Bulletin du cancer
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The goal of this study was to determine the effectiveness and potential indications of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in medical cancer patients. A retrospective analysis of the records of patients admitted between November 1985 and January 1992 in the medical ICU of a cancer hospital and having had cardiac arrest was performed. ⋯ CPR was successful in all eight patients in which cardiac arrest was the consequence of an acute cardiovascular drug toxicity, even if cancer was metastatic and treatment intent not curative, while it was effective in only 25% of those in which cardiac arrest was an ultimate complication of various problems, like septic shock or respiratory failure complicating the neoplastic disease. In cancer as in other types of disease, CPR is mainly indicated when cardiac arrest is the consequence of and acute insult.