The ABCs of recording paediatric cardiac arrests.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the quality and comprehensiveness of documentation in Paediatric 'cardiac arrests'.


METHODS
Retrospective chart review.


METHODS
Tertiary care hospital wards, Paediatric Intensive Care and Accident and Emergency department.


METHODS
41 children experiencing acute life-threatening events in hospital.


RESULTS
Overall documentation of details related to time, place and personnel was highly variable but generally present in over half of the cases reviewed. Data relating to specific drug-related and interventional therapies was insufficient, as was documentation of time intervals and consequent therapeutic decisions.


CONCLUSIONS
Documentation of critical resuscitation episodes in children is below recognised standards and this has potential quality of care and medicolegal implications. Current teaching needs to emphasise this essential aspect of clinical care from the earliest level of training.
Sanghavi
Rekha
R
John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK. rsangh@hotmail.com
Shefler
Alison
A
D000367:Age Factors; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003625:Data Collection; D004282:Documentation / Q000592:standards*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; D008020:Life Support Care / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016019:Survival Analysis; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology