Table 1 Descriptive characteristics of patients and events (n=383; June 1998 and June 2003). VF ventricular fibrillation, VT ventricular tachycardia, COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Age (mean; 95% CIs)

54 (52.2, 55.6)

Immediate precipitating cause

Gender

 Metabolic

108 (28; 0.24, 0.33)

 Female

149 (39; 0.34, 0.43)

 Cardiac (arrhythmias/ischaemia)

127 (33; 0.29, 0.38)

 Male

234 (61; 0.55,0.65)

 Hypoxia/acute respiratory insufficiency

60 (16; 0.12, 0.2)

 Hypotension

40 (10; 0.08, 0.14)

Reason for admission

 Others (sepsis/unknown)

48 (13; 0.09, 0.16)

 Cardiac

116 (30; 0.25,0.34)

Location where code ran

 Medical (non-cardiac)

198 (52; 0.47, 0.57)

 Intensive care unit

128 (33; 0.28, 0.38)

 Surgical (non-cardiac)

54 (14; 0.10, 0.17)

 Emergency room

70 (18; 0.15, 0.22)

 Trauma

9 (2; 0.0117, 0.04)

 Special care unit

65 (17; 0.13, 0.21)

 Day care procedure

6 (1.6; 0.006, 0.03)

 Coronary care unit

51 (13; 0.10, 0.17)

Pre-existing conditions^a

 Floor

48 (13; 0.09, 0.16)

 Hypertension

163 (43)

 Diagnostic and therapeutic area

11 (3; 0.09, 0.16)

 Ischaemic heart disease

142 (37)

 Operation theatre

5 (1.3; 0.005, 0.03)

 Diabetes

137 (36)

 Recovery room

2 (1; 0.0002, 0.02)

 End-stage diseases

62 (16)

Initial rhythm at time of CPR

 Hyperlipidaemia

45 (12)

 Pulseless electrical activity

191 (50; 0.45, 0.54)

 Chronic renal failure

43 (11)

 Asystole

114 (30; 0.25, 0.34)

 Malignancy

39 (10)

 VF or VT

71 (19; 0.15, 0.23)

 COPD

22 (6)

 Unknown

7 (2; 0.008, 0.04)

 Pulmonary tuberculosis

14 (4)

Event monitored or witnessed or both

 Monitored

323 (84; 0.80, 0.88)

CPR intervention in place at time of arrest^a 

 Unmonitored

60 (16; 0.12, 0.19)

 Intravenous access

358 (94)

Event time intervals (mean; 95% CIs)

 ECG monitoring

291 (76)

 Interval from collapse to CPR start time

2 min (0.12, 4.34)

 Invasive airway

176 (46)

 Interval from collapse to defibrillation

8 min (4.17, 11.47)

 Intra-arterial catheter

85 (22)

 Interval from collapse to advanced airway achieved

11 min (7.53, 13.83)

 Implantable defibrillator

3 (1)

 Interval from collapse to 1st dose of epinephrine

9 min (3.9, 14)

Duration of CPR

≤10 min

169 (44; 0.39, 0.49)

>10 min

214 (56; 0.51, 0.61)