Survival after cardiopulmonary resuscitation for an in-hospital cardiac arrest.

This is a report of the results of a study of all patients who received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for an in-hospital cardiac arrest in a community hospital from July 1983 through June 1984. Out of 121 patients, 46 survived the initial arrest, but only 13 (11 percent) survived to leave the hospital. The patient's age or sex were not predictors of survival to leave the hospital. Patients who were living independently prior to hospitalization had a higher survival rate (19 percent) than homebound (3 percent) or nursing home (3 percent) patients. Patients with acute myocardial infarctions or cardiac arrhythmias had better survival rates (26 percent and 19 percent, respectively) than with other diagnosis (5 percent), but this difference did not reach statistical significance. Patients who survived to leave the hospital did not suffer any mental loss from the arrest. General guidelines for withholding CPR based on the present study and a review of the literature are presented.