Emergency Preservation and Resuscitation
A Statement from the University of Pittsburgh and the Safar Center for Resuscitation Research

June 30, 2005

Research at the Safar Center for Resuscitation Research is focused on topics across the field of resuscitation medicine, particularly those important to the life-saving treatment of victims of trauma, head injury, cardiopulmonary arrest, and shock. The research of the Safar Center benefits victims of conditions such as severe motor vehicle accidents and other forms of civilian trauma, combat casualties, heart attack, and both natural and man-made disasters. The Center has used a “laboratory bench to clinical bedside” approach that is facilitated by scientists and clinicians working closely together. Models ranging from cell culture through to human subject investigation are utilized.

The Center’s recent studies on emergency hypothermia are designed to mimic the scenario of a combat casualty or civilian trauma victim who has experienced an otherwise lethal hemorrhage. Hemorrhage can cause death in a very short span of time; often in a matter of minutes. The research has shown that markedly lowering body temperature with a cold flush solution can preserve the viability of the victim’s vital functions for a significantly longer length of time; in some cases over two hours. The ultimate goal is that this procedure will buy time for surgical repair of the wounds and thus save lives. These novel studies provide the possibility of an important new approach to the resuscitation and treatment of otherwise lethal traumatic injuries. This new approach has been called “Emergency Preservation and Resuscitation with delayed resuscitation” or “applied emergency hypothermia.”

All investigations using animals at the Center are carried out with general anesthesia comparable to the standards used in the treatment of human beings. Rigorous attention is paid to the use of pain medications, national standards for ensuring the general welfare of the animals are adhered to, and there is stringent oversight by the veterinary staff of the University of Pittsburgh.

The University of Pittsburgh assesses on a project-by-project basis ethical issues associated with the use of animals in research and complies with all of the relevant federal laws, regulations and guidelines governing the care and welfare of animal research subjects. The University voluntarily undergoes a regular intensive program review and inspection by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International, the independent, international accrediting body for organizations and institutions involved in animal-based research. In addition, several governmental agencies, including the Department of Defense, the Department of Agriculture and the National Institutes of Health, inspect the University’s animal facilities and review our animal care program to assure the University's adherence to their rigorous standards. All investigators involved in the conduct of animal research studies complete education and training programs directed at minimizing pain and distress to animal subjects.

The University's biomedical research programs have a rich history of improving the human condition through landmark discoveries such as the Salk polio vaccine, organ transplantation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). None of these achievements would have been possible without research employing animal models. All research involving animal subjects performed at the University adheres to the highest standards both scientifically and in the humane treatment of animal subjects.

The Safar Center was initiated as the International Resuscitation Research Center (IRRC) in 1979 by the late Dr. Peter Safar. In the late 1950s, Dr. Safar pioneered the development of the technique of "mouth-to-mouth" resuscitation, and he is generally considered to be the father of modern cardiopulmonary resuscitation--known as CPR. In 1994, Dr. Safar stepped down as director of the IRRC in a desire to transfer leadership to the next generation. Dr. Patrick Kochanek's first act as new director of the IRRC was to rename the facility the Safar Center for Resuscitation Research in honor of its founder. Between 1979 and 2004, this multidisciplinary center trained over 100 physician-scientists and scientists.