Does Intubation Affect Survival Among Patients Experiencing In-Hospital Cardiopulmonary Arrest?

Aim: Cardiopulmonary arrest is an important public health problem that contributes substantially to in-hospital morbidity and mortality. The present study aimed to determine the factors that affect in-hospital mortality and determine whether intubation contributes to survival among patients experiencing in-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest. Material and Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted by examining the event notification forms of all patients with a "Code Blue" call between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2018. Patients who died and those who did not die after intervention were compared concerning age, sex, location and time of the call, and interventions implemented. Patients who received cardiopulmonary resuscitation alone and those who received cardiopulmonary resuscitation + intubation were compared concerning in-hospital mortality; p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: In total, 924 patients were included in the present study. The most frequent calls were made from the wards in the hospital, at a rate of 64.4%. The in-hospital mortality rate was 42.4%. In-hospital mortality rates were significantly higher in the elderly, in those who were given overtime and service calls, and in those who received cardiopulmonary resuscitation or cardiopulmonary resuscitation + intubation. Among patients who received CPR, intubation did not affect survival. Sex, age, time of call, and intervention were significant predictors of in-hospital mortality. Conclusion: Code blue calls occurred primarily in the hospital wards outside of working hours, and improper call rates were high. Moreover, age, location and time of call, and interventions were independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality; intubation did not contribute to survival among patients experiencing in-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest