title: Characteristics and outcomes of pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by scholastic age category.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is a paucity of data examining nationwide population-based incidences and outcomes of pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The objective of this study is to describe the detailed characteristics of pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by scholastic age category and to evaluate the impact of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation and public access-automated external defibrillators on the 1-month survival and favorable neurological status of pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A nationwide, population-based, observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nationwide emergency medical system in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients aged ≤ 18 yr.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 7,624 pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients (≤ 18 yr old) from a nationwide population-based out-of-hospital cardiac arrest database in Japan from 2005 to 2008 and stratified them into five categories by scholastic age. The overall rates of 1-month survival and favorable neurological outcomes were 11.0% and 5.1%, respectively. Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation resulted in a significant improvement in both 1-month survival (odds ratio 2.81; 95% confidence interval 2.30-3.44) and favorable neurological outcomes (odds ratio 4.55; 95% confidence interval 3.35-6.18). Performing public access-automated external defibrillators had a significant effect on the 1-month survival rate (odds ratio 3.51; 95% confidence interval 1.81-6.81) and favorable neurological outcomes (odds ratio 5.13; 95% confidence interval 2.64-9.96).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated that bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation and public access-automated external defibrillators had a significant impact on the outcomes of pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The improved survival associated with bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation and public access-automated external defibrillators are clinically important and are of major public health importance for school-aged out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.
authors: Department of Public Health, Health Management and Policy, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Nara, Japan. makahane@naramed-u.ac.jp
authors: Manabu
authors: M
authors: Akahane
authors: Seizan
authors: S
authors: Tanabe
authors: Toshio
authors: T
authors: Ogawa
authors: Soichi
authors: S
authors: Koike
authors: Hiromasa
authors: H
authors: Horiguchi
authors: Hideo
authors: H
authors: Yasunaga
authors: Tomoaki
authors: T
authors: Imamura
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D047548:Defibrillators; D004554:Electric Countershock; D005260:Female; D005392:First Aid; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007564:Japan; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D058687:Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D015996:Survival Rate