Prognostic factors for survival outcome after in-hospital cardiac arrest: An observational study of the oriental population in Taiwan

BackgroundIn-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) is a catastrophic complication for patients while admitted in a medical institution. The outcome of IHCA remains poor, and understanding of the prognostic factors for survival outcome after IHCA is lacking, specifically in an oriental population.MethodsA retrospective observational cohort study of 382 patients with IHCA who required resuscitation was conducted in an urban tertiary hospital in Taiwan. Return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and survival to hospital discharge were the primary outcome measures.ResultsThe incidence of IHCA was 3.25 per 1000 admissions. These patients had a mean age of 67.2 ± 21.7 years and were mostly men (66.5%). The rate of successful ROSC was 66%, and the rate of survival to hospital discharge was 11.8%. A stepwise decrease in ROSC was observed with additional resuscitation efforts. Independent predictors for survival to hospital discharge were being female, a resuscitation duration of <20 minutes, and no use of epinephrine during resuscitation. A 68% ROSC success rate and an 84% survival to discharge rate was recorded in patients receiving resuscitation for <30 minutes. Young patients seemed the most likely to benefit from longer resuscitation attempts (>30 minutes), as observed in survival to hospital discharge.ConclusionBased on data from a single hospital registry in East Asia, a shorter duration of resuscitation was demonstrated to be a predictor of immediate survival with ROSC and survival to hospital discharge.