Outcomes of In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Are Poor in Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19

Clinicians have struggled to find the best approach to in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) in patients with COVID-19. Viral aerosolization during ventilation and intubation exposes healthcare providers to infection, a risk that would be harder to accept if patients did not benefit from such efforts.

In one U.S. study, investigators at one institution reported on 54 patients with COVID-19 who underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Almost all patients had nonshockable rhythms, usually with pulseless electrical activity; 79% were supported with mechanical ventilation, and 46% were receiving vasopressors at the time of the arrest. Although return of spontaneous circulation was achieved in 54%, none survived to discharge.

In a larger study, …