Background-Population-based data for pediatric cardiac arrest are scant and largely from urban areas. TheResuscitation Outcomes Consortium (ROC) Epistry-Cardiac Arrest is a population-based emergency medical services registry of out-of-hospital nontraumatic cardiac arrest (OHCA). This study examined age-stratified incidence and outcomes of pediatric OHCA. We hypothesized that survival to hospital discharge is less frequent from pediatric OHCA than adult OHCA. Methods and Results-This prospective population-based cohort study in 11 US and Canadian ROC sites included persons Ͻ20 years of age who received cardiopulmonary resuscitation or defibrillation by emergency medical service providers and/or received bystander automatic external defibrillator shock or who were pulseless but received no resuscitation by emergency medical services between December 2005 and March 2007. Patients were stratified a priori into 3 age groups: Ͻ1 year (infants; nϭ277), 1 to 11 years (children; nϭ154), and 12 to 19 years (adolescents; nϭ193). The incidence of pediatric OHCA was 8.04 per 100 000 person-years (72.71 in infants, 3.73 in children, and 6.37 in adolescents) versus 126.52 per 100 000 person-years for adults. Survival for all pediatric OHCA was 6.4% (3.3% for infants, 9.1% for children, and 8.9% for adolescents) versus 4.5% for adults (Pϭ0.03). Unadjusted odds ratio for pediatric survival to discharge compared with adults was 0.71 (95% confidence interval, 0.37 to 1.39) for infants, 2.11 (95% confidence interval, 1.21 to 3.66) for children, and 2.04 (95% confidence interval, 1.24 to 3.38) for adolescents. Conclusions-This study demonstrates that the incidence of OHCA in infants approaches that observed in adults but is lower among children and adolescents. Survival to discharge was more common among children and adolescents than infants or adults.

Background Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains a leading cause of death and a 2010 meta-analysis concluded that outcomes have not improved over several decades. However, guidelines have changed to emphasize CPR quality, minimization of interruptions, and standardized post-resuscitation care. We sought to evaluate whether OHCA outcomes have improved over time among agencies participating in the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (ROC) cardiac arrest registry (Epistry) and randomized clinical trials (RCTs). Methods Observational cohort study of 47,148 EMS-treated OHCA cases in Epistry from 139 EMS agencies at 10 ROC sites that participated in at least one RCT between 1/1/2006 and 12/31/2010. We reviewed patient, scene, event characteristics, and outcomes of EMS-treated OHCA over time, including subgroups with initial rhythm of pulseless ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF). Results Mean response interval, median age and male proportion remained similar over time. Unadjusted survival to discharge increased between 2006 and 2010 for treated OHCA (from 8.2% to 10.4%), as well as for subgroups of VT/VF (21.4% to 29.3%) and bystander witnessed VT/VF (23.5% to 30.3%). Compared with 2006, adjusted survival to discharge was significantly higher in 2010 for treated cases (OR = 1.72; 95% CI 1.53, 1.94), VT/VF cases (OR = 1.69; 95% CI 1.45, 1.98) and bystander witnessed VT/VF cases (OR = 1.65; 95% CI 1.36, 2.00). Tests for trend in each subgroup were significant (p < 0.001). Conclusions ROC-wide survival increased significantly between 2006 and 2010. Additional research efforts are warranted to identify specific factors associated with this improvement.

Similarities and differences among EMS systems participating in the ROC network were described. The framework used in this analysis may serve as a template for future EMS research.

Background: Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (BCPR) improves survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), yet BCPR rates remain low. It is unknown whether BCPR delivery disparities exist based on victim gender. We measured BCPR rates by gender in private and public environments, hypothesizing that females would be less likely than males to receive BCPR in public settings, with an associated difference in survival to hospital discharge. Methods and Results: We analyzed data from adult, non-traumatic OHCA events within the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium registry (2011–2015). Using logistic regression, we modeled the likelihood of receiving BCPR by gender, including patient-level variables, stratified by location. A cohort of 19,331 OHCAs were assessed. Mean age was 64±17 years, and 63% (12,225/19,331) were male. Overall, 37% of OHCA victims received bystander CPR. In public locations, 39% (272/694) of females and 45% (1,170/2,600) of males received BCPR (p<0.01), whereas in private settings, 35% (2,198/6,328) of females and 36% (3,364/9,449) of males received BCPR (p=ns). Among public OHCAs, males had significantly increased odds of receiving BCPR compared to females (OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.05–1.53, p=0.01); this was not the case in the private setting (OR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.87–1.01, p=ns). Controlling for site, age, and race, BCPR was significantly associated with survival to hospital discharge (OR:1.69, 95% CI: 1.54–1.85, p<0.01); in this model, males had 29% increased odds of survival compared to females (OR:1.29, 95% CI: 1.17–1.42, p<0.01). Conclusions: Males had an increased likelihood of receiving BCPR compared to females in public. BCPR improved survival to discharge, with greater survival among males compared to females.

No abstract

Among OHCAs with nonshockable initial rhythms, the majority of patients were administered epinephrine >10 minutes after EMS arrival. Each minute delay in epinephrine administration was associated with decreased survival and unfavorable neurological outcomes. EMS agencies should consider strategies to reduce epinephrine administration times in patients with initial nonshockable rhythms.

Aim Outcomes for pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) are poor. Our objective was to determine temporal trends in incidence and mortality for pediatric OHCA. Methods Adjusted incidence and hospital mortality rates of pediatric non-traumatic OHCA patients from 2007-2012 were analyzed using the 9 region Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium - Epidemiological Registry (ROC-Epistry) database. Children were divided into 4 age groups: perinatal (< 3 days), infants (3 days - 1 year), children (1 - 11 years), and adolescents (12 - 19 years). ROC regions were analyzed post-hoc. Results We studied 1,738 children with OHCA. The age- and sex-adjusted incidence rate of OHCA was 8.3 per 100,000 person-years (75.3 for infants vs. 3.7 for children and 6.3 for adolescents, per 100,000 person-years, p<0.001). Incidence rates differed by year (p<0.001) without overall linear trend. Annual survival rates ranged from 6.7-10.2%. Survival was highest in the perinatal (25%) and adolescent (17.3%) groups. Stratified by age group, survival rates over time were unchanged (all p>0.05) but there was a non-significant linear trend (1.3% increase) in infants. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, infants, unwitnessed event, initial rhythm of asystole, and region were associated with worse survival, all p<0.001. Survival by region ranged from 2.6-14.7%. Regions with the highest survival had more cases of EMS-witnessed OHCA, bystander CPR, and increased EMS-defibrillation (all p<0.05). Conclusions Overall incidence and survival of children with OHCA in ROC regions did not significantly change over a recent 5 year period. Regional variation represents an opportunity for further study to improve outcomes.

No abstract