As incidence rates remained steady, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates in King County, Wash., improved between 2001 and 2020, according to a study published July 16 in JAMA Cardiology.
Researchers from Seattle-based University of Washington conducted a retrospective analysis of 25,118 individuals who were treated by EMS while experiencing out-of-hospital cardiac arrest during the study period.
Here are five things to know from the analysis:
- Between 2001 and 2020, researchers found no significant increase or decrease in overall incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
- Overall survival to hospital discharge improved from 14.7% between 2001 and 2005 to 18.9% between 2016 and 2020.
- Among shockable, out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, survival increased from 35% between 2001 and 2005 to 47.5% between 2016 and 2020.
- Survival increased from 6.4% to 10.1% among nonshockable, out-of-hospital cardiac arrests between the same time periods.
- Researchers associated the improved survival rates with an increase in bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation and early automated external defibrillator application by non-EMS personnel.
Read the full study here.
