Postdischarge survival and functional status following in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Outcome from cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at community hospitals is seldom reported in the literature. Data regarding long-term functional status of CPR survivors are virtually nonexistent. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all patients receiving CPR during 1989 at a community teaching hospital to determine survival to hospital discharge from CPR. Long-term functional status was determined by contacting primary care physicians in January 1992. We found 24 of 83 (29 percent) patients survived in-hospital CPR and were discharged. Follow-up of these 24 patients showed 13 (54 percent) were alive a mean of 31 months postdischarge with 10 of the 13 (77 percent) reported to be living independently. We believe survival from CPR at community teaching hospitals is comparable to university hospitals. Additionally, patients who survive in-hospital CPR to hospital discharge have a 54 percent chance of being alive a mean of 31 months postdischarge with most being able to live independently. Further work is needed to validate these long-term functional status results.