Intravenous oxygen for cardiac arrest
Official title: Intravenous oxygen for the treatment of cardiac arrest
Funded at Boston Children's Hospital · NIH-11333296 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether tiny oxygen-filled particles given through a vein can quickly raise oxygen levels during cardiac arrest to help people survive and reduce brain injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston Children's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | May 21, 2025 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $859,295 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL178815-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11333296 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people experiencing in-hospital or out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, particularly when conventional ventilation fails to restore oxygen levels.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose cardiac arrest is not driven by severe hypoxemia or who are beyond the time window for effective resuscitation may not receive benefit from this therapy.
What this research studies
If someone has cardiac arrest, researchers are developing tiny oxygen-filled particles that can be injected into a vein to deliver oxygen directly into the bloodstream. The particles are pH-sensitive polymer microbubbles that hold a high concentration of oxygen and are designed to dissolve safely after releasing their gas. In realistic pig models of asphyxia cardiac arrest, small doses of these microbubbles improved oxygenation during resuscitation, and the team will refine dosing and safety. The goal is to advance the approach toward use in hospitals and emergency care for people who cannot be oxygenated by standard methods.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could rapidly boost oxygen during cardiac arrest, improving chances of survival and reducing neurologic damage.
How similar studies have gone: This is a novel delivery method: preclinical animal studies (swine) showed improved oxygenation with these microbubbles, but human use remains largely untested.
Where this research is happening
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Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Peng, Yifeng — Boston Children's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Peng, Yifeng
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Multi-center study on how ventilation during CPR relates to cardiac arrest outcomes
A large, real-world study will look at how ventilation during CPR affects survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in adults.
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Specialized post-arrest care after cardiac arrest
A large, nationwide effort tests whether transferring cardiac arrest patients to a specialized post-arrest care center improves recovery compared with usual care.
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Reduce bias in predicting brain recovery after cardiac arrest
This project aims to make brain-recovery predictions more accurate for people who survive cardiac arrest by comparing outcomes between the United States and Brazil.
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Fairer brain recovery predictions after cardiac arrest through U.S.–Brazil collaboration
This project aims to find better ways to predict brain recovery for people who survive cardiac arrest but have possible brain injury.
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Improving predictions of brain recovery after cardiac arrest
This project compares outcomes after cardiac arrest in the U.S. and Brazil to learn which tests best predict who will regain brain function for people who survive cardiac arrest.
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Reducing biased predictions of brain recovery after cardiac arrest
This project looks at cardiac arrest survivors in the US and Brazil to find more accurate ways to predict brain recovery and avoid premature stopping of life support.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.