Abstract 244: Ethnic Differences among Middle Eastern Arabs and South Asians with In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A 20-Year Experience From a Middle-Eastern Country (1991-2010)

Abstract

Objectives: Most of the published research on in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) is limited to studies in the developed world and included mainly Caucasian and African-American patients. The world literature on the clinical epidemiology of IHCA in other ethnic groups is very scarce. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical characteristics, risk profiles and outcome of Middle Eastern Arabs compared to South Asians patients with IHCA using a 20-year national cardiology registry in a Middle-Eastern Country. Methods: Retrospective analysis of all patients that developed IHCA in Qatar from 1991 through 2010 was made. Patients were compared according to ethnicity. Clinical characteristics, management and outcomes were analyzed. Results: During the 20-years period 41,436 patients were hospitalized to the cardiology service in Qatar from 1991 to end of 2010. Of these 22755 were Arabs and 13905 South Asians. The remaining patients were from many other ethnicities and were excluded for the purpose of this study. Of the 2 study groups 1529 patients developed IHCA during hospitalization; 1079 Arabs (4.7%) and 450 South Asians (3.2%), p = 0.001. Arabs with IHCA were 13 years older and had a higher body mass index compared to Asians. Arabs had significantly higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic renal impairment and prior myocardial infarction while current smoking status and acute coronary syndromes were significantly more common in Asians. The in-hospital mortality rate was significantly higher in Arabs with IHCA compared to Asians (82.8% versus 78%; p=003) [table]. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that Arabs have a higher incidence of IHCA compared to South Asians and that this is associated with a lower in-hospital survival rates and a higher cardiovascular risk profiles in Arabs. The current study underscores the need to study IHCA among various ethnicities around the world.