One approach to defining benefit examines the probability of an intervention leading to a desirable outcome. CPR has been prospectively evaluated in a wide variety of clinical situations. Knowledge of the probability of success with CPR could be used to determine its futility. For instance, CPR has been shown to be have a 0% probability of success in the following clinical circumstances:

  • Septic shock
  • Acute stroke
  • Metastatic cancer
  • Severe pneumonia

In other clinical situations, survival from CPR is extremely limited:

One approach to defining benefit examines the probability of an intervention leading to a desirable outcome. CPR has been prospectively evaluated in a wide variety of clinical situations. Knowledge of the probability of success with CPR could be used to determine its futility. For instance, CPR has been shown to be have a 0% probability of success in the following clinical circumstances:

  • Septic shock
  • Acute stroke
  • Metastatic cancer
  • Severe pneumonia

In other clinical situations, survival from CPR is extremely limited:

  • Hypotension (2% survival)
  • Renal failure (3%)
  • AIDS (2%)
  • Homebound lifestyle (4%)
  • Age greater than 70 (4% survival to discharge from hospital)