Predictors of survival and neurological outcome after in-hospital cardiac arrest: experience from a tertiary hospital rapid response team

In-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) is a highly severe clinical event associated with high mortality and significant neurological disability among survivors. Data from large international registries report survival-to-hospital-discharge rates ranging between 17% and 25%.1 Most IHCA episodes are preceded by identifiable signs of clinical deterioration hours before the event. In response to this evidence, Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) have been implemented with the aim of initiating resuscitation maneuvers early in the event of cardiac arrest.2 In Spain, published data on IHCA are limited and mainly derived from multicenter registries or studies focused on specific settings. The availability of structured analyses based on Utstein criteria in individual hospitals may provide relevant information on prognostic factors in real-world clinical practice. To address this gap, we conducted a retrospective cohort study including 202 patients between January 2018 and June 2024 at the Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa in Zaragoza. The aim of the present study is to analyze the clinical characteristics of IHCA in a tertiary hospital and to identify factors associated with survival and neurological outcomes following activation of the rapid response team.