Cardiopulmonary resuscitation at a community hospital with a family practice residency.

The cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) experience of a family practice residency program within a community hospital was reviewed for the period of July 1, 1979, to June 30, 1981. CPR was attempted 300 times on 242 patients experiencing cardiopulmonary arrest. The emergency department and operating room were excluded from the study. Successful resuscitation was accomplished in 145 instances (48.3 percent). Short-term survival (survival for greater than 24 hours) occurred in 111 instances (37 percent). Thirty-four (14 percent) of the 242 patients resuscitated survived to be discharged from the hospital. The most common primary diagnosis of the patients experiencing cardiac arrest was coronary heart disease. The length of time of each of the code conditions was determined, and its relationship to overall survival rates was found to be inversely proportional. Advanced age did not adversely affect the final outcome of successful attempts. This study reaffirmed the expectation that consistently good results can be obtained if the physician, staff, and resuscitation team members are properly prepared and clear role delineation exists.