Short and long-term survival following an in-hospital cardiac arrest in a regional hospital cohort

Abstract

IntroductionEvidence about the immediate survival from in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) is well established, however, beyond discharge there is very little describing the long-term outcomes of these patients. Of the few existing studies, all have been conducted in metropolitan centres. Therefore, this study describes survival from IHCA in both the short and long-term in a large regional hospital cohort. MethodA retrospective cohort study was conducted including all adult patients who suffered an IHCA between 1 February 2000 and 31 December 2017 in a large regional (non-metropolitan) hospital in Victoria, Australia. Characteristics of the arrest and patient were sourced from a prospectively collected database that captures all of the arrests occurring in the hospital. Mortality data after discharge were sourced from the state death registry, censored on 31 January 2018. ResultsA total of 629 patients were included in the study. Of these, 357 (57%) survived the event, and 213 (34%) survived to discharge. At one-year post-arrest 27% of the original cohort were still alive. The age of the patient, arrest rhythm, location and duration of resuscitation were all significantly associated with long-term survival. ConclusionBoth short and long-term survival following an IHCA in a regional hospital are similar to previously described rates in metropolitan hospitals. Further research is required on the post-discharge correlates of long-term survival.