Criteria for cessation of CPR in the emergency department.

Specific criteria have been proposed for the cessation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the emergency department. Using these criteria and others, we developed a survey which was completed by 78 physicians practicing emergency medicine. The physicians surveyed did not make decisions to cease CPR that were consistent with any such criteria which might guide them in clinical decision making. In this survey, the type of residency training, the size of city in which the physician practiced, and the number of years an individual had practiced emergency medicine significantly correlated with how he made the decision to cease CPR. Based on a review of the current literature, and due to the fact that considerable and variable ethical and psychological factors weigh in each clinical circumstance, the authors recommend that no criteria be followed for ceasing CPR.