Is hospital care of major importance for outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest? Experience acquired from patients with out-of-hospital cardiacarrest resuscitated by the same Emergency Medical Service and admitted to one of two hospitals over a 16-year period in the municipality of Goteborg

Aim: To describe patient characteristics, hospital investigations and inter ventions and early mortality among patients being hospitalized after out-of -hospital cardiac arrest in two hospitals. Setting: Municipality of Gotebor g, Sweden. Patients: All patients suffering an out-of-hospital cardiac arre st who were successfully resuscitated and admitted to hospital between 1 Oc tober 1980 and 31 December 1996. All patients were resuscitated by the same Emergency Medical Service and admitted alive to one of the two city hospit als in Goteborg. Results: Of 579 patients admitted to Sahlgrenska Hospital, 253 (44%) were discharged alive and of 459 patients admitted to Ostra Hosp ital, 152 (33%) were discharged alive (P < 0.001). More patients in Sahlgre nska Hospital were still receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) trea tment (P = 0.03), but patients in Ostra had a lower systolic blood pressure and higher heart rate on admission. A larger percentage of patients admitt ed to Sahlgrenska Hospital underwent coronary angiography (P<0.001), electr ophysiological testing (P<0.001), Holter recording (P<0.001), echocardiogra phy (P=0.004), Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA, P=0.00 9), implantation of Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (AICD, P = 0.03) and exercise stress tests (P = 0.003). Inhabitants in the catchm ent area of Ostra hospital had a less favourable socio-economic profile. Co nclusion: Survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest may be affected by the course of hospital management. Other variables that might influence sur vival are socio-economic factors and cardiorespiratory status on admission to hospital. Further investigation is called for as more patients are being hospitalised alive after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.