Continuation of CPR on admission to emergency department after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Occurrence, characteristics and outcome.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the occurrence, characteristics and outcome among patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest who required continuation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on admission to the emergency department.


METHODS
all patients in the municipality of Göteborg who suffered out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, were reached by the emergency medical service (EMS) system and in whom CPR was initiated. Period for inclusion in study: 1 Oct. 1980-31 Dec. 1992.


RESULTS
of 334 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, 2,319 (68%) were receiving on-going CPR at the time of admission to hospital. Of these, 137 patients (6%) were hospitalized alive and 28 (1.2%) could be discharged from hospital. Of these patients, 39% had a cerebral performance categories (CPC) score of 1 (no cerebral deficiency), 18% had a CPC score of 2 (moderate cerebral deficiency), 36% had a CPC score of 3 (severe cerebral deficiency) and 7% had a CPC score of 4 (coma) at discharge. Among patients discharged. 76% were alive after 1 year.


CONCLUSIONS
among consecutive patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, CPR was ongoing in 68% of them on admission to hospital. Among these patients, 6% were hospitalized alive and 1.2% were discharged from hospital. Thus, among patients with ongoing CPR on admission to hospital, survivors can be found but they are few in numbers and extensive cerebral damage is frequently present.
Herlitz
J
J
Division of Cardiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden.
Ekström
L
L
Axelsson
A
A
Bång
A
A
Wennerblom
B
B
Waagstein
L
L
Dellborg
M
M
Holmberg
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000379:methods*; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004554:Electric Countershock; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D013548:Sweden; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis