OBJECTIVES: to describe the use of the Utstein protocol in the assistance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. METHODS:This was a descriptive and exploratory study of 30 cardiopulmonary arrests in the Coronary Care Unit of the Hospital São Paulo from August to December 2003. RESULTS: 56.66% of patients who had cardiopulmonary arrest were male with an average of 64.5 years of age. The pulseless electric activity was the most common presentation. Thirteen patients (43.33%) returned to spontaneous circulation, but only four of these patients remained alive until the ending of the research. CONCLUSIONS: the majority (90%) of patients' medical records had incomplete documentation showing the need to establish a systematic way to document cardiopulmonary arrest. This may improve the quality of documentation and prevent legal and ethical disputes.
Heart Arrest; Nursing assessment
