[Results of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in children].

We retrospectively evaluated the outcome from cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in 149 children of all age groups. Only 7 children experienced ventricular fibrillation. 47 children (31.5%) died immediately. Further 47 children died within 24 hours of their arrest, 24 (16.1%) survived longer than 24 hours after CPR but not until discharge. Only 31 children (20.8%) survived to discharge, 5 with severe neurologic sequelae, attributable to the arrest or resuscitation efforts. Cardiopulmonary arrests in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit carried the worst prognosis. Better results were obtained out-of-hospital, in the OR or on the pediatric floor. Long-term survival rate did not correlate with age, or type of administered catecholamine. None of the children receiving calcium survived. This large study confirms the poor outcome of CPR in children.