Table 1.
Study Characteristics
| Studies supporting claims of futility | Studies refuting claims of futility | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of studies | 47 | 45 |
| Clinical setting *: | ||
| ICU§ | 24 (51%) | 16 (36%) |
| Cardiac arrest requiring CPR§ | 23 (49%) | 10 (22%) |
| Pediatric or neonatal patients | 3 (6%) | 7 (16%) |
| Elderly | 1 (2%) | 14 (31%) |
| Cancer patients or BMT§ recipients | 7 (15%) | 7 (16%) |
| Trauma, burns and other surgical setting | 10 (21%) | 16 (36%) |
| Design: | ||
| Retrospective observational | 34 (72%) | 29 (64%) |
| Prospective | 10 (21%) | 11 (24%) |
| Other** | 3 (6%) | 5 (11%) |
*Categories not mutually exclusive or exhaustive
** Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data, studies with both retrospective and prospective elements, meta-analyses, and studies the design of which could not be determined
§ICU: intensive care unit, CPR: cardiopulmonary resuscitation, BMT: bone marrow transplantation