DETERMINANTS OF EFFECTIVE CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION PERFORMED BY MEDICAL PERSONNEL

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this paper is an attempt to analyse the determinants of effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performed by medical personnel over a five-year span. Material and methods: An original research questionnaire was used to collect and process data for the purposes of this retrospective observational study. The research sample consisted of 167 patients aged between 16 and 102 who had in-hospital sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Results: The most common causes of SCA in the study group of patients were cardiovascular diseases, and the mechanism of asystole was responsible for half of the recorded sudden cardiac arrests. While performing CPR, chest compressions were the most frequently applied procedure, whereas defibrillation or the Esmarch (jaw-thrust) maneuver were used less often. The effectiveness of resuscitation in almost a half of the cases was unsatisfactory, whereas the average time of performing resuscitation was 27,83 minutes. Pronouncement of death was made with regard to patients on whom resuscitation was performed for the longest time. On the other hand, among patients who were resuscitated for less than 20 minutes, breathing, blood circulation and con¬sciousness were restored, or only breathing and circulation were restored. Conclusions: The main cause of sudden cardiac arrest in the study period were non-shockable heart rhythms, whereas the restoration of spontaneous cir¬culation and breathing was achieved in the cases when resuscitation was performed for less than 20 minutes. The survival rate after successful resuscitation is comparable to the results obtained in other hospitals in Poland and Europe, as well as statistical data from scientific publications.