High survival in out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation--7 years' incidence according to the Utstein template in a small town in Northern Norway.
Core data according to the Utstein template was compiled from all out-of-hospital resuscitations in the city of Bodø, Northern Norway, over 7 years (1992-98). Out of a population of 34,500, 149 resuscitations were attempted. A cardiac aetiology was present in 123 patients and their median age was 72.1 years. Eighteen of the 96 patients having suffered a witnessed arrest of cardiac origin were alive after 1 year (18.8%). Fifteen had the best cerebral performance score (scale 1-5) and three had a score of 2. Survival among all resuscitated patients (149) was 18.8% also, giving a number of 62 attempted resuscitations and 11.2 survivors per 100,000 inhabitants per year, respectively. Thirty-three per cent of witnessed cardiac arrests with ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia survived to discharge, but only 7% with asystole. When the arrest was witnessed, median response time was 5 minutes, and was 3 minutes for the survivors. To our knowledge, this is the highest survival of out-of-hospital arrests in Scandinavia reported so far, and is chiefly explained by short turnout distances.
Hanche-Olsen
T
T
Department of Anaesthesiology, Nordland Central Hospital, Bodø, Norway.
Nielsen
E Waage
EW
D000368:Aged; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000401:mortality* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D013996:Time and Motion Studies