tricular fibrillation, 28% were resuscitated to “permanent
survival.”74 The disparity between these historical reports and
modern data might be explained by a higher level of acuity in
present-day hospitals or different causes of the arrests. In the
cardiac arrest cohort from over 50 years ago, the majority of
patients were undergoing surgery, and they were therefore
healthy enough to attempt an operation. These patients also
benefited from intensive perioperative monitoring.