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10 Steps To Improve In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
Worldwide, cardiac arrest among hospitalized people of all ages is a high-risk event associated with significant morbidity and mortality. To address a growing need to improve the quality standards for responding to an in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA), the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR)(link opens in new window)(link opens in new window) has identified 10 steps that can lead to better patient outcomes and survival. These steps can be embedded in a system of care that includes: plans and preparations for IHCA, prevention of IHCA when avoidable, implementation of effective resuscitation education and training, the delivery of high-quality guidelines-based resuscitation care, and ongoing evaluation and adjustments for improvements within a culture of person-centered care.
The 10 Steps to improve in-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes and quality of care:
Plan and Prepare
- Build and support governance and infrastructure for a resuscitation program.
- Collect data to measure and improve resuscitation processes and outcomes(link opens in new window).
- Implement effective education(link opens in new window) and training for resuscitation.
Prevent
- Establish patient and family goals of treatment early and reassess often.
- Stop preventable in-hospital cardiac arrest.
Perform
- Develop and deploy an effective resuscitation response system.
- Deliver guideline-based resuscitation care.
- Deliver guideline-based post-cardiac arrest care.
Principles and Culture
- Implement a person-centered culture of excellence in care.
- Ensure the well-being of health care professionals.
Ten Steps Towards Improving In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Resources
Read the full statement for more in-depth detail of how these steps can be implemented.
Take Our Survey: IHCA Needs Assessment
The AHA is eliciting responses from providers from various healthcare institutions to better understand how these best practices are currently being implemented and what resources are needed to support implementing best practices for IHCA care.