Results of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in adult patients managed in a teaching hospital: clinical outcome and implications.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact and clinical implications of therapeutic strategies for managing sudden cardiac arrest in a teaching hospital.

METHOD

A prospective audit of the results of out-of-hospital and in-hospital cardiac arrest.

RESULTS

Compared with other studies, our results for resuscitation of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were poor, only 5% of patients being discharged. This probably relates to the inability to revert ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation promptly by defibrillation. Improving access to defibrillation at the scene of cardiac arrest could improve the results of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. In contrast, among patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest. In contrast, among patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest, 14% of patients in monitored wards, and 24% of patients in unmonitored wards, were discharged (P less than 0.05). When cardiac arrest is not associated with acute myocardial infarction, survivors require thorough investigation and treatment to prevent recurrence.