Table 2.
Single clinical factors and whether they would lead to termination of resuscitation
| Clinical factors | Physicians (n=104) | Nurses (n=204) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Undecided | Yes | Undecided | |
| A will of life stating that the patient does not wish to be resuscitated | 99 (95.2) | 3 (2.9) | 173 (84.8) | 12 (5.9) |
| Asystole for >20 minutes, ongoing ACLS and hyperkalemia (corrected) as the cause of cardiac arrest | 77 (74.0) | 9 (8.7) | 101 (49.5) | 24 (11.8) |
| Witnessed arrest with no bystander CPR within 10 minutes | 24 (23.1) | 8 (7.7) | 31 (15.2) | 29 (14.2) |
| Older than 90 years | 20 (19.2) | 7 (6.7) | 33 (16.2) | 23 (11.3) |
| Cardiac standstill on echocardiography | 19 (18.3) | 17 (16.3) | 40 (19.6) | 39 (19.1) |
| Absence of a pupillary light reflex | 18 (17.3) | 6 (5.8) | 45 (22.1) | 34 (16.7) |
| Known cancer disease | 15 (14.4) | 7 (6.7) | 18 (8.8) | 25 (12.3) |
| Severe hyperkalemia (≥8 mM) | 12 (11.5) | 6 (5.8) | 14 (6.9) | 30 (14.7) |
| End-tidal CO2 <1.33 kPa | 11 (10.6) | 26 (25.0) | 7 (3.4) | 80 (39.2) |
| Prolonged CPR with persistent shockable rhythm | 9 (8.7) | 8 (7.7) | 35 (17.2) | 34 (16.7) |
| Older than 80 years | 6 (5.8) | 5 (4.8) | 7 (3.4) | 20 (9.8) |
| Non-witnessed cardiac arrest | 5 (4.8) | 10 (9.6) | 9 (4.4) | 27 (13.2) |
| Aspiration during resuscitation | 4 (3.8) | 6 (5.8) | 4 (2.0) | 25 (12.3) |
| Hypothermia below 30° | 2 (1.9) | 5 (4.8) | 6 (2.9) | 23 (11.3) |
Notes: Data are reported as number (%).
Abbreviations: ACLS, advanced cardiac life support; CPR, cardiopulmonary resuscitation.