The effect of cardiopulmonary resuscitation duration on survival rates in patients with cardiac arrests due to traffic accidents

Background: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) often results in unfavorable outcomes in trauma patients. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the link between CPR duration and survival rates in patients with cardiac arrests due to traffic accidents.<br /> Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 119 patients with cardiac arrest due to traffic accidents admitted to Rasoul Akram Hospital from April 2022 to April 2023. Data collected included age, sex, time from accident to resuscitation start, resuscitation duration, return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), mortality rates, presence of medical staff witness or monitoring at arrest time, and initial heart rhythm at CPR start. The data were then analyzed using t-test and chi-square test by SPSS 22 software.<br /> Results: The mean age of the patients was 44.62 +/- 20.11 years, with ages ranging from 3 to 88 years. The majority of patients were male (84.9%). ROSC was observed in 30 patients, with an average resuscitation duration of 12.37 +/- 12.73 minutes, which was significantly shorter than the 38.70 +/- 10.54 minutes for other patients (P=0.000). Moreover, ROSC was achieved in 22 out of 106 patients with primary asystole and 8 out of 13 patients with pulseless ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation. Of all patients, 9 (7.5%) survived until hospital discharge, all of whom had undergone CPR for less than 6 minutes. The average CPR duration for survivors until hospital discharge was significantly shorter (4.22 +/- 1.3 minutes) compared to those who achieved ROSC but later succumbed (P<0.001). Only 4 cases (8.5%) without a witness or monitoring and 26 cases (35.6%) with a witness or monitoring regained a pulse following CPR (P<0.001).<br /> Conclusion: It seems that shorter CPR duration correlates with higher ROSC rates. Most benefits of CPR in trauma patients are achieved within the first 6 minutes, and prolonging CPR beyond this offers limited additional advantages.