resuscitation

noun

re·​sus·​ci·​ta·​tion ri-ˌsə-sə-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce resuscitation (audio)
ˌrē-
plural resuscitations
: an act or process of resuscitating someone or something:
a
medical : the act or an instance of reviving someone from apparent death or from unconsciousness
The EMS response times were generally fast in both groups, but successful prehospital resuscitations were not associated with significantly shorter response times than those reported in cases of refractory cardiac arrest.Arthur L. Kellermann et al.
resuscitation techniques differ from other procedures in medicine in that they are usually performed only in critical situations, and thus the opportunities to learn and practice them are inherently limited.Jeffrey P. Burns et al.
see also cardiopulmonary resuscitation
b
: the act or an instance of restoring someone or something to an active or flourishing state
Punk may not be dead, but it certainly could use some resuscitation. And that's where Anthrax comes in.Craig Tomashoff
His resuscitation is evident in the 1982 reissue of his autobiography, "An Artist in America."Grace Glueck

Examples of resuscitation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Arnold’s girlfriend started CPR, but the resuscitation lasted 90 minutes and required nine defibrillator shocks. Theresa Tamkins, NBC News, 7 Oct. 2023 Hamlin lost his pulse on the field and needed to be revived through resuscitation and defibrillation. Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN, 27 July 2023 The family told his doctors to end the resuscitation effort. Maya Miller, ProPublica, 15 Nov. 2023 Anecdotal reports of rescuers using chest compressions appear at the same time tobacco enemas were being used, but physicians of the day did not understand which methods of resuscitation were truly working, and certainly not how. Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza, Discover Magazine, 9 Oct. 2023 The hospital said that video circulating on social media of staff apparently running into the street actually showed a resuscitation team on their way to the building where the teacher was shot. Ahmad Seir and Aleksandar Furtula The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2023 Historically, Hamlin and James wouldn’t have survived a cardiac arrest at all, said Dr. Lance Becker, chair of emergency medicine and a resuscitation researcher at the Northwell Health System in Manhasset, New York. Theresa Tamkins, NBC News, 14 Sep. 2023 Water birth centers are equipped with IVs, oxygen, medication, and infant resuscitation equipment, so if need be, emergency care can be started if transport to the hospital is needed. Bekka Besich, Parents, 3 Sep. 2023 Yet these same physicians struggle to recommend against resuscitation, despite knowing that death is certain and near. Sunita Puri, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'resuscitation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of resuscitation was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near resuscitation

Cite this Entry

“Resuscitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resuscitation. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

resuscitation

noun
re·​sus·​ci·​ta·​tion
ri-ˌsəs-ə-ˈtā-shən
: an act or procedure that attempts to resuscitate
also : the state of being resuscitated compare cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Medical Definition

resuscitation

noun
re·​sus·​ci·​ta·​tion ri-ˌsəs-ə-ˈtā-shən, rē- How to pronounce resuscitation (audio)
: an act of resuscitating or the state of being resuscitated
resuscitation by means of artificial respiration or cardiac massage
see cardiopulmonary resuscitation

More from Merriam-Webster on resuscitation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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