Characterization of cardiac arrest in the emergency department of a Brazilian University Reference Hospital: A prospective study

• Autor(a) principal: Vancini-Campanharo, Cassia Regina [UNIFESP]
• Data de Publicação: 2016
• Outros Autores: Vancini, Rodrigo Luiz, Barbosa de Lira, Claudio Andre, Andrade, Marlia dos Santos [UNIFESP], Lopes, Maria Carolina Barbosa Teixeira [UNIFESP], Okuno, Meiry Fernanda Pinto [UNIFESP], Batista, Ruth Ester Assayag [UNIFESP], Atallah, Álvaro Nagib [UNIFESP], Gois, Aecio Flavio Teixeira de [UNIFESP]
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNIFESP
• Texto Completo: https://repositorio.unifesp.br/handle/11600/56928; http://www.ijmr.org.in/article.asp?issn=0971-5916;year=2016;volume=144;issue=4;spage=552;epage=559;aulast=Vancini-Campanharo
• topic: Cardiac arrest; cardiopulmonary resuscitation; emergency medical services; epidemiology; mortality; survival

Background & objectives: Sudden cardiac arrest (CA) represents one of the greatest challenges for medicine due to the vast number of cases and its social and economic impact. Despite advances in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) techniques, mortality rates have not significantly decreased over decades. This study was undertaken to characterize patients that have suffered CA and to identify factors related to mortality. Methods: This prospective study was conducted at Emergency Department of Sao Paulo Hospital, Brazil. Two hundred and eighty five patients were followed for one year after treatment for CA. The mean age was 66.3 +/- 17.2 yr, and they were predominantly male (55.8%) and Caucasian (71.9%). Mortality rate and factors associated with mortality were the primary and secondary outcome measures. Data were collected using an in-hospital Utstein-style report. A logistic regression analysis was used to determine which variables were related to mortality. Results: Regarding the characteristics of CPR, 76.5 per cent occurred in hospital, respiratory failure was the most common presumed immediate cause of CA (30.8%) and pulseless electrical activity was the most frequent initial rhythm (58.7%). All attempts at CPR utilized chest compressions and ventilation and the most utilized interventions were epinephrine (97.2%) and intubation (68.5%). Of all patients treated, 95.4 per cent died. Patients with pulseless electrical activity had a higher risk of death than those patients with ventricular fibrillation. Interpretation & conclusions: The findings of the study highlighted that the mortality rate among CA patients was high. The variable that best explained mortality was the initial CA rhythm.