The effectiveness of cardiac resuscitations by Cincinnati paramedics was monitored for one year. The outcome of every arrest was assigned to one of four categories: dead on arrival, died in the emergency department, died in the hospital or discharged alive, and each patient was followed until death or discharge from a hospital. Of the 147 people in the study group, 22 left the hospital alive, a long-term success rate of 15%, and another 26 died during hospitalization, 18% of the study population. This data is comparable to success rates reported by other prehospital care systems. Furthermore, this data indicates approximately 15% of people who have cardiac arrests outside of a hospital can survive through prompt intervention by trained personnel.