Calcium administration during in-hospital cardiac arrest was associated with significantly lower survival compared to no calcium use (11% vs 33%, p<0.01).
Cohort (n=944)
Yes
Does calcium administration improve survival in adult patients experiencing in-hospital cardiac arrest?
Calcium administration during in-hospital cardiac arrest is associated with significantly decreased survival, reinforcing current guidelines against its routine use.
Absolute Event Rate: 11% vs 33%
p-value: p=<0.01
Abstract Background Current American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines discourage routine use of calcium (Ca) during in-hospital cardiac arrest due to lack of demonstrated benefit and potential harm. We aimed to evaluate Ca use and associated outcomes prior to a quality improvement (QI) intervention at UPMC Central Pennsylvania Hospitals. Methods We retrospectively reviewed electronic medical records of 944 adult patients (≥18 years) who experienced in-hospital cardiac arrest at seven UPMC Central Pennsylvania Hospitals between January 2022 and January 2025. We excluded pregnant females, patients with brain death, those who received chest compressions for less than 2 minutes, trauma patients, and out-of-hospital arrests. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed in Excel, and Chi-squared tests (Social Sciences Statistic, confirmed in R studio) were used to compare outcomes. Results The median patient age was 69.5 years, and 59% were male. Median code duration was 17 minutes (mean 53 minutes). Asystolic rhythm was the initial presentation in 21% of cases, and 42% of arrests occurred at night. The overall survival rate was 28%. Ca was administered in only 8% of cardiac arrests. Patients who did not receive Ca had significantly higher survival rates than those who did (33% vs 11%, p 0.01). Among patients with an initial non-asystolic rhythm, survival was also higher without Ca use (37% vs 16.7%, p 0.01). Conclusions Ca was infrequently used during in-hospital cardiac arrests, and its use was associated with decreased survival in both asystolic and non-asystolic rhythms. These findings support current guidelines discouraging routine Ca use during cardiac arrest and highlight the need for ongoing education regarding evidence-based resuscitation protocols. This abstract is funded by: None
Karim et al. (Fri,) conducted a cohort in In-hospital cardiac arrest (n=944). Calcium administration vs. No calcium administration was evaluated on Survival rate (p=<0.01). Calcium administration during in-hospital cardiac arrest was associated with significantly lower survival compared to no calcium use (11% vs 33%, p<0.01).