F. Giraud et al., OUT-OF-HOSPITAL CARDIAC-ARREST - EVALUATION OF ONE-YEAR OF ACTIVITY IN SAINT-ETIENNES EMERGENCY MEDICAL SYSTEM USING THE UTSTEIN STYLE, Resuscitation, 33(1), 1996, pp. 19-27
Objective: to provide researchers with a description of the method of
dealing with out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, and the results thereof,
using the Utstein style. Design: a series of out-of-hospital cardiac
arrests between 1 October 1991 and 31 September 1992. Setting: a Frenc
h 'departement' (administrative subdivision). Population: 570 000 inha
bitants; area: 2600 km(2); emergency medical system consisting of two
levels of response: the Emergency and Resuscitation Mobile Unit and th
e Fire Service. Patients: a sample of 380 patients found to have neith
er palpable pulse nor independent respiration. Results: of the 234 (61
%) patients in whom resuscitation was attempted, 41 (17%) were hospita
lised and 12 (5%) discharged were still alive at 1 year follow-up. Of
the patients who showed signs of cardiac arrest of cardiac aetiology,
classified as having initial ventricular fibrillation (VF) rhythms: 62
% of the cases (5/8) were alive at 1 year if the cardiac arrest occurr
ed in the presence of emergency medical personnel; 6% of the cases (2/
31) were alive at 1 year if the cardiac arrest occurred in the presenc
e of non-specialised bystanders.