Outcomes Of Cardiac Arrests in ICU Patents with COVID-19: A Single Centre Study From Sri Lanka

Abstract

Introduction: Cardiac arrests (CA) in patients with COVID-19 carry poor prognoses in hospital (1). In ICUs, CAs are witnessed arrests and it is a better place to study the clinical details of CA to improve outcomes. This study is to assess the incidence, clinical details, and details related to CAs in a single centre in Sri Lanka. Methodology: A retrospective study was done at a COVID-designated ICU in Base Hospital- Teldeniya, Sri Lanka from the 1st January to the 31st December 2021. All patients who suffered CAs were included in the study. Details related to disease severity, comorbid disease and CA were collected using a Performa and analysed using SPSS software. Results: 202 patients with COVID-19 were admitted to the ICU during the period. 92 patients suffered CAs and out of them, 60 were unexpected. 51.08% were male and 48.91% were female, in the cardiac arrest group. 67% of patients suffered more than two co-morbid diseases. Non-shockable rhythms were the commonest and the commonest cause of CA is hypoxaemia. Out of the 60 patients who suffered unexpected CAs in ICU, only 2 patients survived. Conclusion: Despite having a controlled environment in the ICU, this cohort's outcome of cardiac arrest resuscitation was poor.

Keywords

• cardiac arrest
• covid-19
• cardiopulmonary resuscitation
• intensive care unit