Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in children in Norway: A national cohort study, 2016-2021.

Aim: Children constitute an important and distinct subgroup of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients. This population-based cohort study aims to establish current age-specific population incidence, precipitating causes, circumstances, and outcome of paediatric OHCA, to guide a focused approach to prevention and intervention to improve outcomes. Methods: Data from the national Norwegian Cardiac Arrest Registry was extracted for the six-year period 2016-21 for persons aged <18 years. We present descriptive statistics for the population, resuscitation events, presumed causes, treatment, and outcomes, alongside age-specific incidence and total paediatric mortality rates. Results: Three hundred and eight children were included. The incidence of OHCA was 4.6 per 100 000 child-years and markedly higher in children <1 year at 20.9 child-years. Leading causes were choking, cardiac and respiratory disease, and sudden infant death syndrome. Overall, 21% survived to 30 days and 18% to one year. Conclusion: A registry-based approach enabled this study to delineate the characteristics and trajectories of OHCA events in a national cohort of children. Precipitating causes of paediatric OHCA are diverse compared to adults. Infants aged <1 year are at particularly high risk. Mortality is high, albeit lower than for adults in Norway. A rational community approach to prevention and treatment may focus on general infant care, immediate first aid by caretakers, and identification of vulnerable children by primary health providers. Cardiac arrest registries are a key source of knowledge essential for quality improvement and research into cardiac arrest in childhood.

[Resuscitation Update - What's New?] / Update Reanimation ­ was gibt es Neues?

Perfect, uninterrupted basic life support (BLS) is the key for successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Time plays an important role in the treatment of OHCA. This applies both to the time until the start of BLS and the reduction of all pauses during resuscitation, especially chest compressions. In 2022, the rate of bystander-CPR showed an absolute increase of 4% compared to previous years. The bystander-CPR rate is currently above 50%. Compared to OHCA in adults, cardiac arrest in children is rare in Germany. In the period from 2007 to 2021, the incidence was 3.08 per 100000 children. In addition, the etiology in children varies depending on the age group. While hypoxia is often the cause of circulatory arrest in younger children, trauma and drowning accidents are the main causes in school-age children. Different additional diagnostic and therapeutic strategies have been evaluated over the last years. Point-of-care ultrasound during resuscitation should only be performed by experienced users. Interrupting chest compressions and thus prolonging the no-flow phases must be avoided. Double sequential external defibrillation after the third shock can successfully terminate refractory ventricular fibrillation. While further studies are needed, emergency medical systems should train their teams to avoid complications. In refractory OHCA, extracorporeal CPR should be considered. In the case of in-hospital cannulation, immediate transport should be weighed against impaired chest compression quality. Therefore, transportation under CPR is only beneficial if there is an indication for further treatment.

The German Resuscitation Registry - Epidemiological data for out-of-hospital and in-hospital cardiac arrest.

Introduction: The German Resuscitation Registry was started in 2007 and collects data on out-of-hospital as well as in-hospital cardiac arrest and resuscitation. It has collected more than 400.000 datasets till today. Methods: The German Resuscitation Registry (GRR) is a voluntary quality improvement tool and research tool for out-of-hospital and in-hospital resuscitation as well as in-hospital emergency treatment. It collects data for initial treatment, in-hospital care as well as long-term outcome in an online database. For risk stratification two scores have been developed, published, and implemented. The participants are getting annual and monthly or quarterly reports in addition to the standardized online, 24/7 available analyzing options. An annual public report is published as well. We are reporting on the OHCA annual report of 2022. Results: In 2022 the incidence of CPR started or continued by EMS was 77.6/100.000 inhabitants/year. The mean age was 70.2 years and 66.7% were male bystanders who started CPR in 51.3%. The average response time for the first EMS vehicle to arrive on scene was 6:55 min.In 57.9% of the cases, they had a presumed cardiac cause. The primary outcome, return-of-spontaneous circulation (ROSC) was achieved in 42.1%. Discussion: With its more than 450.000 included datasets, the GRR is an established tool for quality improvement and research in Germany and internationally. The results for the incidence of OHCA and outcome from 2022 are compared to EuReCa TWO data ranging in the upper third of European countries. Furthermore, the GRR has contributed to increasing knowledge of OHCA by conducting and publishing research e.g. on epidemiology, airway management, and medication of OHCA.

Towards advancing Out-of-Hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) registries globally: Considerations from the global OHCA registry (GOHCAR) collaborative.

A growing number out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) registries have been developed across the globe. A few of these are national, while others cover larger geographical regions. These registries have common objectives; continuous quality improvement, epidemiological research and providing infrastructure for clinical trials. OHCA registries make performance comparison across Emergency Medical Services systems possible for benchmarking, hypothesis generation and further research. Changes in OHCA incidence and outcomes provide insights about the effects of secular trends or health services interventions. These registries, therefore, have become a mainstay of OHCA management and research. However, developing and maintaining these registries is challenging. Coordination of different service providers to support data collection, sustainable resourcing, data quality and data security are the key challenges faced by these registries. Despite all these challenges, noteworthy progress has been made and further standardization and co-ordination across registries can result in great international benefit. In this paper we present a 'why' and 'how to' model for setting up OHCA registries, and suggestions for better international co-ordination through a Global OHCA Registries Collaborative (GOHCAR). We draw together the knowledge of a cohort of international researchers, with experience and expertise in OHCA registry development, management, and data synthesis.

Gender-related differences in adults concerning frequency, survival and treatment quality after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA): An observational cohort study from the German resuscitation registry.

BACKGROUND: In Germany approximately 20,500 women and 41,000 men were resuscitated after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) each year. We are currently experiencing a discussion about the possible undersupply of women in healthcare. The aim of the present study was to examine the prevalence of OHCA in Germany, as well as the outcome and quality of resuscitation care for both women and men. METHODS: We present a cohort study from the German Resuscitation Registry (2006-2022). The quality of care was assessed for both EMS and hospital care based on risk-adjusted survival rates with the endpoints: "hospital admission with return of spontaneous circulation" (ROSCadmission) for all patients and "discharge with favourable neurological recovery" (CPC1/2discharge) for all admitted patients. Risk adjustment was performed using logistic regression analysis (LRA). If sex was significantly associated with survival, a matched-pairs-analysis (MPA) followed to explore the frequency of guideline adherence. RESULTS: 58,798 patients aged ≥ 18 years with OHCA and resuscitation were included (men = 65.2%, women = 34.8%). In the prehospital phase the male gender was associated with lower ROSCadmission-rate (LRA: OR = 0.79, CI = 0.759-0.822). A total of 27,910 patients were admitted. During hospital care, men demonstrated a better prognosis (OR = 1.10; CI = 1.015-1.191). MPA revealed a more intensive therapy for men both during EMS and hospital care. Looking at the complete chain of survival, LRA revealed no difference for men and women concerning CPC1/2discharge (n = 58,798; OR = 0.95; CI = 0.888-1.024). CONCLUSION: In Germany, 80% more men than women experience OHCA. The prognosis for CPC1/2discharge remains low (men = 10.5%, women = 7.1%), but comparable after risk adjustment. There is evidence of undersupply of care for women during hospital treatment, which could be associated with a worse prognosis. Further investigations are required to clarify these findings.

[The SCATTER project: computer-based simulation in the strategic transfer of intensive care patients]. / Das SCATTER-Projekt: Computerbasierte Simulation zur Unterstützung bei der strategischen Verlegung von Intensivpatienten.

BACKGROUND: The need for a concept for the nationwide strategic transfer of critical care patients in Germany was highlighted during the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. Despite the cloverleaf concept developed specifically for this purpose, the transfer of large numbers of critical care patients represents a major challenge. With the help of a computer simulation, the SCATTER research project uses a fictitious example to test, develop, and recommend transfer strategies. METHOD: The simulation was programmed after collecting procedural and structural data on critical care transports within Germany. The simulation allows altering various parameters and testing different transfer scenarios. In a fictitious scenario, nationwide transfers starting from Schleswig-Holstein were simulated and evaluated using predetermined criteria. RESULTS: In the case of ground-based transfers, it became apparent that, depending on the selected target region, not all patients could be transferred due to the limited range of ground-based vehicles. Although a higher number of patients can be transferred by air, this is associated with additional gurney changes and potential risk to the patient. A distance-dependent transport strategy led to the identical results as purely air-bound transport, since air-bound transport was always chosen due to the long distances. DISCUSSION: The simulation can be used to develop recommendations and to draw important conclusions from different transfer strategies.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in children: an epidemiological study based on the German Resuscitation Registry identifying modifiable factors for return of spontaneous circulation.

AIM: This work provides an epidemiological overview of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in children in Germany between 2007 and 2021. We wanted to identify modifiable factors associated with survival. METHODS: Data from the German Resuscitation Registry (GRR) were used, and we included patients registered between 1st January 2007 and 31st December 2021. We included children aged between > 7 days and 17 years, where cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was started, and treatment was continued by emergency medical services (EMS). Incidences and descriptive analyses are presented for the overall cohort and each age group. Multivariate binary logistic regression was performed on the whole cohort to determine the influence of (1) CPR with/without ventilation started by bystander, (2) OHCA witnessed status and (3) night-time on the outcome hospital admission with return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). RESULTS: OHCA in children aged < 1 year had the highest incidence of the same age group, with 23.42 per 100 000. Overall, hypoxia was the leading presumed cause of OHCA, whereas trauma and drowning accounted for a high proportion in children aged > 1 year. Bystander-witnessed OHCA and bystander CPR rate were highest in children aged 1-4 years, with 43.9% and 62.3%, respectively. In reference to EMS-started CPR, bystander CPR with ventilation were associated with an increased odds ratio for ROSC at hospital admission after adjusting for age, sex, year of OHCA and location of OHCA. CONCLUSION: This study provides an epidemiological overview of OHCA in children in Germany and identifies bystander CPR with ventilation as one primary factor for survival. Trial registrations German Clinical Trial Register: DRKS00030989, December 28th 2022.

Developments in Post-Resuscitation Care for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests in Adults-A Narrative Review.

This review focuses on current developments in post-resuscitation care for adults with an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). As the incidence of OHCA is high and with a low percentage of survival, it remains a challenge to treat those who survive the initial phase and regain spontaneous circulation. Early titration of oxygen in the out-of-hospital phase is not associated with increased survival and should be avoided. Once the patient is admitted, the oxygen fraction can be reduced. To maintain an adequate blood pressure and urine output, noradrenaline is the preferred agent over adrenaline. A higher blood pressure target is not associated with higher rates of good neurological survival. Early neuro-prognostication remains a challenge, and prognostication bundles should be used. Established bundles could be extended by novel biomarkers and methods in the upcoming years. Whole blood transcriptome analysis has shown to reliably predict neurological survival in two feasibility studies. This needs further investigation in larger cohorts.

Accelerometry-Based Classification of Circulatory States During Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest.

OBJECTIVE: Exploit accelerometry data for an automatic, reliable, and prompt detection of spontaneous circulation during cardiac arrest, as this is both vital for patient survival and practically challenging. METHODS: We developed a machine learning algorithm to automatically predict the circulatory state during cardiopulmonary resuscitation from 4-second-long snippets of accelerometry and electrocardiogram (ECG) data from pauses of chest compressions of real-world defibrillator records. The algorithm was trained based on 422 cases from the German Resuscitation Registry, for which ground truth labels were created by a manual annotation of physicians. It uses a kernelized Support Vector Machine classifier based on 49 features, which partially reflect the correlation between accelerometry and electrocardiogram data. RESULTS: Evaluating 50 different test-training data splits, the proposed algorithm exhibits a balanced accuracy of 81.2%, a sensitivity of 80.6%, and a specificity of 81.8%, whereas using only ECG leads to a balanced accuracy of 76.5%, a sensitivity of 80.2%, and a specificity of 72.8%. CONCLUSION: The first method employing accelerometry for pulse/no-pulse decision yields a significant increase in performance compared to single ECG-signal usage. SIGNIFICANCE: This shows that accelerometry provides relevant information for pulse/no-pulse decisions. In application, such an algorithm may be used to simplify retrospective annotation for quality management and, moreover, to support clinicians to assess circulatory state during cardiac arrest treatment.

Three-year trends in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest across the world: Second report from the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR).

BACKGROUND: The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) Research and Registries Working Group previously reported data on systems of care and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in 2015 from 16 national and regional registries. To describe the temporal trends with updated data on OHCA, we report the characteristics of OHCA from 2015 through 2017. METHODS: We invited national and regional population-based OHCA registries for voluntary participation and included emergency medical services (EMS)-treated OHCA. We collected descriptive summary data of core elements of the latest Utstein style recommendation during 2016 and 2017 at each registry. For registries that participated in the previous 2015 report, we also extracted the 2015 data. RESULTS: Eleven national registries in North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, and 4 regional registries in Europe were included in this report. Across registries, the estimated annual incidence of EMS-treated OHCA was 30.0-97.1 individuals per 100,000 population in 2015, 36.4-97.3 in 2016, and 40.8-100.2 in 2017. The provision of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) varied from 37.2% to 79.0% in 2015, from 2.9% to 78.4% in 2016, and from 4.1% to 80.3% in 2017. Survival to hospital discharge or 30-day survival for EMS-treated OHCA ranged from 5.2% to 15.7% in 2015, from 6.2% to 15.8% in 2016, and from 4.6% to 16.4% in 2017. CONCLUSION: We observed an upward temporal trend in provision of bystander CPR in most registries. Although some registries showed favourable temporal trends in survival, less than half of registries in our study demonstrated such a trend.

Did lockdown influence bystanders' willingness to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation? A worldwide registry-based perspective.

AIM: Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) significantly increases the survival rate after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Using population-based registries, we investigated the impact of lockdown due to Covid-19 on the provision of bystander CPR, taking background changes over time into consideration. METHODS: Using a registry network, we invited all registries capable of delivering data from 1. January 2017 to 31. December 2020 to participate in this study. We used negative binominal regression for the analysis of the overall results. We also calculated the rates for bystander CPR. For every participating registry, we analysed the incidence per 100000 inhabitants of bystander CPR and EMS-treated patients using Poisson regression, including time trends. RESULTS: Twenty-six established OHCA registries reported 742 923 cardiac arrest patients over a four-year period covering 1.3 billion person-years. We found large variations in the reported incidence between and within continents. There was an increase in the incidence of bystander CPR of almost 5% per year. The lockdown in March/April 2020 did not impact this trend. The increase in the rate of bystander CPR was also seen when analysing data on a continental level. We found large variations in incidence of bystander CPR before and after lockdown when analysing data on a registry level. CONCLUSION: There was a steady increase in bystander CPR from 2017 to 2020, not associated with an increase in the number of ambulance-treated cardiac arrest patients. We did not find an association between lockdown and bystanders' willingness to start CPR before ambulance arrival, but we found inconsistent patterns of changes between registries.

Impact of the route of adrenaline administration in patients suffering from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest on 30-day survival with good neurological outcome (ETIVIO study).

BACKGROUND: Over the past decades, international guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) have changed the recommendation for alternative routes for drug administration. Until now, evidence for the substantial superiority of one route with respect to treatment outcome after CPR has been lacking. The present study compares the effects of intravenous (IV), intraosseous (IO) and endotracheal (ET) adrenaline application during CPR in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) on clinical outcomes within the database of the German Resuscitation Registry (GRR). METHODS: This registry analysis was based on the GRR cohort of 212,228 OHCA patients between 1989 and 2020. Inclusion criteria were: OHCA, application of adrenaline, and out-of-hospital CPR. Excluded from the study were patients younger than 18 years, those who had trauma or bleeding as suspected causes of cardiac arrest, and incomplete data sets. The clinical endpoint was hospital discharge with good neurological outcome [cerebral performance category (CPC) 1/2]. Four routes of adrenaline administration were compared: IV, IO, IO + IV, ET + IV. Group comparisons were done using matched-pair analysis and binary logistic regression. RESULTS: In matched-pair group comparisons of the primary clinical outcome hospital discharge with CPC 1/2, the IV group (n = 2416) showed better results compared to IO (n = 1208), [odds ratio (OR): 2.43, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.54-3.84, p < 0.01] and when comparing IV (n = 8706) to IO + IV (n = 4353), [OR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.12-1.59, p < 0.01]. In contrast, no significant difference was found between IV (n = 532) and ET + IV (n = 266), [OR: 1.26, 95% CI: 0.55-2.90, p = 0.59]. Concurrently, binary logistic regression yielded a highly significant effect of vascular access type (χ² = 67.744(3), p < 0.001) on hospital discharge with CPC1/2, with negative effects for IO (regression coefficient (r.c.) = - 0.766, p = 0.001) and IO + IV (r.c. = - 0.201, p = 0,028) and no significant effect for ET + IV (r.c. = 0.117, p = 0.770) compared to IV. CONCLUSIONS: The GRR data, collected over a period of 31 years, seem to emphasize the relevance of an IV access during out-of-hospital CPR, in the event that adrenaline had to be administered. IO administration of adrenaline might be less effective. ET application, though removed in 2010 from international guidelines, could gain importance as an alternative route again.

Development of the epidemiology and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest using data from the German Resuscitation Register over a 15-year period (EpiCPR study).

BACKGROUND: Sudden cardiac arrest is a relevant problem with a significant number of deaths in Europe. AIM: Using data from the German Resuscitation Register (GRR), we examined changes in epidemiology and therapeutic interventions over a 15-year period in order to identify key factors contributing to favourable outcome in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients. METHODS: GRR data were analysed in 5-year periods (2006-2010 vs 2011-2015 vs 2016-2020) representing changes in the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) guidelines. Group comparison of OHCA patients was made for epidemiological and resuscitation-associated factors. Endpoints included 30-day survival and hospital discharge with a good neurological outcome (CPC 1,2). Matched-pair analysis compared outcomes, and multivariate binary logistic regression analysis identified variables with effects on survival. RESULTS: A total of 42,997 GRR patients were studied (2006-2010: n = 3,471, 2011-2015: n = 16,122, 2016-2020: n = 23,404). Proportion of patients over 80 years, use of intraosseous (IO) access and supraglottic airway devices, rate of bystander CPR, and the proportion of telephone CPR increased over the study period. The 30-day survival, and hospital discharge rates with CPC1/2 were unchanged. After adjusting cohorts using matched pairs, a higher CPC1,2 rate was observed (8.8 vs 10.2%, p < 0.03). Logistic regression analysis showed that IO and SAD had an unfavourable impact on outcome. CONCLUSION: Despite a significant increase in bystander and telephone CPR rates, no improvement in 30-day survival and hospital discharge rate with CPC1,2 was observed. Initial rhythm (VF/VT), cardiac and hypoxic cause of CA, bystander CPR and IV access were identified as factors associated with a favourable neurological outcome.

Indications and measures of medical emergency teams: a retrospective evaluation of in-hospital emergency operations of the German Resuscitation Register.

BACKGROUND: The present study examines characteristics and interventions of medical emergency teams (MET) in in-hospital emergency care. METHODS: Analysis of all in-hospital emergencies in patients ≥18 years at 62 hospitals with established MET from the database of the German Resuscitation Registry between 2014-2019. The evaluation covered indications for activation using the ABCDE-scheme, time intervals of arrival and patient care as well as the performed invasive/medical interventions. RESULTS: Out of 62 hospitals 14,166 in-hospital emergencies (male: 8033 [56.7%]; mean age: 64±18 years) were included. Causes of activation were circulation (5760 [40.7%]), disability (4076 [28.8%]), breathing (3649 [25.8%]) and airway-problems (1589 [11.2%]). Average arrival time at the emergency scene was 4±3 minutes, supply time of MET was 24±23 minutes. Endotracheal intubation was required in 1757 (12.4%) and difficult intubation occurred in 201 (11.4%) patients with the necessity for cricothyroidotomy in eight cases (3.9%). Invasive blood-pressure-measurement was indicated in 1074 (7.6%) patients. Catecholamines were required for hemodynamic stabilization in 2421 (17.1%) patients (norepinephrine: 1520 [10.7%], epinephrine: 430 [3.0%], dobutamine: 26 [0.2%]). CONCLUSIONS: Current in-hospital emergency care requires special skills in invasive hemodynamic and airway interventions. Recommendations from professional societies are necessary to optimize equipment (e.g. videolaryngoscopy, invasive blood pressure management), training, care algorithms and staff composition against the background of an increasing shortage of resources in the healthcare system.

[Ethical aspects of mechanical resuscitation in a child : Results of an expert workshop within the BMBF project CLAIRE-Children's Automated Intelligent Resuscitation]. / Ethische Aspekte mechanischer Reanimationshilfen beim Kind : Ergebnisse eines Expertenworkshops im Rahmen des BMBF-Projekts CLAIRE ­ Children's Automated Intelligent Resuscitation.

BACKGROUND: While the use of mechanical resuscitation devices can be considered for adult resuscitation, the European Resuscitation Council guidelines do not yet mention their use for pediatric resuscitation. Only one device has been partially approved for use in children; further pediatric appliances are currently being used off-label. Ethical considerations arising from the use of mechanical resuscitation devices have not yet been presented in a structured way. OBJECTIVE: To elaborate ethical considerations in the development phase of mechanical resuscitation devices for children. METHODS: Based on several fictitious case reports, an interdisciplinary expert focus group discussion was conducted. This was followed by a moderated discussion, summarizing the results. Guiding principles and research desiderata were formulated using these results as well as existing literature. RESULTS: According to the group of experts, ethical considerations regarding mechanical resuscitation devices in pediatrics predominantly concern the subject of indication and discontinuation criteria. Ethical aspects concerning psychosocial impacts on affected families and intervention teams cannot be generalized and need to be analyzed on a case-by-case basis. CONCLUSION: The considerations presented regarding the use of mechanical resuscitation devices in the pediatric context, which is still in its developmental stage, could also have practical implications for adult out-of-hospital resuscitation decisions. Concerning ethical aspects of out-of-hospital resuscitation decisions, especially using mechanical resuscitation devices, the need for accompanying empirical research is substantial.

European Registry of Cardiac Arrest - Study-THREE (EuReCa THREE) - An international, prospective, multi-centre, three-month survey of epidemiology, treatment and outcome of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Europe - The study protocol.

Background: The aim of the European Registry of Cardiac Arrest (EuReCa) network is to provide high quality evidence on epidemiology of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in Europe by supporting and developing cardiac arrest registries and performing European-wide studies. To date, the EuReCa ONE and EuReCa TWO studies have involved around 28 countries, with population covered increasing from the first to the second study. The aim of the EuReCa THREE study is to build on previous work and to support the promotion of quality data collection on OHCA throughout Europe. Methods/design: EuReCa THREE will be the third prospective cohort study on epidemiology of OHCA and will involve around 30 European countries. The study will be conducted between 1st September and 30th November 2022. Data will be collected on cardiac arrest cases attended, resuscitation attempted, patient and cardiac arrest event characteristics and outcomes (including return of spontaneous circulation, status on hospital arrival and discharge). A particular focus for EuReCa THREE will be to describe key time intervals in OHCA management; time from call to EMS arrival on scene, time from cardiac arrest to start CPR, time from EMS arrival to delivery of patient to hospital.EuReCa THREE was registered with the German Registry of Clinical Trials Registration Number: DRKS00028591 searchable via WHO meta-registry (https://apps.who.int/trialsearch/). Discussion: The EuReCa THREE study will increase our knowledge on longitudinal OHCA epidemiology and provide new knowledge on crucial time intervals in OHCA management in Europe. However, the primary aim of building a network to support quality data on OHCA, remains the central tenant of the EuReCa project.

Survival after traumatic cardiac arrest is possible-a comparison of German patient-registries.

BACKGROUND: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) due to trauma is rare, and survival in this group is infrequent. Over the last decades, several new procedures have been implemented to increase survival, and a "Special circumstances chapter" was included in the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) guidelines in 2015. This article analysed outcomes after traumatic cardiac arrest in Germany using data from the German Resuscitation Registry (GRR) and the TraumaRegister DGU® (TR-DGU) of the German Trauma Society.  METHODS: In this study, data from patients with OHCA between 01.01.2014 and 31.12.2019 secondary to major trauma and where cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was started were eligible for inclusion. Endpoints were return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), hospital admission with ROSC and survival to hospital discharge. RESULTS: 1.049 patients were eligible for inclusion. ROSC was achieved in 28.7% of the patients, 240 patients (22.9%) were admitted to hospital with ROSC and 147 (14.0%) with ongoing CPR. 643 (67.8%) patients were declared dead on scene. Of all patients resuscitated after traumatic OHCA, 27.3% (259) died in hospital. The overall mortality was 95.0% and 5.0% survived to hospital discharge (47). In a multivariate logistic regression analysis; age, sex, injury severity score (ISS), head injury, found in cardiac arrest, shock on admission, blood transfusion, CPR in emergency room (ER), emergency surgery and initial electrocardiogram (ECG), were independent predictors of mortality. CONCLUSION: Traumatic cardiac arrest was an infrequent event with low overall survival. The mortality has remained unchanged over the last decades in Germany. Additional efforts are necessary to identify reversible cardiac arrest causes and provide targeted trauma resuscitation on scene. TRIAL REGISTRATION: DRKS, DRKS-ID DRKS00027944. Retrospectively registered 03/02/2022.