Diagnóstico e tratamento de parada cardiorrespiratória: avaliação do conhecimento teórico de médicos em hospital geral ORIGINAL ARTICLE INTRODUCTION Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are worldwide main cause of death, with an incidence rate similar to all cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, accidents and diabetes combined deaths. (1-3) Brazilian cardiovascular mortality rate is even worse. Data from the World Health Organization point to 341 cardiovascular deaths per 100,000 Brazilians in 2004, corresponding in the same period to more than twice the number of deaths for cancer in Brazil, and almost three times the CVD death rate in the United States. (4) About one half of all CVD deaths are sudden deaths. (5,6) The incidence of sudden cardiac death in the United States is about 55 per 100,000 inhabitants, representing 5.6% of the yearly deaths, and is a serious public health issue. (7) Less than 15% of the extra-hospital cardiorespiratory arrest