Survival in cancer patients undergoing in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation: a meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is thought to be a low-yield intervention in cancer patients. In patients with metastatic disease the procedure is thought to be futile. Comprehensive data on survival to discharge in subsets of cancer patients undergoing in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation, however, are lacking.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the rate of survival to discharge for adult cancer patients undergoing in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation.


METHODS
A systematic search of MEDLINE and our primary sources' references was performed for studies involving in-hospital cardiac arrest, in clearly defined subsets of adult cancer patients, with outcomes that included survival to hospital discharge.


RESULTS
Forty-two studies from 1966-2005, comprising 1707 patients met our minimal inclusion criteria. Overall survival to discharge was 6.2%. Survival in patients with localized disease was 9.5%, and in patients with metastatic disease was 5.6%. Analysis of data reported since 1990 reveals a narrowing of the survival gap, with survival rates in patients with localised disease of 9.1%, and in patients with metastatic disease of 7.8%. Survival in patients resuscitated on the general medical/surgical wards was 10.1%, while survival in patients resuscitated on intensive care units (ICUs) was 2.2%.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall survival of CPR to hospital discharge in cancer patients compares favorably to survival rates in unselected inpatients. Improved outcomes in recent years in patients with metastatic disease are likely to reflect more selective use of CPR in cancer patients, with the sickest patients deselected.
Reisfield
Gary M
GM
Division of Palliative Medicine, Department of Community Health and Family Medicine, University of Florida Health Science Center - Jacksonville, 655 West Eight Street, Jacksonville, FL 32209, United States. gary.reisfield@jax.ufl.edu
Wallace
Susannah Kish
SK
Munsell
Mark F
MF
Webb
Fern J
FJ
Alvarez
Edgar R
ER
Wilson
George R
GR
D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D015996:Survival Rate