For people who are more frail or those who are older with other medical conditions, CPR rarely works and often results in a decline in quality of life for those who survive. Rib bones are usually broken due to the vigorous chest compressions, and people often experience brain damage due to the lack of blood to the brain. Those who survive will usually be unresponsive (in a coma) and need to be on a breathing machine for several days. People with cancer, stroke, liver disease, kidney disease, obesity, sepsis or poor functional status are at higher risk of having a poor outcome with CPR.
Age and Percent of patients who survive with good or minimal neurological deficits (Ebell JAMA Intern Med. 2013;173(20):1872-1878):
<70: 12.6% (1 out of 8 people)
70-74: 10.2% (1 out of 10 people)
75-79: 8.6% (1 out of 12 people)
80-84: 7.6% (1 out of 13 people
> 85: 4.5% (1 out of 22 people)
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