Is there a difference between women and men in characteristics and outcome after in hospital cardiac arrest?
OBJECTIVE
To describe the characteristics and outcome among patients suffering from an in-hospital cardiac arrest in women and men.


METHODS
All patients who suffered an in-hospital cardiac arrest during a 4 year period in Sahlgrenska Hospital Göteborg, Sweden, where the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) team was called, were recorded and described prospectively in terms of characteristics and outcome.


RESULTS
There were 557 patients suffering in-hospital cardiac arrest in whom the CPR-team was alerted. Among them, 217 (39%) were women. Women differed from men having a lower prevalence of earlier myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, renal disease and a higher prevalence of rheumatic disease. In terms of aetiology of the cardiac arrest, 47% men and 48% women were judged to have had a confirmed or possible AMI. More men than women were found in ventricular fibrillation/ventricular tachycardia (VF/VT) (57 vs. 41%; P<0.001), whereas more women were found in pulseless electrical activity (30 vs. 15%; P<0.0001). Cerebral performance categories (CPC)-score at discharge did not differ between men and women. Among women, 36.4% survived to discharge as compared with 38.0% among men (NS). Survival from VF/VT was 64.3% in women and 52.7% in men (NS). When correcting for dissimilarities at baseline, the adjusted odd ratio for being discharged alive from hospital among women as compared with men was 1.66 (95% confidence limit 1.06-2.62; P=0.028).


CONCLUSIONS
Thirty nine percent of patients suffering in-hospital cardiac arrest for whom the CPR-team was alerted, were women. Women were less frequently found in VF/VT than men. After correcting for dissimilarities at baseline, female gender was associated with a small improvement in survival.
Herlitz
J
J
Division of Cardiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, S-413 45 Göteborg, Sweden. johan.herlitz@hjl.gu.se
Rundqvist
S
S
Bång
A
A
Aune
S
S
Lundström
G
G
Ekström
L
L
Lindkvist
J
J
D000368:Aged; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000453:epidemiology