Abstract
Introduction: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a life-saving procedure for patients experiencing cardiac arrest. The success rate of in-hospital arrests varies from 2% to 27% according to different studies. Aim of our study was an investigation on in-hospital cardiac arrest in a tertiary hospital in north-west of Iran.
Methods: We included all in-hospital cardiac arrests over a three-month period of time. Data related to age and sex of patients, cause of hospitalization, length of stay, cause of cardiac arrest, and outcome of CPR has been studied.
Results: Sixty-six patients with cardiac arrest were recorded. Mean age was 62.59 (±20.7) years. Cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases, and lung diseases were the most common causes of hospitalization. The median length of hospitalization prior to arrest was seven days. CPR was initiated within 30 seconds of arrest detection in all cases. The initial cardiac arrest rhythm was asystole in majority of cases (80.3%) followed by ventricular tachycardia in 10.6 % and pulseless electrical activity (PEA) in 9.1% of cases. Five patients could survive to discharge in which two patients had a good neurologic outcome.
Conclusion: This study indicates that in-hospital cardiac arrest has a poor prognosis, with asystole being the most prevalent initial rhythm.