A Retrospective Study of Physiological Observation-reporting Practices and the Recognition, Response, and Outcomes Following Cardiopulmonary Arrest in a Low-to-middle-income Country

In Sri Lanka, as in most low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs), early warning systems (EWSs) are not in use. Understanding observation-reporting practices and response to deterioration is a necessary step in evaluating the feasibility of EWS implementation in a LMIC setting. This study describes the practices of observation reporting and the recognition and response to presumed cardiopulmonary arrest in a LMIC. This retrospective study was carried out at District General Hospital Monaragala, Sri Lanka. One hundred and fifty adult patients who had cardiac arrests and were reported to a nurse responder were included in the study. Availability of six parameters (excluding mentation) was significantly higher at admission ( < 0.05) than at 24 and 48 h prior to cardiac arrest. Patients had a 49.3% immediate return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and 35.3% survival to hospital discharge. Nearly 48.6% of patients who had ROSC did not receive postarrest intensive care. Intubation was performed in 46 (62.2%) patients who went on to have ROSC compared with 28 (36.8%) with no ROSC ( < 0.05). Defibrillation, performed in eight (10.8%) patients who had ROSC and eight (10.5%) in whom did not, was statistically insignificant ( = 0.995). Observations commonly used to detect deterioration are poorly reported, and reporting practices would need to be improved prior to EWS implementation. These findings reinforce the need for training in acute care and resuscitation skills for health-care teams in LMIC settings as part of a program of improving recognition and response to acute deterioration.