Hellenic journal of cardiology : HJC = Hellēnikē kardiologikē epitheōrēsē
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Comparative Study
Nicosia General Hospital cardiac arrest team: first year's practice and outcomes of in-hospital resuscitation.
In 2007, Nicosia General Hospital implemented a resuscitation policy. 378 nurses and 120 doctors were successfully trained in advanced life support (ALS) in order to staff cardiac arrest teams. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of cardiac arrest and resuscitation outcomes in Nicosia General Hospital and assess any associations between the survival rate and the patient's characteristics. We also aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of in-hospital resuscitation in order to detect ways of improvement. ⋯ It is more likely for our patients to survive to discharge if they are less than 60 years old, they are hospitalized in the cardiology department and the initial rhythm is VF/VT. Our outcomes are similar to survival rates in larger studies. However, points of improvement have been identified and interventions need to be made in order to improve documentation and outcomes of in-hospital arrests.