Research in human resuscitation: what we learn from animals

Aim: It was not until the 18th century that scientists throughout Europe established humane societies to develop resuscitation techniques and to keep registries of successful and unsuccessful cases. Since then, the science and art of cardiopulmonary resuscitation have flourished, multiple international organizations were found, and guidelines are proposed every 5 years in an everlasting attempt to improve the outcome of cardiac arrest victims. The aim of this article is to present the role of animal models in resuscitation research. Methods: A comprehensive search in PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases was performed. Results: Mice, rats, and swine have been established as experimental models for conducting resuscitation research. The choice of the animal model is not a simple task, as there are multiple parameters that have to be considered when designing an experiment. Conclusion: Animal models are used extensively in resuscitation research and possess a central role in the effort towards a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms. However, experimental results should always be cautiously extrapolated in humans.