General
rosc
What does rosc mean?
The moment in a cardiac arrest when the patient's own heart starts pumping again after CPR, defib and drugs. Pronounced 'rosk'. The single word every crew wants to say on a working arrest — it doesn't mean they walk out of hospital, but it means you've got something to hand over. Called over the radio so the receiving ED can prep post-arrest care.
"Two rounds of adrenaline, one shock, and we got ROSC at the door."
Origin
Standard resuscitation terminology, formalised in ILCOR/AHA guidelines from the 1990s onward.
Frequently asked questions
What does ROSC mean in medicine?
ROSC stands for Return of Spontaneous Circulation — it means the patient's pulse has come back after cardiac arrest.
How do you use ROSC in a sentence?
"We got ROSC after the third round of CPR and started prepping for transport."
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Vocabulary Flow — saved to your collection.
