Systems, devices and methods for resuscitation

1. A method of resuscitating a patient consisting:

accessing an arterial vessel;

positioning a catheter into the arterial vessel;

advancing the catheter through the arterial vessel to position it below a vessel supplying blood to a heart and a brain;

providing a flow of infused blood through the catheter;

increasing a resistance of fluid flow at a distal end of the catheter such that the flow of infused blood expands an expandable portion of the catheter to prevent arterial blood from flowing past the expanded portion in the arterial vessel; and

reducing the resistance of fluid flow at the distal end of the catheter such that the infused blood exits the distal end of the catheter and the arterial vessel between the heart and the expandable portion of the catheter.

2. The method of claim 1 where the accessing the arterial vessel involves identifying the location of the arterial vessel by a technique selected from the group consisting of: a) feeling for a pulse and inserting the access device at the pulse; b) using ultrasound; c) using an electric field; d) using a magnetic field disturbance; and e) using tissue density differences.

3. The method of claim 1 where positioning the catheter further comprises:

placing a needle through the skin and overlying tissue into the arterial vessel;

placing a wire through the needle; and

placing the catheter over the needle or over the wire after removing the needle.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the position below the vessel supplying blood to the heart and the brain by a technique selected from the group consisting of: a) determining the distance from the access site to a desired position external to the patient and advancing the catheter to said predetermined distance; b) using xray to place the catheter into appropriate position and to verify that the catheter is in appropriate position; c) detecting a signal from the catheter using a modality selected from the group consisting of light, sound, ultrasonic, heat, cold, and electromagnetic energy to determine placement position.

5. The method of claim 1 where the expandable portion of the catheter comprises a device selected from the group consisting of a) a balloon catheter; b) a catheter with an umbrella structure; c) a catheter having a mechanically expanding spheroid.

6. The method of claim 1 where providing the flow of infused blood through the catheter comprises additionally infusing a substance selected from the group comprising an oxygen carrier such as a perflourocarbon, calcium substance, EDTA, a saline fluid, a cooling fluid and a warming fluid.

7. The method of claim 1 where the flow is continuous.

8. The method of claim 1 where the flow is pulsatile.

9. The method of claim 1 where the flow is at a rate and or pressure sufficient to close the aortic valve.