a dying patient. The drug amiodorone, brand name Cordorone, could be the life saver they've been looking for.
Lidocaine treatment is the old standard.
Now this new drug is available, but FDNY rescue units still do not carry it. 911 sends the closest ambulance, public or private, and right now, only private ambulances have the new drug. Metro Care invited us to ride with one of their advanced life support teams. It's obvious that time is of the essence when responding to a cardiac arrest case, and that's where the new drug is also a time saver. Cordorone needs to be administered only once while trying to revive a patient.