SURVIVAL FROM CARDIAC-ARREST IN AN ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT - THE IMPACT OF OUT-OF-HOSPITAL ADVISORY DEFIBRILLATION

A prospective 1-year audit of cardiac arrests treated in the Accident and Emergency department of the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh is presente d. During the period January 1st, 1991 to December 31st, 1991, 325 pat ients with cardiac arrest were treated. Two-hundred nintey-seven of th ese were 'out-of-hospital' and 28 were 'in-department' arrests. Of pat ients with 'out-of-hospital' ventricular fibrillation/pulseless ventri cular tachycardia 22.8% were discharged. Survival rates for patients w ith asystole or electromechanical dissociation were very poor. The imp act of semiautomatic out-of-hospital defibrillation upon the survival and number of patients presenting to the department is discussed.