Frequency of resuscitation attempts with dying nursing home residents. A full survey in an urban district in Germany based on registry data from 2018–2021

AIM: The realities of emergency care and resuscitation research involving nursing home (NH) residents suggest an overuse of resuscitation attempts in NHs. A complete analysis of all NH resident deaths is needed to provide a complementary perspective of potential underuse. The present research investigated whether residents of different NH homes died at the NH during attempted resuscitation or after transfer to hospital. METHODS: A full survey of resuscitation attempts and deaths among NH residents, via retrospective analysis of data from the death registry and the German Resuscitation Registry for the years 2018 to 2021. RESULTS: Over the 4-year study period, 14,598 individuals died, of whom 3,288 (22.5%) were residents of 31 different NHs. The mean age of the deceased NH residents was 87 years (±8.6); 2,196 (66.8%) were female, 118 (3.6%) underwent a resuscitation attempt, and 58.5% died at the NH. NH averages were as follows: deaths per NH: 106 (±51; min–max: 36–292); number of beds: 102 (±39; 34–210); deaths per bed per year 0.27 (±0.07; 0.15–0.51); resuscitation attempts per 1,000 beds per year: 9.5 (±5.5; 0–21.1); and ratio of futile resuscitation attempts to deaths: 6.0% (0–12.5%). Considering the entire study region before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, a slight underuse of resuscitation attempts with female NH residents emerged. On a facility level, substantial disparities and opposing trends were found. The incidence of deaths and resuscitation attempts, as well as the place of death and the ratio of futile resuscitation attempts to deaths, varied considerably. CONCLUSION: Resuscitation attempts are rarely administered to dying NH residents. However, their frequency varies considerably between NHs.