Retrospective review of patients who underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the emergency department during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Cardiopulmonary arrest is the most critical situation intervened in the emergency department. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) involves emergency interventions aimed at maintaining airway patency, respiration, and circulation in the event of the sudden cessation (arrest) of spontaneous breathing and circulation. The demographic characteristics of patients who presented with or experienced arrest in the emergency department at the Adult Emergency Department of Akdeniz University Hospital were retrospectively analyzed for the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods from 2018 to 2022. The aim is to obtain data for subsequent pandemic processes and improve resuscitation success by evaluating specific features such as age, gender, comorbidities, vital signs, initial critical laboratory data (blood gas, lactate, troponin levels, etc.), initial arrest rhythms, return of spontaneous circulation, and subsequent survival status. According to the results of our study, a significant decrease in the number of Chronic Kidney Disease cases was observed during the pandemic. Troponin and BUN elevation were more pronounced in COVID-19 patients. In the COVID-19 period, in-hospital cardiac arrest had a higher rate of Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC), but survival rates were lower. Among the causes of arrest, Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome (MODS)-Sepsis and metabolic reasons were more prevalent during the COVID-19 period, while cardiac, traumatic, and other causes of arrests decreased, and respiratory-related arrest rates remained at similar levels. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in patients experiencing arrests due to MODS (Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome) and sepsis. Elevated troponin levels and an increase in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) are also among the characteristics of patients with arrests during the COVID-19 pandemic. Keywords: COVİD-19, pandemic, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, defibrillation, basic life support, advanced life support, pandemic era resuscitation algorithms, return of spontaneous circulation.