[Immediate and 1-year survival after cardiopulmonary resuscitation at an intensive care unit]

Eighty consecutive patients requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for cardiorespiratory arrest (CRA) were prospectively studied. The immediate survival rate and the survival rates after 48 hours, at the time of hospital discharge and one year later were evaluated. Forty-one patients (51%) initially recovered from CRA, 20 died in the hospital and 17 (21% of the initial group) survived after one year. Survival was related to: 1) the mechanism of CRA. Ventricular tachycardia-fibrillation (VT-VF) had a better prognosis than asystole (AS) and electromechanical dissociation (EMD) (p less than 0.005). 2) Duration of CPR. The survival was higher when CPR lasted for less than 15 minutes (p less than 0.001). 3) Underlying disease. The classification of the patients in three categories depending on the underlying condition permitted an approach to the prognosis of CPR. Group A: patients who did not benefit from CPR, without survivors at the time of hospital discharge. Group B: patients who had a benefit from CPR, with a 37% survival at the time of hospital discharge and 33% after one year, with a good quality of life and a good neurological status. Group C: patients in whom the benefit of CPR was variable, with a similar survival rate as group B at the time of discharge, but with a reduction to 20% in the subsequent year.