The highest incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest during a circadian period in survivors.
Health care associated with cardiac arrest exhibits a significant economic burden, rather than effectiveness.


OBJECTIVE
The time of the out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) onset during a diurnal period alters the survival chance. Professionally resuscitated patients for witnessed OHCA (n = 495) from the study were prospectively followed for 12 months. The distribution of the onset of cardiac arrest during the 24-hour period was tested in the survivors (the total group, the other groups). In the ultrashort-term survivors (n = 136, follow-up = admission to hospital) the highest incidence was seen between 18:01-22:00 h. The same trend was seen in both the short-term (n = 48, follow-up = discharge from hospital) and the long-term survivors (n = 39, follow-up = 1 year). Furthermore, when the ultrashort-, short-, and long-term survivors were analysed according to indicators of prehospital care (early electrical defibrillation < or =5 min, bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, ambulance response time < or =10 min; locations of arrest; initial cardiac rhythms) an OHCA peak was observed for early defibrillation and ambulance response time (ultrashort-term survivors, 18:01-22:00 h) and/or in the case of OHCA that occurred in a public place (short-term survivors, 18:01-22:00 h). The lowest incidence of cardiac arrest was between 22:01-06:00 h in all groups. The evening incidence of OHCA reflects a higher chance of survival in our study area (East Bohemian region).
Pleskot
Miloslav
M
1st Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague, University Hospital, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
Hazukova
Radka
R
Stritecka
Ing Hana
IH
Cermakova
Eva
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017741:Survivors; D013997:Time Factors