Return of Spontaneous Circulation [ROSC]

Return of Spontaneous Circulation. The moment at which a person’s heart restarts and begins pumping blood independently following a cardiac arrest, without the need for ongoing CPR or defibrillation. Achieving ROSC is the immediate goal of resuscitation, but it is only the first step — the period following ROSC (post-resuscitation care) is critical to determining the patient’s longer-term survival and neurological outcome. Many patients require intensive care following ROSC, including targeted temperature management, close monitoring, and treatment of the underlying cause of the arrest.