Early stress-dose steroids are of uncertain efficacy in cardiac arrest. The current authors
plan to conduct a prospective, randomized, placebo controlled evaluation of stress-dose
steroids efficacy with repect to early postresuscitation hemodynamics, heart function, brain
perfusion, and inflammatory response in vasopressor-requiring cardiac arrest. Patients will
also be followed for organ dysfunction, potential, steroid-associated complications, and
functional outcome at hospital discharge.