Background:

cardiopulmonary-cerebral resuscitation is the set of maneuvers to ensure oxygenation of organs when blood circulation stops. In-hospital cardiopulmonary-cerebral resuscitation is a life-saving intervention.

Objective:

to characterize medical care during cardiopulmonary-cerebral resuscitation in patients with cardiac arrest at the Dr. Gustavo Aldereguía Lima University General Hospital in Cienfuegos.

Method:

a descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out in the five intensive care units of the Emergency Department, from January to June 2020. 152 patients who suffered cardiorespiratory arrest were studied. The variables related to the patient, the symptoms and signs presented by the patients prior to the PCR, as well as vital signs, were studied.

Results:

the average age was 62.66 years, in 54.6% the male sex predominated. Arterial hypertension was the most frequent comorbidity with 60.5%. 32.9% had a length of stay prior to the event of more than 72 hours. In order of frequency, the most prevalent signs or symptoms prior to the PCR event were: bradycardia (32.2%); weak pulses (15.1%); unconsciousness (12.5%) and cyanosis with 10.5%. The service with the highest occurrence was the Clinical Intensive Care Unit. Asystole was the most common initial electrical rhythm (57.9%). In 100% of the cases, advanced airway management was performed with an endotracheal tube. Defibrillation was indicated in 42 patients where 15.1% of these received the first defibrillation in less than 5 minutes. The cause of suspension of resuscitation in 95 of the patients studied was death.

Conclusions:

medical care in the face of cardiorespiratory arrest must continue to be improved, through the improvement of health personnel and the development of organizational actions towards the process of intrahospital cardiopulmonary-cerebral resuscitation.

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