Survival to admission after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Seoul, South Korea

PURPOSE: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) data derived according to the Utstein Style guidelines was used to try to determine factors influencing survival to admission (STA) and epidemiological rates of OHCA. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was an observational study of all age groups based on data from prehospital care reports in Seoul, South Korea. The collected data were reported according to the Utstein Style template for OHCA and analyzed in order to compare STA with non-STA. Univariate analysis was conducted using a binomial logistic regression model to identify predictors associated with trauma patients. RESULTS: Eighty-three (4.8%) OHCA survivors were admitted to the emergency department with carotid pulse. The median time from arrest to emergency medical personnel defibrillation was statistically significantly shorter in STA cases (8.0 minutes) than in non-STA cases (12.0 minutes; P<0.001). Factors independently associated with better prognosis in terms of trauma patients were female sex (odds ratio [OR]: 0.67; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.50–0.91; P=0.01), arrest at home (OR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.27–0.49; P<0.001), and witnessed arrest (OR: 2.64; 95% CI: 1.94–3.39; P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Early basic life support, performed by either a layperson or emergency medical personnel, had a positive effect on STA. Male sex, arrest outside of the home, and witnessed arrest are significantly associated with trauma.