OUTCOME OF OUT-OF-HOSPITAL CARDIORESPIRATORY ARREST IN SOUTH GLAMORGAN

During 138 weeks an emergency medical service (EMS) of mixed skill-lev el attempted to resuscitate 954 patients from prehospital cardiac arre st (883 attempts per million population per year); 75% of the arrests were of cardiac cause. This paper is one of the first analyses from eu rope to use the 'Utstein template' to report outcomes of such arrests. In cases where an arrest rhythm could be recorded, 38.4% were ventric ular fibrillation (VF), 45.5% were asystolic, and the remainder were e ither electromechanical dissociation or respiratory arrests. Using uni variate analysis factors associated with a greater likelihood of survi val include the presence of a witness, bystander-initiated cardiopulmo nary resuscitation (CPR), early CPR and VF as the arrest rhythm. Twent y of 155 cases (13%) survived where VF arrest was witnessed by non-EMS personnel. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.