213 patients who received in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) were studied over a period of five years (1985-89) to determine hospital and long-term survival. The following factors were evaluated in determining outcome: age, ECG on admission, clinical history, year, month, hour of admission. A 5-year survival table was complied for all discharged from hospital. The results showed that age, clinical history, month and hour of admission were not influencing factors; asystole as opposed to ventricular fibrillation was however associated with significantly higher in-hospital mortality (p less than 0.005). Hospital survival was 14.6% with an ascendant range from 1986 to 1989 (p less than 0.05); all the patients were discharged mentally unimpaired with over 50% surviving 1.5 years after discharge and 33% 5 years after. The study shows that the highest cause of cardiac arrest is ischaemic cardiopathy in male patients with an average age of 60 years. Total neurological recovery after CPR was confirmed to be a determinant predictor factor of survival.