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Summary Resuscitation methods were applied in 86 patients hospitalized in a medical in-patient service. A short-lasting therapeutic success was observed in 22 patients while 23 patients showed long-term survival. Two of these died in hospital.—Primary ventricular fibrillation was diagnosed in 63 cases. The normal electric excitability of the heart was restored in 55 cases of ventricular fibrillation and in 15 of 22 patients with primary asystolia. In 35 patients a long-lasting asystole was seen after defibrillation which remained uninfluenced in 8 cases.—Attempted resuscitation seems to be successful even in older patients provided they do not show primary asystolia.—Coronary artery disease was the main cause of the cardiac lesions. The chances for successful resuscitation are better in patients with coronary artery disease than in those with other cardiac pathology or in the presence of pulmonary embolism. In patients with a long-lasting effect aftes resuscitation, the following characteristics were more often noted than in those demonstrating short or unsuccessful effce's:a)normal blood urea levels.b)a treatment with antiarrhythmic agents or corticoids prior to cardiac standstill.c)a treatment with antiarrhythmic and digitalis after resuscitation.