Effects of a Rapid Response Team on the Clinical Outcomes of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation of Patients Hospitalized in General Wards

Purpose: This study investigated differences in the clinical outcomes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) of patients hospitalized in general wards according to the operation of a rapid response team.Methods: This retrospective study included 122 patients over the age of 19 who were admitted to general ward of a hospital located in Suwon, between July 1, 2015 and December 31, 2019, and received CPR during the operating hours of the rapid response team. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, the x2 test, Fisher's exact test, and one-way analysis of variance using SPSS for Windows version 25.0.Results: The proportion of nurses who were the initial responders to cardiac arrest was 79.1% during the extended-operation period. 41.2% during the pre-operation period, and 42.2% during the limited-operation period (p<.001). The rate of good neurological recovery at discharge post-CPR was 25.0% in patients who received CPR during the pre-operation period, 36.4% during the limited-operation period, and 87.5% during the extended-operation period (p=.042).Conclusion: This study identified clinical outcomes in patients who received CPR according to the operation status of the rapid response team. These results are expected to help in the further implementation of rapid response teams.