Enhancing post–cardiac arrest care for dogs and cats: a veterinary technician’s guide to the RECOVER Initiative

Cardiopulmonary arrest, the acute cessation of ventilation and perfusion, can result from various clinical conditions in veterinary patients. Advances in CPR have improved the return of spontaneous circulation rates, but most patients rearrest within 24 hours, known as the post-cardiac arrest period. Ideal postresuscitation care, as seen in human medicine, reduces morbidity and mortality by focusing on cardiopulmonary stabilization, identifying the cause of cardiopulmonary arrest, neuroprotection, and preventing recurrence. In this narrative review, we will look at how care has evolved prior to and within the Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation guidelines while providing a clinical overview of the post-cardiac arrest period.