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Paramedics accurate withholding CPR in traumatic arrest

Paramedics' decisions to withhold resuscitation in traumatic cardiac arrest: accuracy of paramedic assessments compared with autopsy findings
Prehospital Emergency Care · Added 5 May 2026

Retrospective Ontario review testing how paramedics decide to withhold CPR in traumatic cardiac arrest — most no-CPR decisions were based on signs clearly incompatible with life, and post-mortem findings supported paramedic assessment in the large majority of cases.

Study type

Cohort

Design

Retrospective coroner case file review

Participants

90 prehospital traumatic cardiac arrest cases without CPR

Main finding

61% had documented injuries incompatible with life or signs of irreversible death; postmortem confirmed incompatible injuries in 89% of these. Of 35 cases withholding CPR on other grounds, 83% had postmortem injuries making arrest irreversible.

Caveat

Retrospective, single region (Ontario, Canada) with only cases where CPR was withheld and EMS records available

Bottom line

Supports current practice

Learning goal

Strengthen my judgement on withholding resuscitation in traumatic cardiac arrest using signs incompatible with life.

More

• Topic: Cardiac arrest
• Daily scan: 5 May 2026

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