The prognosis of patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is poor. Although the number of these patients is increasing as a consequence of emergency medical service improvements, we had no information conceiving the survival rates of patients admitted to ICU after CPR in Korea. The aim of this study was to determine the outcome of these patients.

We retrospectively evaluated all patients admitted to an ICU after CPR at an emergency room of a teaching hospital during the 24 month period from July, 2002 to July, 2004. The demographic and clinical information of each patient were recorded. These included primary diagnosis, total resuscitation time, APACHE II score (acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score) at admission to ICU, ICU days, and hospital days. We analyzed all variables in the database and compared the data of patients who died in hospital with that of those who were discharged.

Thirty-seven patients were admitted to the ICU after CPR in the emergency room, and 14 were discharged alive. APACHE II scores were significantly lower and Glasgow coma scales were significantly higher in survivors.

38% of patients who admitted to ICU after CPR in the emergency room were discharged from hospital alive. We evaluated that the severity scores of patients who receive CPR before ICU admission are important predictors of survival.