Cardiopulmonary resuscitation outcomes of dogs and cats at a veterinary teaching hospital before and after publication of the RECOVER guidelines

• Published in: Journal of small animal practice Vol. 64; no. 4; pp. 270 - 279
• Main Authors: Dazio, V. E. R., Gay, J. M., Hoehne, S. N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.04.2023; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Anesthesia; Animals; Cardiopulmonary resuscitation; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation - methods; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation - veterinary; Cat Diseases - therapy; Cats; CPR; Dog Diseases - therapy; Dogs; Heart Arrest - therapy; Heart Arrest - veterinary; Hospitals, Animal; Hospitals, Teaching; Lifesaving; Retrospective Studies; Teaching hospitals
• ISSN: 0022-4510; 1748-5827
• DOI: 10.1111/jsap.13582

Objectives To describe and compare cardiopulmonary resuscitation outcomes at a Swiss veterinary teaching hospital before and after publication of the Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation guidelines. Materials and Methods Between 2018 and 2020, hospital staff underwent various types of yearly Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation‐based cardiopulmonary resuscitation trainings. Canine and feline cardiopulmonary resuscitation events during that period (post‐Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation) and between 2010 and 2012 (pre‐Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation) were identified and animal, arrest and outcome variables recorded retrospectively. Results Eighty‐one animals were included in the pre‐Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation group and 190 in the post‐Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation group. Twenty‐three percent in the pre‐Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation group and 28% in the post‐Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation group achieved return of spontaneous circulation and 1% and 4% survived to hospital discharge, respectively. Patients undergoing anaesthesia [odds ratio 4.26 (1.76 to 10.27)], elective [odds ratio 5.16 (1.06 to 25.02)] or emergent surgery [odds ratio 3.09 (1.20 to 8.00)], or experiencing cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) due to arrhythmias [odds ratio 4.31 (1.44 to 12.93)] had higher odds of return of spontaneous circulation, while those with unknown cause of CPA [odds ratio 0.25 (0.08 to 0.78)] had lower odds. Undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the post‐Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation period was not statistically significantly associated with return of spontaneous circulation [odds ratio 1.38 (0.68 to 2.79)]. Clinical Significance Unchanged odds of return of spontaneous circulation observed in this study could suggest that once‐yearly cardiopulmonary resuscitation training is insufficient, effects of animal and tertiary referral hospital variables confounded results, guideline benefit is limited, or that compliance during clinical cardiopulmonary resuscitation efforts is too poor for guideline recommendations to have a positive impact.