The Grim Reality of Cardiac Arrest Survival in Hospitals

Saturday - February 10 2024, 10:04 UTC - 9 months ago

A new study reveals that the probability of surviving and avoiding brain damage after a cardiac arrest in a hospital drops drastically after a certain point without CPR. Previous studies have shown that longer CPR duration decreases chances of survival, but this study provides more specific data. Factors such as age and health conditions were taken into account. The study hopes to improve resuscitation practices and help patients and their families make informed decisions about when to stop CPR.

A new study published by The BMJ today brings to light the harsh realities of surviving and avoiding major brain damage after a cardiac arrest in a hospital. The study, based on data from over 348,000 US adults between 2000 and 2021, reveals that the probability of a patient living and leaving the hospital with good or moderate brain function drops drastically after a certain point of time without CPR.

Cardiac arrest is a medical emergency that occurs when the heart stops beating, cutting off blood flow to vital organs. It is not the same as a heart attack, which is caused by a blockage in a blood vessel that supplies the heart. However, it is just as deadly, with only one in four patients who have a cardiac arrest in hospital surviving to be discharged.

Previous studies have shown that the longer a patient receives CPR for cardiac arrest in a hospital, the lower their chances of survival are. But this new study, which is the largest of its kind, aims to fill the gap in knowledge regarding the ideal duration of CPR before it is considered futile.

The researchers, after analyzing the data, found that the probability of survival and favorable functional outcome (defined as having a good or moderate level of brain function) was highest at one minute of CPR duration, at 22% and 15% respectively. However, these probabilities decreased rapidly with increasing CPR duration and dropped to less than 1% for both outcomes after 39 minutes and 32 minutes of no heartbeat.

The researchers also took into account various factors that could affect the results, such as age, sex, race, and underlying health conditions. They acknowledged that their findings are based on observations and assumptions and that they were not able to account for the severity of the patient's condition or the quality of CPR and post-resuscitation care at each hospital. However, they stress that their study is well-designed and based on the largest dataset of in-hospital cardiac arrests worldwide, making it highly relevant for hospitals looking to improve their resuscitation practices.

In conclusion, the researchers state that this study's findings can provide valuable information for hospital staff, patients, and their relatives to make informed decisions about when to stop or continue CPR. They also hope that these findings can help improve resuscitation practices and ultimately increase the chances of survival for patients experiencing cardiac arrest in a hospital setting.