CARDIOPULMONARY-RESUSCITATION IN THE ELDERLY - BENEFICIAL OR AN EXERCISE IN FUTILITY

Sudden cardiac death is one of the leading causes of death and a major public health problem that particularly affects the elderly. Sudden c ardiac death may be a terminal event after a prolonged debilitating an d painful illness, or it may occur following many years of symptoms re lated to a cardiac disorder; however, in many elderly persons, the car diac arrest may be the first manifestation of cardiac disease in a sup posedly healthy and physically active person. Whether cardiopulmonary resuscitation should be performed in elderly patients who sustain card iac arrest is a significant issue confronting the medical profession a nd the general public. Several questions must be answered when evaluat ing the decision of whether or not to perform cardiopulmonary resuscit ation on an elderly patient.