title: Long-term survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess the long-term survival after OHCA.
  
  
  METHODS
  All OHCA-calls where the Copenhagen Mobile Emergency Care Unit (MECU) was involved from 1994 to1998 are included in this study. Data were collected prospectively. Data on long-term survival was obtained from the Danish Causes of Death Registry and the Danish Civil Registration System. We conducted a search to find out whether patients were still alive on 31 January 2005.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Resuscitation was indicated and attempted in 1095 cases and 95 patients (8.7%) survived to discharge. Of these 75% had an initial rhythm of VF, 13% had asystole, 10% had PEA and 2% were unknown. Survival was 87% after one year and survival after 10 years was 46% with a significantly lower survival for patients over 60 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in a physician-staffed emergency system was comparable to survival after myocardial infarction with 46% being alive after ten years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Centre of Head and Orthopaedics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Nana G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Holler
authors.forename: Teit
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mantoni
authors.forename: Søren L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Freddy
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lippert
authors.forename: Lars S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003718:Denmark; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012151:Resuscitation; D015996:Survival Rate