Evaluation of factors affecting mortality in cardiac arrest patients in the emergency department: A 5-year study

Aim: To evaluate factors affecting mortality from cardiac arrest (CA) in the emergency department (ED). Material and Methods: Age groups, gender, location of CA, admission day, admission time, comorbidity, number of comorbidities, etiology, cardiac rhythm documented at the time of initiation of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), time interval from collapse to start of CPR, CPR duration, and mortality were evaluated. Results: Of the 1932 patients, 1333 (69%) were male; 1582 (81.9%) patients died. Mortality in males was higher (p<0.05) and it was higher in patients aged 45 to 64 years and those aged 75 years (p<0.001). Mortality was higher in out-of-hospital CA (p<0.001). Mortality was high in patients who with comorbidities and those with more than 3 or 4 comorbidities (p<0.001). Mortality in non-cardiac CA was higher (p<0.001). Mortality was high in patients whose rhythms documented at the time of initiation of CPRs were pulseless electrical activity asystole and were not observed (p<0.001). Mortality was high in patients whose time interval from collapse to the start of CPR duration was longer than 0-5 minutes (p<0.001). Age, male gender, number of comorbidities, out-of-hospital CA, asystole and no observed rhythm documented at the time of initiation of CPR, time interval from collapse to start of CPR and CPR duration above 5 minutes (p<0.001 for all), and non-cardiac etiology (p=0.018) were determined as independent predictors for mortality in logistic regression analysis. Discussion: Evaluation of the factors affecting mortality in CA is important for the survival of CA patients.