Long-term survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
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.
Holler
Nana G
NG
Department of Anaesthesia, Centre of Head and Orthopaedics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Mantoni
Teit
T
Nielsen
Søren L
SL
Lippert
Freddy
F
Rasmussen
Lars S
LS
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