Age as a determinant of cardiopulmonary resuscitation outcome in the coronary care unit.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether age is associated with the outcome of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the coronary care unit (CCU).


METHODS
Retrospective chart review.


METHODS
The coronary care units of two Canadian tertiary care teaching hospitals.


METHODS
Two hundred sixty-four coronary care unit patients undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation between January 1, 1985 and June 30, 1992.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference in survival to discharge after CPR between patients less than 70 years of age (17.0%) and patients 70 years of age and older (17.2%) (odds ratio = 0.99; 95% confidence interval = 0.46, 1.80). Patients 70 years of age and older who survived to discharge after CPR had significantly greater lengths of stay (28.1 vs 19.3 days, P = .008).


CONCLUSIONS
Age was not associated with a difference in survival to discharge after CPR in the CCU, although a clinically significant difference could not be excluded because of limited power.
Brymer
C
C
Department of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
Gangbar
E
E
O'Rourke
K
K
Naglie
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003325:Coronary Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000628:therapy; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D010351:Patient Discharge; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000453:epidemiology