Cardiac arrest in older adult patients

Purpose of review To describe the epidemiology, prognostication, and treatment of out- and in-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA and IHCA) in elderly patients. Recent findings Elderly patients undergoing cardiac arrest (CA) challenge the appropriateness of attempting cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Current literature suggests that factors traditionally associated with survival to hospital discharge and neurologically intact survival after CA cardiac arrest in general (e.g. presenting ryhthm, bystander CPR, targeted temperature management) may not be similarly favorable in elderly patients. Alternative factors meaningful for outcome in this special population include prearrest functional sta…