Gender differences in patients with out of hospital cardiac arrest – A middle eastern perspective

Abstract

To compare the clinical characteristics, treatment and outcome in patients hospitalized following out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) according to gender. Retrospective analysis of a registry of patients hospitalized with OHCA over a 20-year period (1991–2010) in Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar. Out of 987 patients admitted with OHCA, 269 patients were female (27.3%). Compared to males, females were older (61 + 14 vs 55 + 15 years; p = 0.001), more likely to have diabetes (62.1% vs 35.5%; p = 0.001), hypertension (63.9% vs 34.7%; p = 0.001), chronic renal failure (12.3% vs 5.6%; p = 0.001) and BMI > 30 (41.2% vs 23.9%; p = 0.02) and less likely to be smokers (1.9% vs 26.6%; p = 0.001). There was a lower incidence of STEMI in the female patients (13.8% vs 36.1%; p = 0.001) with no significant difference in the LV ejection fraction (35 ± 13 vs 34.5 ± 13; p = 0.81). They were less likely to be treated with antithrombotic medications (heparin/LMWH: 27.9% vs 35.9%; p = 0.02; ASA: 47.2% vs 55.8%; p = 0.02; thrombolysis: 4.8% vs 17.3%; p = 0.001), PCI (5.2% vs 13%; p = 0.001) and IABP support (0.7% vs 4.7%; p = 0.003). In hospital mortality was higher in the female group (65.4% vs 57.7%; p = 0.03). There are significant differences in clinical characteristics, treatment and outcome in patients admitted with OHCA between male and female patients in our database registry.