Skip Navigation

European Heart Journal 2003 24(19):1750-1755; doi:10.1016/S0195-668X(03)00475-5
Copyright © 2003 by the European Society of Cardiology.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (6)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Herlitz, J.
Right arrow Articles by Holmberg, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Herlitz, J.
Right arrow Articles by Holmberg, S.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Clinical research

A short delay from out of hospital cardiac arrest to call for ambulance increases survival

Johan Herlitza,*, Johan Engdahla, Leif Svenssonb, Marie Youngc, Karl-Axel Ängquistd and Stig Holmberga

a Division of Cardiology, SU/Sahlgrenska, Göteborg, Sweden
b Division of Cardiology, South Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
c Department of Anaesthesiology, Malmö University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden
d Surgery Department, Umeå University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden

* Correspondence to: Johan Herlitz MD, Division of Cardiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, SE-413 45 Göteborg, Sweden. Tel: +46 31 3421000; Fax: +46 31 829650
E-mail address: johan.herlitz{at}hjl.gu.se

Received 12 March 2003; revised 26 June 2003; accepted 24 July 2003

Abstract

Aim To describe the relative impact on survival of the delay from estimated time of collapse to call for an ambulance among patients who suffer from a bystander witnessed out of hospital cardiac arrest of a cardiac aetiology.

Methods A majority of all ambulance organizations in Sweden (covering 85% of Sweden inhabitants) participate in a National survey of out of hospital cardiac arrest.

Results In all there were 9340 patients with a bystander witnessed cardiac arrest of a cardiac aetiology in whom cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was attempted participating in this survey. Survival at one month among patients with a delay between estimated time of collapse and call for ambulance of ≤4min (median) was 6.9% versus 2.8% among patients with a median of >4min (P<0.0001). When adjusting for age, sex, initial rhythm, estimated interval between collapse and start of CPR, place of arrest and the interval between call for ambulance and arrival of the rescue team, the odds ratio for survival was 0.70 (0.95% CI. 0.58–0.84) per unit increase of the natural logarithm of delay in minutes between collapse and call.

Conclusion Among patients with a bystander witnessed out of hospital cardiac arrest of a cardiac aetiology increased delay from estimated time of collapse to call for an ambulance decreased the chance of survival.

Key Words: Cardiac arrest • Call for ambulance • Prognosis


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.