Implementation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation guidelines in elderly care departments across: a survey of 13 hospitals shows wide variability in practice.

Abstract

The United Kingdom Department of Health advises hospitals that they should implement a policy relating to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) that takes account of published guidelines relating to decision making for resuscitation. We wished to see if these guidelines were leading to implementation of a similar policy in different Elderly Care (EC) departments. The acute and rehabilitation wards in 13 hospitals from the South Thames West region. On one day the notes of all in-patients, over 55 years, under the care of an EC physician were reviewed. A CPR decision had been made in 465 (47%) of the 990 in-patients, 379 Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR) orders were made. The percentage of patients in whom a CPR decision had been made varied from 15 to 97% between departments. Implementation of the guidelines for decision making for resuscitation varies greatly across this region of the United Kingdom.