Introduction: After successful out of hospital CPR, patients frequently develop fever after admission and are treated with antibiotics.
The objective of this study was to find objective evidence of infection in these patients.
Methods: The data of all patients that were hospitalized in our institution after out of hospital CPR was collected from electronic database. The bacterial cultures obtained in the first 48 hours were evaluated.
Results: A total of 110 patients were included. Eighty five percent were males, 35% were previously diagnosed with coronary disease. Bacterial cultures were obtained in 52 patients. Thirty seven percent had positive cultures, including contaminants. Of those, 13.5% were blood cultures.
Forty five (41%) of patients survived till the end of the study. There was no correlation between positive cultures and fever, fever and mortality, and positive cultures and mortality.
Conclusions: Bacterial infection is an infrequent cause of early in patients hospitalized after out of hospital CPR. Neither fever, nor positive microbial cultures are related to the patients’ outcome. The empiric antibiotic treatment of such patients should be restricted without proven source of infection.