Ari Timerman

Prognostic factors of the results of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a cardiology hospital

OBJECTIVEnTo analyze the early and late results of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a cardiology hospital and to try to detect prognostic determinants of both short- and long-term survival.nnnMETHODSnA series of 557 patients who suffered cardiorespiratory arrest (CRA) at the Dante Pazzanese Cardiology Institute over a period of 5 years was analyzed to examine factors predicting successful resuscitation and long-term survival.nnnRESULTSnRessuscitation maneuvers were tried in 536 patients; 281 patients (52.4%) died immediately, and 164 patients (30.6%) survived for than 24 hours. The 87 patients who survived for more than 1 month after CRA were compared with nonsurvivors. Coronary disease, cardiomyopathy, and valvular disease had a better prognosis. Primary arrhythmia occurred in 73.5% of the >1-month survivor group and heart failure occurred in 12.6% of this group. In those patients in whom the initial mechanism of CRA was ventricular fibrillation, 33.3% survived for more than 1 month, but of those with ventricular asystole only 4.3% survived. None of the 10 patients with electromechanical dissociation survived. There was worse prognosis in patients included in the extreme age groups (zero to 10 years and 70 years or more). The best results occurred when the cardiac arrest took place in the catheterization laboratories. The worst results occurred in the intensive care unit and the hemodialysis room.nnnCONCLUSIONnThe results in our series may serve as a helpful guide to physicians with the difficult task of deciding when not to resuscitate or when to stop resuscitation efforts.

Results of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a cardiology hospital

The authors analysed a series of 557 consecutive patients who suffered cardiorespiratory arrest at the Dante Pazzanese Institute of Cardiology (DPIC) during a period of 5 years in order to examine factors predicting successful resuscitation and long-term survival. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) maneuvers were tried in 536 patients, with the following results: 284 patients (53%) died immediately, another 102 (19%) died within the first 24 h after the cardiac arrest and 150 patients (28%) survived more than 24 h. Among these, 65 (12.1%) died in the first month after cardiac arrest and other 29 (5.4%) died after that period. There were 43 late survivors (8%). Thirteen patients (2.4%) were lost to follow-up. After 9 years, the accumulative life expectancy was 8.7%. Coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathy and valvular heart disease were the most frequent underlying diseases. None of the 49 patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease survived. The heart arrest was mostly caused by heart failure (55.8%) and primary arrhythmia (17.2%) in the whole group, whereas the survivor group showed primary arrhythmia in 81.7% and heart failure in 7.3%. In those patients where the initial mechanism of cardiac arrest was ventricular fibrillation, 33.2% survived more than 1 month, while among those on ventricular asystole, only 3.4% survived more than 1 month.

Evolução da função renal na fase aguda do infarto do miocárdio como fator prognóstico de eventos na fase intra-hospitalar e em um ano de seguimento

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the role of renal dysfunction at admission or during hospitalization in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS: Two hundred and seventy-four patients with AMI were assessed between January 2000 and December 2001. Renal function was monitored by serum creatinine (Cr) measurement at admission and peak level during hospitalization. Creatinine clearance (CrCl) was estimated by the Cockcroft-Gault formula. In-hospital and one-year morbidity and mortality were evaluated. RESULTS: Mean age of the population studied was 62.2 ± 13.5, and 73% of the patients were male. Renal function was more reduced in male patients and in those with systemic arterial hypertension and prior CABG. Multivariate analysis showed higher hospital mortality rates associated with increased peak serum Cr levels (OR: 1.18 95% CI:1.18-2.77 p = 0.006), decreased baseline CrCl (OR:0.96 95% CI:0.93-0.99 p = 0.025) and peak CrCl (OR:0.96 95% CI:0.92-0.99 p = 0.023). Percent difference between baseline CrCl and the lowest CrCl obtained during hospitalization also indicated higher mortality rates (OR: 1.04 95% CI: 1.00-1.07 p = 0.033). No change was observed in the one-year morbidity and mortality from worsening of renal function. CONCLUSION: Renal dysfunction at admission and its deterioration during hospitalization have proved to be a major prognostic marker for immediate poor outcome.