Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the older age groups in Melbourne, Australia.
Resuscitation · 2011-02-01 · Registry study
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Controversy exists around CPR in the elderly. The characteristics and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in this age group were studied in Melbourne, Australia. METHODS: The Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry (VACAR) was searched for all OHCAs not witnessed by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) occurring in those aged 65 years and older. RESULTS: Between 2000 and 2009 there were 30,006 OHCAs of which 9703 (32%) were in people 65-79 years of age, 6430 (21%) in octogenarians, 1530 (5%) in nonagenarian and 40 (0.1%) in centenarians. Rates of attempted resuscitation decreased with advancing age: 48% for those aged 65-79 years, 39% for octogenarians, 31% for nonagenarians and 17% for centenarians. Similarly rates of survival to hospital discharge decreased with age: 8% for those aged 65-79 years, 4% for octogenarians, 2% for nonagenarians; for 65-79 year olds, octogenarians and nonagenarians survival if in VF/VT was - 17%, 10% and 4%; asystole - 1%, 1% and 0.5%; and PEA - 6%, 3% and 3%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression shows that between 2000 and 2009 rates of transportation with return of spontaneous circulation have improved for both shockable and non-shockable rhythms [OR 95% CI 1.07(1.04-1.10) and 1.16(1.12-1.20), respectively] but survival to hospital discharge has improved in the shockable rhythm group only [OR 1.12(1.07-1.16)]. CONCLUSION: Outcomes for OHCA with shockable rhythm have improved over the last 10 years for people aged 65 years and over. Quality of life studies should be performed to help inform the community and EMS on appropriate resuscitative efforts.
Abstract © the authors or publisher, via PubMed. Reuse and removal
Tags
Mortality & survival · Older adults · Time intervals · Urban
Related articles
- Effect of location on out-of-hospital cardiac arrests involving older adults in Hong Kong: secondary analysis of a territory-wide cohort. (Hong Kong Med J, 2023)
- No-Flow Duration and Outcomes After Cardiogenic Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Older Adults. (JAMA Netw Open, 2026)
- Cardiac Arrest During Interfacility Transport with Emergency Medical Services: A Preliminary Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study. (Prehosp Emerg Care, 2026)
- Association Between Urban-Rural Geographical Location and 30-Day Survival After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest. (J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open, 2026)
- Regional disparities and temporal trends in pre-hospital management of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Thailand: a multi-center retrospective cohort study (2017-2023). (Resusc Plus, 2026)
- Forecasting the burden of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in a rapidly ageing Asian society: a nationwide age-period-cohort analysis in Singapore. (Resuscitation, 2025)