ICU cardiac arrest circumstances might predict survival (Canada)

The circumstances of cardiac arrest suffered by patients in ICUs may predict their long-term survival rate, according to a study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Researchers with the University of Alberta sought to understand survival rates for people who suffer cardiac arrest in the ICU. They looked at data covering January 2000 to April 2005 from four Alberta hospitals with coronary care units and general ICUs, including survival rates at one and five years as well as short-term rates. The study included 517 patients, with 62% male participants and an average age of 67. Of these, 27% survived to hospital discharge, 24% to one year and 16% to five years.