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Table 1 Indications, locations and reasons for the 146 cardiac arrest team alarms

From: Survival and long-term outcomes following in-hospital cardiac arrest in a Swiss university hospital: a prospective observational study

Indication/ location/ reason

Patients [n (%)]

With life threatening conditions

86 (58.9)

 Cardiac arrest

68 (46.6)

 Acute airway problem

6 (4.1)

 Other life-threatening conditions

12 (8.2)

With non-life-threatening conditions

60 (41.1)

 Syncope

25 (17.1)

 Unspecific deterioration of clinical status

14 (9.6)

 Suspected seizure

8 (5.5)

 Do not attempt resuscitation order

2 (1.4)

 Unintentional activation

11 (7.5)

Locations

 

 Central campus building

107 (73.3)

  Wards

66 (45.2)

  Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory

28 (19.2)

  Emergency Room

11 (7.5)

  Operating Room

2 (1.4)

 Peripheral campus pavilions

31 (21.2)

 Not documented

8 (5.5)

Reason for cardiac arrest team alarmsa

100 (100)

 Ongoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation

49 (49.0)

 Heart rate < 40 bpm or > 140 bpm

16 (16.0)

 Glasgow Coma Scale decrease ≥ 2 points

8 (8.0)

 Blood pressure < 90 mmHg or rise from baseline > 40 mmHg

8 (8.0)

 Respiration rate < 6 bpm or > 35 bpm

8 (8.0)

 Peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) < 90%

4 (4.0)

 Seizure

1 (1.0)

 Seriously worried about patient

3 (3.0)

  1. aCases can accumulate multiple reasons
  2. Only if no objective reason could be defined