Age as a determinant of cardiopulmonary resuscitation outcome in the coronary care unit

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether age is associated with the outcome of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the coronary care unit (CCU).

Design: Retrospective chart review.

Setting: The coronary care units of two Canadian tertiary care teaching hospitals.

Patients: Two hundred sixty-four coronary care unit patients undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation between January 1, 1985 and June 30, 1992.

Results: There was no significant difference in survival to discharge after CPR between patients less than 70 years of age (17.0%) and patients 70 years of age and older (17.2%) (odds ratio = 0.99; 95% confidence interval = 0.46, 1.80). Patients 70 years of age and older who survived to discharge after CPR had significantly greater lengths of stay (28.1 vs 19.3 days, P = .008).

Conclusions: Age was not associated with a difference in survival to discharge after CPR in the CCU, although a clinically significant difference could not be excluded because of limited power.