OBJECTIVE To describe the proportion of patients who were discharged from hospital after witnessed cardiac arrest outside hospital in relation to whether a bystander initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation. PATIENTS All patients with witnessed cardiac arrest outside hospital before arrival of the ambulance and in whom cardiopulmonary resuscitation was attempted by the emergency medical servic...

Avulsion of the gallbladder is an uncommon complication after cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It has never been reported before. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is frequently associated with complications such as rib and sternal fractures. Visceral structures are less affected. Abdominal organs might be injured, most frequently due to fractured ribs and/or the sternal bone. We report on a patient ...

OBJECTIVE To assess survival of patients undergoing cerebral cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers and to identify prognostic factors for short-term survival. METHODS Prospective study with patients undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers. RESULTS The study included 150 patients. Spontaneous circulation was re-established in 88 (58%) patients, and 42 (28%) were discharged from ...

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES To describe the epidemiological characteristics of cardiac arrests attended in basic life support units in the Basque Country (Spain) and look for factors associated with failure of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. METHODS We conducted an observational study during 18 months, including all out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation provided by basic life support u...