title: Impact of in or out of office hours at admission time on outcome in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), neurological outcome is determined by the severity of neurological injury, early percutaneous coronary intervention, and application of neuroprotective temperature management. As this is a very time-intensive and manpower-intensive protocol, we hypothesized that there would be a difference in outcome between OHCA patients admitted during and out of office hours.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively collected demographic data of OHCA patients in two hospitals. All patients included were treated at 33°C for 24 h, followed by a rewarming phase until 36.6°C. During office hours were defined as arriving between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays. Neurological outcome at 180 days was assessed following the Cerebral Performance Category scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-seven (31%) patients were admitted during office hours and 105 (69%) out of office hours (P=0.199). Patients admitted during office hours were significantly older, respectively, 66±14 and 59±15 years (P=0.014). There was no significant difference between both groups in the number of patients who underwent coronary angiography, door to angiography time, and number of affected vessels. The median time spent in the target range of PaO2, PaCO2, and lactate was also not significantly different. We found no significant difference in survival until 180 days between both groups (P=0.599), even after adjustment for age (95% confidence interval: 0.44-1.90, hazard ratio: 0.912).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Survival until 180 days between OHCA patients admitted during office hours or out of office hours was not significantly different in two hospitals with a fixed protocol for neuroprotection and 24/7 streamlined access to coronary angiography.
authors.affiliation: aFaculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt bDepartment of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care, Emergency Medicine and Pain Therapy, Genk cDepartment of Cardiology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven dDepartment of Cardiology, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg Genk, Genk, Belgium.
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Genbrugge
authors.forename: Els
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Viaene
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Meex
authors.forename: Katrien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: De Vadder
authors.forename: Ward
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Eertmans
authors.forename: Willem
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Boer
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jans
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Deyne
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dens
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ferdinande
mesh_terms: D039602:After-Hours Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058687:Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome