title: Epidemiological characteristics of sudden cardiac arrest in schools.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study aimed to clarify the incidence and outcomes of sudden cardiac arrests in schools and the clinically relevant characteristics of individuals who experienced sudden cardiac arrests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We obtained data on sudden cardiac arrests that occurred in schools between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2009 from the database of the Utstein Osaka Project, a population-based observational study on out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Osaka, Japan. The data were analyzed to show the epidemiological features of sudden cardiac arrests in schools in conjunction with prehospital documentation. In total, 44 cases were registered as sudden cardiac arrests in schools during the study period. Of these, 34 cases had nontraumatic cardiac arrests. Twenty-one cases (62%) had pre-existing cardiac diseases and/or collapsed during physical exercise. Twenty-three cases (68%) presented with ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia, with cases of survival 1 month after cardiac arrest and those having favourable neurological outcome (Cerebral Performance Category 1 or 2) being 12 (52%) and 10 (43%), respectively. The incidence of sudden cardiac arrests in students was 0.23 per 100,000 persons per year, ranging from 0.08 in junior high school to 0.64 in high school. The incidence of sudden cardiac arrests in school faculty and staff was 0.51 per 100,000 persons per year, a rate approximately 2 times of that observed in the students.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although sudden cardiac arrests in schools is rare, they majorly occurred in individuals with cardiac diseases and/or during physical exercise and presented as ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia observed initially as cardiac arrhythmia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Acute Medicine, Kinki University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka 589-8511, Japan. Electronic address: paradisepa2@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishiuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Tenri Hospital, 200 Mishimacho, Tenri, Nara 632-8552, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayashino
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Services, Kyoto University School of Public Health, Yoshidahonmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8317, Japan.
authors.forename: Taku
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwami
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Medicine and Population Sciences, Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuhisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine and Public Health, Yoshida Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8315, Japan.
authors.forename: Chika
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nishiyama
authors.affiliation: Health Policy Bureau, Guidance of Medical Service Division, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Government of Japan, 1-2-2 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8916, Japan.
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kajino
authors.affiliation: Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, Osaka Medical College, 2-7 Daigaku-machi, Takatsuki, Osaka 569-0801, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nitta
authors.affiliation: Senri Critical Care Medical Center, Osaka Saiseikai Senri Hospital, 1-1-6 Tsukumodai, Suita, Osaka 565-0862, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Acute Medicine, Kinki University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka 589-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hiraide
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cardiac arrest; Epidemiology; Prevention; Public access defibrillation; Schools