Cardiac arrest data of Dokuz Eylül University Hospital Emergency Departmant between January 2007-June 2010

SUMMARY"Cardiac arrest data of Dokuz Eylül University Hospital emergency departmant between january 2007-june 2010"INTRODUCTIONSurvival rates for cardiac arrests in Turkey are not frequently reported previously. We have investigated cardiac arrest cases a three and a half year back period in our tertiary emergency department. Our aim is to identify the demographic characteristics of cardiac arrest cases which had occurred either in emergency department or out-of- emergency department.METHOD:Cardiac arrests which were presented to ED were included into the study. Data were retrospectively collected from emergency dispatch records,ambulance patient case notes, emergency department and in-hospital records. Cardiac arrest cases were divided into two groups according to incident place as in emergency department (IECA) and out-of- emergency department (OECA).RESULTSBetween 1st of Jan, 2007 to 30th of June 2010, 205,771 patients had been admitted to ED. There were totally 1,473 cardiac arrest cases during the 42-month study period. The number of IECA and OECA patients were 1,047(71%) and 426 (29%), respectively. The number of traumatic cardiac arrests were 52 (3.5%) patients among overall. In IECA group; the rate of CPR initiation, return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in 20 minutes, survival in 24 hours, survival in 30 days and discharge after 30th day were as 1,045 (99.8%), 434 (42%), 344 (33%), 144 (13.7%) and 40(3.8%) patients, respectively. In OECA group; the rate of CPR initiation, return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in 20 minutes,survival in 24 hours, survival in 30 days and discharge after 30th day were ; 370 (86.7%), 157 (43%), 118 (32%), 63 (17%) and 11 (2.9%) patients, respectively. We could not find any statistical relationship between IECA and OECA survival rates. The most frequent arrest rhtym was asystole both in IECA and OECA (86.7% and 61.6%) in ED.CONCLUSION:This is an important data study which reveals the survival rates of cardiac arrests in a region of Turkey where there has not been any published scientific data before.