During a 9-year period 1472 cardiopulmonary resuscitations were analysed. Five-hundred seventy-two were in-hospital and 898 out-of-hospital resuscitations. Of the out-of-hospital resuscitations 495 (55.1%) patients were less than 70 years and 403 (44.9%) older than 70 years. Survival in the former group was 71 (14.3%) in the elderly group 44 (10.9%) (P < 0.1). In the in-hospital population 245 (43%) were below 70 years and 327 patients above 70 years (57%). Seventy patients (28.2%) in the former group and 46 (14.1%) in the latter group survived (P < 0.01). The statistical analysis of the out-of-hospital resuscitations indicates no significant difference in the survival rate of patients younger than 70 years compared to those above 70 years. The survival rate however for patients above 70 years in the in-hospital group was significantly worse, probably attributed to multimorbidity of the older in-hospital patients. The results in our study indicate that old age is not a determinant of prognosis or outcome after CPR.