Characteristics and outcome of false cardiac arrests in hospital.

BACKGROUND

Not all hospitalised patients with symptoms of a presumed or threatened cardiac arrest, for whom the rescue team is alerted, eventually suffer a cardiac arrest. This article aims to describe the characteristics and outcome of "false cardiac arrests".

METHODS

All patients hospitalised at Sahlgrenska University Hospital for whom the rescue team was alerted between 1 November 1994 and 15 October 2002 were included.

RESULTS

In all, there were 1538 calls for the rescue team, of which 70% were caused by cardiac arrest, 9% by respiratory arrest and 21% by "other causes". Survival to discharge was 36% among patients with cardiac arrest, 64% among patients with respiratory arrest and 77% among patients with "other reasons for calling" (p<0.0001 for trend). Among survivors, a cerebral performance categories (CPC) score of 1 at hospital discharge was found in 83% of those with a cardiac arrest, 59% with respiratory arrest and 82% with other reasons for calling (NS for trend).

CONCLUSION

Among patients at a Swedish university hospital for whom the rescue team was alerted, about one-third have a "false cardiac arrest". These patients had a survival rate which was about twice that of patients with a "true cardiac arrest". However, among survivors, cerebral function at discharge was similar, regardless of "false" or "true" cardiac arrest.