IHCA Incidence Rates | JACC Deep Dive

In this JACC Deep Dive, Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM, FACC, discusses a new study in the July 8 issue of JACC, authored by Saket Girotra MD, SM, et al. In the study, which links national registry and Medicare data, the authors found striking hospital-level variation in cardiac arrest rates and outcomes—and identified better nurse staffing as a key factor in both preventing arrests and improving survival. Behind the scenes, the manuscript underwent multiple rounds of revision, with close collaboration between editors and authors to strengthen the analysis, add new visualizations, and clarify key takeaways. The study underscores the need to invest in systems and staffing that detect clinical deterioration before it becomes irreversible.