title: Incidence and outcome of in-hospital cardiac arrest in the United Kingdom National Cardiac Arrest Audit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the incidence, characteristics and outcome of adult in-hospital cardiac arrest in the United Kingdom (UK) National Cardiac Arrest Audit database.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospectively defined analysis of the UK National Cardiac Arrest Audit (NCAA) database. 144 acute hospitals contributed data relating to 22,628 patients aged 16 years or over receiving chest compressions and/or defibrillation and attended by a hospital-based resuscitation team in response to a 2222 call. The main outcome measures were incidence of adult in-hospital cardiac arrest and survival to hospital discharge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall incidence of adult in-hospital cardiac arrest was 1.6 per 1000 hospital admissions with a median across hospitals of 1.5 (interquartile range 1.2-2.2). Incidence varied seasonally, peaking in winter. Overall unadjusted survival to hospital discharge was 18.4%. The presenting rhythm was shockable (ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia) in 16.9% and non-shockable (asystole or pulseless electrical activity) in 72.3%; rates of survival to hospital discharge associated with these rhythms were 49.0% and 10.5%, respectively, but varied substantially across hospitals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These first results from the NCAA database describing the current incidence and outcome of adult in-hospital cardiac arrest in UK hospitals will serve as a benchmark from which to assess the future impact of changes in service delivery, organisation and treatment for in-hospital cardiac arrest.
authors.affiliation: Royal United Hospital, Bath BA1 3NG, UK. Electronic address: jerry.nolan@nhs.net.
authors.forename: Jerry P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Nolan
authors.affiliation: Southmead Hospital, Bristol BS10 5NB, UK.
authors.forename: Jasmeet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Soar
authors.affiliation: Centre of Postgraduate Medical Research & Education (CoPMRE), The School of Health & Social Care, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth BH1 3LT, UK.
authors.forename: Gary B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Resuscitation Council (UK), Resuscitation Council (UK), 5th Floor, Tavistock House North, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HR, UK.
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gwinnutt
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre (ICNARC), Napier House High Holborn, London WC1V 6AZ, UK.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Parrott
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre (ICNARC), Napier House High Holborn, London WC1V 6AZ, UK.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Power
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre (ICNARC), Napier House High Holborn, London WC1V 6AZ, UK.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre (ICNARC), Napier House High Holborn, London WC1V 6AZ, UK.
authors.forename: Edel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nixon
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre (ICNARC), Napier House High Holborn, London WC1V 6AZ, UK.
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rowan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000379:methods*; D054869:Clinical Audit; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D017052:Hospital Mortality / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cardiac arrest; Cardiopulmonary resuscitation; Epidemiology; In-hospital cardiac arrest; Outcome