Comparison on the Efficacy of a Monophasic, Manually Operated Defibrillator to That of a Biphasic Automatic External Defibrillator in the Hospital Setting.

The central purpose of this study is to compare the clinical outcomes of patients who suffered a cardiac arrest while hospitalized at the VA and were resuscitated after biphasic defibrillators were implemented in 2001 to clinical outcomes of patients who suffered cardiac arrest before 2001.

This study will retrospectively collect and analyze clinical data related to the Atlanta VA Medical Center, a member of the National Registry of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, to assess clinical parameters in cardiac arrest survivors.

This study focuses on collecting data retrospectively in regard to cardiac arrest patients to discern what factors are playing a role in patient survival after cardiac arrest. Such data will help hospitals and physicians to improve quality of care in patients at risk for cardiac arrest as well as to implement strategies to reduce such events or improve management of these high-risk patients in order to save lives.