Cardiac arrest & resuscitation
Why do patients develop in-hospital cardiac arrest? A prospective clinical observational study (WHY-IHCA)
Authors' conclusion
The predominant aetiologies of IHCA are pulmonary and cardiac. A protocolised investigation, including post-mortem investigations, aided in disclosing IHCA aetiologies. Presumed causes are often unknown and often differ from expert panel causes.
Study context
- Population
- Adult in-hospital cardiac arrest patients, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
- Participants
- 150 patients
- Exposure
- Return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) vs No ROSC
- ROSCn = 71
- Outcome
- In-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) aetiology determined by a four-person expert panel using pre-defined main- and subcategories
Methodological detailssingle-centre
- Single-centre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
IHCA aetiology (expert panel; between-expert ranges)
- Cardiac
- 29 % (27-29 %)
- Pulmonary
- 30 % (25-32 %)
- Myocardial ischaemia (subcategory)
- 11 % (10-15 %)
- Hypoxia (subcategory)
- 21 % (14-23 %)
- Unknown
- 7 % (0-14 %)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Secondary outcomes
Presumed cause (cardiac arrest team leaders)
- Presumed cause unknown
- 26 %
- Agreement presumed vs expert panel causes low (Kappa across experts)
- 0.16-0.42
Original publication
Why do patients develop in-hospital cardiac arrest? A prospective clinical observational study (WHY-IHCA). Resuscitation. Published 21 August 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →