Sudden cardiac death: results of resuscitation begun outside hospital.
A retrospective review was undertaken to determine the influence of the St John Ambulance life support units on the the incidence of sudden cardiac death during a 12 month period in Auckland. In 65 instances subjects who collapsed with either ventricular fibrillation or cardiac arrest were resuscitated and transported alive to a hospital accident and emergency department in the Auckland area. Twenty patients died within 24 hours of admission and a further 14 died in hospital. There were seven late deaths and 24 survivors (37%). Ten patients are asymptomatic and the remainder are troubled by angina or breathlessness. Only three of the surviving patients have suffered severe cerebral damage as a result of their collapse.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000552:Ambulances; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000628:therapy*; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D012151:Resuscitation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*