Evaluation of related factors and the outcome in cardiac arrest resuscitation at Thammasat Emergency Department.

OBJECTIVE In the present study, we aimed to define the factors contributing to patient survival after treatment by cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) following cardiac arrest. MATERIAL AND METHOD Retrospective analysis was performed on cardiac arrest patients (n=138) who had CPR in the emergency department (ED) at Thammasat University hospital from 2007-2009. Logistic regression was used to analyze factors that related to the sustained return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) for 20 minutes, survival until discharge, and survival up to 1 month post discharge. RESULTS The sustained ROSC was 22.5%, survival to discharge 5.6%, and survival from discharge to 1 month 3.6%. Significant factors related to sustained ROSC was the location of cardiac arrest, the cause of arrest, shockable rhythm with defibrillation, the time until chest compression, and CPR duration. The factor influencing survival to discharge was chest compression performed within 15 minutes after cardiac arrest (p = 0.048). No factor however could be attributed to survivability up to 1 month following discharge. CONCLUSION Our findings attribute six factors associated to ROSC including the location of arrest, the cause of cardiac arrest, initial cardiac rhythm, shockable rhythm with defibrillation, the time until chest compression and CPR duration. Statistically, resuscitation performed within 15 minutes of cardiac arrest increases the survivability of patients until discharge. However no factors could be related to the percentage of patients surviving up to 1 month post discharge.