Association of measures of socioeconomic position with survival following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A systematic review

Is there an association between 30-day mortality from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and deprivation levels within Hampshire? A retrospective cohort study

Introduction

People who live in population-dense areas, work in routine occupations, originate from a non-white background, have lower education attainment and experience a greater level of deprivation have an increased risk of suffering an OHCA and are less likely to receive bystander CPR. This study seeks to understand if these observed inequalities result in reduced survival by examining the relationship between deprivation and survival at 30 days at a UK single county level.

Methods

30-day survival from non-traumatic OHCA in adults over 18 years of age in Hampshire from local ambulance service data (Jan 2019 - March 2023) was combined with indices of multiple deprivation (IMD) based on the home postcode. Multivariable logistic regression models were developed, through bidirectional stepwise regression, to evaluate the effect of deprivation on 30-day survival. Separate models were developed to consider non-linear relationships before a final model incorporated learning from previous iterations.

Results

Overall, 4184 patients were included in the final analysis, with 437 (10%) surviving to 30 days. Age of OHCA patients varied significantly between IMD deciles (p < 0.01), with a trend to younger patients in more deprived deciles. Univariable regression found no relationship between deprivation and survival. However, after controlling for age, sex, shockable rhythm and bystander CPR, increasing deprivation was associated with reduced survival (OR: 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.09). Other significant predictors were age, shockable rhythm and bystander CPR.

Conclusion

Increasing deprivation was associated with a reduced 30-day survival after accounting for other measured variables.

Social determinants of health and their associations with outcomes in pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A national study of the NEMSIS database

Background

Social determinants of health (SDOH) impact health disparities, though little is known about the effects of SDOH on pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (POHCA).

Methods

This cross-sectional study utilized the NEMSIS Database to obtain nationwide POHCA data from 2021 to 2023. Outcomes included performance of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), automated external defibrillator (AED) usage, and obtainment of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). SDOH data was obtained from the US Census Bureau and included minority race/ethnicities status, poverty levels, and educational attainment of the community where POCHAs occurred. Multivariable logistic regression and Cochran-Armitage trend tests were used to assess associations between SDOH and POHCA outcomes.

Results

Query of the NEMSIS Database yielded 27,137 POHCAs. The odds of CPR performance and obtainment of ROSC were significantly higher (p < 0.001) in communities with lower levels of minority races/ethnicities. The odds of bystander CPR, AED usage, and obtainment of ROSC all increased significantly (p < 0.001) in the wealthiest communities compared to the poorest communities. The odds of bystander AED usage (p = 0.001) and ROSC (p = 0.003) were significantly higher in communities with the highest educational attainment. As the minority status and poverty level of the community increased and educational attainment decreased, there was a significant decreasing trend (p < 0.001) in performance of bystander CPR, AED usage, and obtainment of ROSC.

Conclusions

Community-level SDOH, including increasing community minority status, poverty levels, and decreasing educational attainment, are associated with less bystander CPR, AED usage, and ROSC obtainment in POHCAs. Understanding SDOH offers opportunities for public health interventions addressing disparities in POHCA outcomes.

Neurologic Recovery at Discharge and Long-Term Survival After Cardiac Arrest

Importance

Brain injury is the leading cause of death following cardiac arrest and is associated with severe neurologic disabilities among survivors, with profound implications for patients and their families, as well as broader societal impacts. How these disabilities affect long-term survival is largely unknown.

Objective

To investigate whether complete neurologic recovery at hospital discharge after cardiac arrest is associated with better long-term survival compared with moderate or severe neurologic disabilities.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study used data from 4 mandatory national registers with structured and predefined data collection and nationwide coverage during a 10-year period in Sweden. Participants included adults who survived in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) or out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) beyond 30 days and who underwent predefined neurologic assessment conducted by health care professionals at hospital discharge using the Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) scale between January 2010 and December 2019. Patients were divided into 3 categories: complete recovery (CPC 1), moderate disabilities (CPC 2), and severe disabilities (CPC 3-4). Statistical analyses were performed in December 2023.

Exposure

CPC score at hospital discharge.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was long-term survival among patients with CPC 1 compared with those with CPC 2 or CPC 3 or 4.

Results

A total of 9390 cardiac arrest survivors (median [IQR] age, 69 .0 [58.0-77.0] years; 6544 [69.7%] male) were included. The distribution of functional neurologic outcomes at discharge was 7374 patients (78.5%) with CPC 1, 1358 patients (14.5%) with CPC 2, and 658 patients (7.0%) with CPC 3 or 4. Survival proportions at 5 years were 73.8% (95% CI, 72.5%-75.0%) for patients with CPC 1, compared with 64.7% (95% CI, 62.4%-67.0%) for patients with CPC 2 and 54.2% (95% CI, 50.6%-57.8%) for patients with CPC 3 or 4. Compared with patients with CPC 1, there was significantly higher hazard of death for patients with CPC 2 (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.57 [95% CI, 1.40-1.75]) or CPC 3 or 4 (aHR, 2.46 [95% CI, 2.13-2.85]). Similar associations were seen in the OHCA and IHCA groups.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study of patients with cardiac arrest who survived beyond 30 days, complete neurologic recovery, defined as CPC 1 at discharge, was associated with better long-term survival compared with neurologic disabilities at the same time point.

The association of depression and patient and resuscitation characteristics with survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a cohort study

AIMS

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a leading cause of death worldwide, with cardiovascular disease (CVD) being a key risk factor. This study aims to investigate disparities in patient/OHCA characteristics and survival after OHCA among patients with vs. without depression.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This is a retrospective cohort study using data from the AmsteRdam REsuscitation Studies (ARREST) registry from 2008 to 2018. History of comorbidities, including depression, was obtained from the patient's general practitioner. Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival was defined as survival at 30 days post-OHCA or hospital discharge. Logistic regression models were used to obtain crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for the association between depression and OHCA survival and possible effect modification by age, sex, and comorbidities. The potential mediating effects of initial heart rhythm and provision of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation were explored. Among 5594 OHCA cases, 582 individuals had pre-existing depression. Patients with depression had less favourable patient and OHCA characteristics and lower odds of survival after adjustment for age, sex, and comorbidities [OR 0.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.51-0.82], with similar findings by sex and age groups. The association remained significant among the Utstein comparator group (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.45-0.89) and patients with return of spontaneous circulation (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.42-0.85). Initial rhythm and bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation partially mediated the observed association (by 27 and 7%, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients with depression presented more frequently with unfavourable patient and OHCA characteristics and had reduced chances of survival. Further investigation into potential pathways is warranted.

Association of socioeconomic status with 30-day survival following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Scotland, 2011-2020

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The aim of this study was to investigate the crude and adjusted association of socioeconomic status with 30-day survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in Scotland and to assess whether the effect of this association differs by sex or age.

METHODS

This is a population-based, retrospective cohort study, including non-traumatic, non-Emergency Medical Services witnessed patients with OHCA where resuscitation was attempted by the Scottish Ambulance Service, between 1 April 2011 and 1 March 2020. Socioeconomic status was defined using the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD). The primary outcome was 30-day survival after OHCA. Crude and adjusted associations of SIMD quintile with 30-day survival after OHCA were estimated using logistic regression. Effect modification by age and sex was assessed by stratification.

RESULTS

Crude analysis showed lower odds of 30-day survival in the most deprived quintile relative to least deprived [odds ratio (OR) 0.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.63-0.88]. Adjustment for age, sex, and urban/rural residency decreased the relative odds of survival further (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.47-0.67). The strongest association was observed in males <45 years old. Across quintiles of increasing deprivation, evidence of decreasing trends in the proportion of those presenting with shockable initial cardiac rhythm, those receiving bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and 30-day survival after OHCA were found.

CONCLUSIONS

Socioeconomic status is associated with 30-day survival after OHCA in Scotland, favouring people living in the least deprived areas. This was not explained by confounding due to age, sex, or urban/rural residency. The strongest association was observed in males <45 years old.

Mediators of the Association Between Socioeconomic Status and Survival After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Systematic Review

Low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with poor outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Patient characteristics, care processes, and other contextual factors may mediate the association between SES and survival after OHCA. Interventions that target these mediating factors may reduce disparities in OHCA outcomes across the socioeconomic spectrum. This systematic review identified and quantified mediators of the SES-survival after OHCA association. Electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science) and grey literature sources were searched from inception to July or August 2023. Observational studies of OHCA patients that conducted mediation analyses to evaluate potential mediators of the association between SES (defined by income, education, occupation, or a composite index) and survival outcomes were included. A total of 10 studies were included in this review. Income (n = 9), education (n = 4), occupation (n = 1), and composite indices (n = 1) were used to define SES. The proportion of OHCA cases that had bystander involvement, presented with an initial shockable rhythm, and survived to hospital discharge or 30 days increased with higher SES. Common mediators of the SES-survival association that were evaluated included initial rhythm (n = 6), emergency medical services response time (n = 5), and bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (n = 4). Initial rhythm was the most important mediator of this association, with a median percent excess risk explained of 37.4% (range 28.6%-40.0%; n = 5; 1 study reported no mediation) and mediation proportion of 41.8% (n = 1). To mitigate socioeconomic disparities in outcomes after OHCA, interventions should target potentially modifiable mediators, such as initial rhythm, which may involve improving bystander awareness of OHCA and the need for prompt resuscitation.

Ethnic differences of the care pathway following an out-of-hospital cardiac event: A systematic review

AIM

This systematic review aimed to determine to what extent and why the care pathways for acute cardiac events in the community might differ for minoritised ethnic populations compared to non-minoritised populations. It also sought to identify the barriers and enablers that could influence variations in access to care for minoritised populations.

METHODS

A multi-database search was conducted for articles published between 1 January 2000 and 1 January 2023. A combination of MeSH terms and keywords was used. Inclusion criteria for papers were published in English, adult population, the primary health condition was an acute cardiac event, and the primary outcomes were disaggregated by ethnicity or race. A narrative review of extracted data was performed, and findings were reported according to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines.

RESULTS

Of the 3552 articles identified using the search strategy, 40 were deemed eligible for the review. Studies identified a range of variables in the care pathway that differed by ethnicity or race. These could be grouped as time to care, transportation, event related-variables, EMS interactions and symptoms. A meta-analysis was not performed due to heterogeneity across the studies.

CONCLUSION

The extent and reasons for differences in cardiac care pathways are considerable. There are several remediable barriers and enablers that require attention to achieve equitable access to care for minoritised populations.

The Lancet Commission to reduce the global burden of sudden cardiac death: a call for multidisciplinary action

Despite major advancements in cardiovascular medicine, sudden cardiac death (SCD) continues to be an enormous medical and societal challenge, claiming millions of lives every year. Efforts to prevent SCD are hampered by imperfect risk prediction and inadequate solutions to specifically address arrhythmogenesis. Although resuscitation strategies have witnessed substantial evolution, there is a need to strengthen the organisation of community interventions and emergency medical systems across varied locations and health-care structures. With all the technological and medical advances of the 21st century, the fact that survival from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) remains lower than 10% in most parts of the world is unacceptable. Recognising this urgent need, the Lancet Commission on SCD was constituted, bringing together 30 international experts in varied disciplines. Consistent progress in tackling SCD will require a completely revamped approach to SCD prevention, with wide-sweeping policy changes that will empower the development of both governmental and community-based programmes to maximise survival from SCA, and to comprehensively attend to survivors and decedents' families after the event. International collaborative efforts that maximally leverage and connect the expertise of various research organisations will need to be prioritised to properly address identified gaps. The Commission places substantial emphasis on the need to develop a multidisciplinary strategy that encompasses all aspects of SCD prevention and treatment. The Commission provides a critical assessment of the current scientific efforts in the field, and puts forth key recommendations to challenge, activate, and intensify efforts by both the scientific and global community with new directions, research, and innovation to reduce the burden of SCD worldwide.

Variation in the Use of Targeted Temperature Management for Cardiac Arrest

Targeted temperature management (TTM) is recommended for patients who do not respond after return of spontaneous circulation after cardiac arrest. However, the degree to which patients with cardiac arrest have access to this therapy on a national level is not known. Understanding hospital- and patient-level factors associated with receipt of TTM could inform interventions to improve access to this treatment among appropriate patients. Therefore, we performed a retrospective analysis using National Inpatient Sample data from 2016 to 2019. We used International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition diagnosis and procedure codes to identify adult patients with in-hospital and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and receipt of TTM. We evaluated patient and hospital factors associated with receiving TTM. We identified 478,419 patients with cardiac arrest. Of those, 4,088 (0.85%) received TTM. Hospital use of TTM was driven by large, nonprofit, urban, teaching hospitals, with less use at other hospital types. There was significant regional variation in TTM capabilities, with the proportion of hospitals providing TTM ranging from >21% in the Mid-Atlantic region to <11% in the East and West South Central and Mountain regions. At the patient level, age >74 years (odds ratio [OR] 0.54, p <0.001), female gender (OR 0.89, p >0.001), and Hispanic ethnicity (OR 0.74, p <0.001) were all associated with decreased odds of receiving TTM. Patients with Medicare (OR 0.75, p <0.001) and Medicaid (OR 0.89, p = 0.027) were less likely than patients with private insurance to receive TTM. Part of these differences was driven by inequitable access to TTM-capable hospitals. In conclusion, TTM is rarely used after cardiac arrest. Hospital use of TTM is predominately limited to a subset of academic hospitals with substantial regional variation. Older age, female gender, Hispanic ethnicity, and Medicare or Medicaid insurance are all associated with a decreased likelihood of receiving TTM.

Evaluation of Socioeconomic Position and Survival After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Korea Using Structural Equation Modeling

Importance

The association between low socioeconomic position (SEP) and poor survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has not been thoroughly investigated.

Objectives

To evaluate the association between individual SEP and survival after OHCA and to identify any mediating pathways using structural equation modeling (SEM).

Design, Setting, and Participants

This is a retrospective cohort study that used data collected from January 2013 to December 2019. Participants were adults with OHCA with a presumed cardiac etiology. The study was conducted in Korea, which has a universal health insurance system. Data were analyzed from January 2022 to February 2023.

Exposures

Individual SEP was measured by insurance type (National Health Insurance [NHI] and medical aid [MA]) and premiums. SEP was categorized into 5 groups, in which NHI beneficiaries were divided into quartiles (Q1, highest quartile; Q4, lowest quartile), and MA was the lowest SEP group.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was survival to discharge. The association between SEP and OHCA survival was examined using multivariable logistic regression, and mediating factors were identified using SEM.

Results

A total of 121 516 patients (median [IQR] age, 73 [60-81] years; 43 912 [36.1%] female patients) were included. Compared with the NHI Q1 group, individuals with lower SEP had lower odds of survival to discharge. The adjusted odds ratios of survival to discharge were 0.97 (95% CI, 0.94-1.00), 0.88 (95% CI, 0.85-0.91), 0.91 (95% CI, 0.88-0.94), and 0.53 (95% CI, 0.50-0.56) for the NHI Q2, NHI Q3, NHI Q4, and MA groups, respectively. Several factors were found to mediate the association of SEP and survival in the total study population, with mediating proportions of 15.1% (95% CI, 11.8%-18.4%) for witnessed status, 4.8% (95% CI, 3.5%-6.0%) for bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation provision, 41.8% (95% CI, 35.4%-48.1%) for initial rhythm, and 9.4% (95% CI, 7.4%-11.4%) for emergency department level. Among patients who survived to hospital admission, the mediation proportions were 11.8% (95% CI, 6.7%-16.9%) for witnessed status, 3.7% (95% CI, 1.3%-6.1%) for bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation provision, 56.2% (95% CI, 41.0%-71.4%) for initial rhythm, 10.7% (95% CI, 6.1%-15.3%) for emergency department level, 20.2% (95% CI, 14.0%-26.5%) for coronary angiography, and 4.2% (95% CI, 2.2%-6.1%) for targeted temperature management.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study of patients with OHCA, lower individual SEP was significantly associated with lower survival to discharge. Potentially modifiable mediators can be targeted for public health interventions to reduce disparities in survival among patients with OHCA of different SEP.

The Effect of Building-Level Socioeconomic Status on Bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Retrospective Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

Understanding the social determinants of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) receipt can inform the design of public health interventions to increase bystander CPR. The association of socioeconomic status with bystander CPR is generally poorly understood. We evaluated the relationship between socioeconomic status and bystander CPR in cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study based on the Singapore cohort of the Pan-Asian Resuscitation Outcomes Study registry between 2010 and 2018. We categorized patients into low, medium, and high Singapore Housing Index (SHI) levels-a building-level index of socioeconomic status. The primary outcome was receipt of bystander CPR. The secondary outcomes were prehospital return of spontaneous circulation and survival to discharge.

RESULTS

A total of 12,730 OHCA cases were included, the median age was 71 years, and 58.9% were male. The bystander CPR rate was 56.7%. Compared to patients in the low SHI category, those in the medium and high SHI categories were more likely to receive bystander CPR (medium SHI: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.48, 95% CI 1.30-1.69; high SHI: aOR 1.93, 95% CI 1.67-2.24). High SHI patients had higher survival compared to low SHI patients on unadjusted analysis (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.08-2.96), but not adjusted analysis (adjusted for age, sex, race, witness status, arrest time, past medical history of cancer, and first arrest rhythm). When comparing high with low SHI, females had larger increases in bystander CPR rates than males.

CONCLUSIONS

Lower building-level socioeconomic status was independently associated with lower rate of bystander CPR, and females were more susceptible to the effect of low socioeconomic status on lower rate of bystander CPR.

Survival After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: The Role of Racial Residential Segregation

Racial and racialized economic residential segregation has been empirically associated with outcomes across multiple health conditions but not yet explored in relation to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). We sought to examine if measures of racial and economic residential segregation are associated with differences in survival to discharge after OHCA for Black and White Medicare beneficiaries. Utilizing age-eligible Medicare fee-for-service claims data from 2013 to 2015, we identified OHCA claims and determined survival to discharge. The primary predictor, residential segregation, was calculated using the index of concentration at the extremes (ICE) for the beneficiary residential ZIP code. Multilevel modified Poisson regression models were used to determine the association of OHCA outcomes and ZIP code level ICE measures. In total, 194,263 OHCA cases were identified among beneficiaries residing in 75% of US ZIP codes. Black beneficiaries exhibited 12.1% survival to discharge, compared with 12.5% of White beneficiaries. In fully adjusted models of the three ICE measures accounting for differences in treating hospital characteristics, there was as high as a 28% (RR 1.28, CI 1.23-1.26) higher relative likelihood of survival to discharge in the most segregated White ZIP codes (Q5) as compared to the most segregated Black ZIP codes (Q1). Racial residential segregation is independently associated with disparities in OHCA outcomes; among Medicare beneficiaries who generated a claim after suffering an OHCA, ICE measures of racial segregation are associated with a lower likelihood of survival to discharge for those living in the most segregated Black and lower income quintiles compared to higher quintiles.

Health inequities in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a time-critical emergency in which a rapid response following the chain of survival is crucial to save life. Disparities in care can occur at each link in this pathway and hence produce health inequities. This review summarises the health inequities that exist for OHCA patients and suggests how they may be addressed.

RECENT FINDINGS

There is international evidence that the incidence of OHCA is increased with increasing deprivation and in ethnic minorities. These groups have lower rates of bystander CPR and bystander-initiated defibrillation, which may be due to barriers in accessing cardiopulmonary resuscitation training, provision of public access defibrillators, and language barriers with emergency call handlers. There are also disparities in the ambulance response and in-hospital care following resuscitation. These disadvantaged communities have poorer survival following OHCA.

SUMMARY

OHCA disproportionately affects deprived communities and ethnic minorities. These groups experience disparities in care throughout the chain of survival and this appears to translate into poorer outcomes. Addressing these inequities will require coordinated action that engages with disadvantaged communities.

Sex Differences in Incidence and Outcome of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Within a Local Health Network

Introduction

Sex and gender differences in presentation and characteristics of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) are established in cohorts with presumed cardiac aetiology but not non-cardiac etiology. This study investigated the effect of sex on incidence and outcome of OHCA according to presumed and adjudicated aetiology within a local health network.

Methods

Population-based observational cohort study of emergency medical services (EMS) attended OHCAs within an Australian local health network. Cases identified from an EMS registry between 2012-2016 were linked to a hospital registry. Age-standardised incidence and baseline characteristics were stratified by sex for EMS-treated OHCA, non-EMS witnessed presumed cardiac and obvious non-cardiac sub-cohorts, and hospitalised cases. Logistic regression was used to explore the primary outcome of survival to hospital discharge.

Results

We identified 2,024 EMS-attended and 780 EMS-treated OHCAs. The non-EMS witnessed sub-cohorts comprised 504 presumed cardiac and 168 obvious non-cardiac OHCAs. Adjudicated aetiology was recorded in 123 hospitalised cases. Age-standardised incidence for women was almost half that of men across all groups. Across cohorts, women were generally older and arrested with a non-shockable initial rhythm in an area of low socioeconomic status. There was no sex difference in the primary outcome for the main EMS-treated cohort or in the non-cardiac sub-cohorts. The sex difference in outcome in the presumed cardiac sub-cohort was not present after multivariable adjustment.

Conclusions

There are sex differences in incidence and outcome of EMS-treated OHCA that appear to be driven by differences in susceptibility to cardiac arrhythmias and underlying etiology, rather than treatment delays or disparities.

Incidence, characteristics and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in patients with psychiatric illness: A systematic review

Aim

To conduct a systematic literature review of the existing evidence on incidence, characteristics and outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in patients with psychiatric illness.

Methods

We searched Embase, Medline, PsycINFO and Web of Science using a comprehensive electronic search strategy to identify observational studies reporting on OHCA incidence, characteristics or outcomes by psychiatric illness status. One reviewer screened all titles and abstracts, and a second reviewer screened a random 10%. Two reviewers independently performed data extraction and quality assessment.

Results

Our search retrieved 11,380 studies, 10 of which met our inclusion criteria (8 retrospective cohort studies and two nested case-control studies). Three studies focused on depression, whilst seven included various psychiatric conditions. Among patients with an OHCA, those with psychiatric illness (compared to those without) were more likely to have: an arrest in a private location; an unwitnessed arrest; more comorbidities; less bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and an initial non-shockable rhythm. Two studies reported on OHCA incidence proportion and two reported on survival, showing higher risk, but lower survival, in patients with psychiatric illness.

Conclusion

Psychiatric illness in relation to OHCA incidence and outcomes has rarely been studied and only a handful of studies have reported on OHCA characteristics, highlighting the need for further research in this area. The scant existing literature suggests that psychiatric illness may be associated with higher risks of OHCA, unfavourable characteristics and poorer survival. Future studies should further investigate these links and the role of potential contributory factors such as socioeconomic status and comorbidities.

Inequalities in Income and Education are Associated with Survival Differences after Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Nationwide Observational Study

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Background:

Despite the acknowledged importance of socioeconomic factors as regards cardiovascular disease onset and survival, the relationship between individual-level socioeconomic factors and survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is not established. Our aim was to investigate whether socioeconomic variables are associated with 30-day survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Methods:

We linked data from the Swedish Registry for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation with individual-level data on socioeconomic factors (ie, educational level and disposable income) from Statistics Sweden. Confounding and mediating variables included demographic factors, comorbidity, and Utstein resuscitation variables. Outcome was 30-day survival. Multiple modified Poisson regression was used for the main analyses.

Results:

A total of 31 373 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occurring in 2010 to 2017 were included. Crude 30-day survival rates by income quintiles were as follows: Q1 (low), 414/6277 (6.6%); Q2, 339/6276 (5.4%); Q3, 423/6275 (6.7%); Q4, 652/6273 (10.4%); and Q5 (high), 928/6272 (14.8%). In adjusted analysis, the chance of survival by income level followed a gradient-like increase, with a risk ratio of 1.86 (95% CI, 1.65–2.09) in the highest-income quintile versus the lowest. This association remained after adjusting for comorbidity, resuscitation factors, and initial rhythm. A higher educational level was associated with improved 30-day survival, with the risk ratio associated with postsecondary education ≥4 years being 1.51 (95% CI, 1.30–1.74). Survival disparities by income and educational level were observed in both men and women.

Conclusions:

In this nationwide observational study using individual-level socioeconomic data, higher income and higher educational level were associated with better 30-day survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in both sexes.

Resuscitation highlights in 2020

BACKGROUND

This review is the latest in a series of regular annual reviews undertaken by the editors and aims to highlight some of the key papers published in Resuscitation during 2020. The number of papers submitted to the Journal in 2020 increased by 25% on the previous year.MethodsHand-searching by the editors of all papers published in Resuscitation during 2020. Papers were selected based on then general interest and novelty and were categorised into general themes.ResultsA total of 103 papers were selected for brief mention in this review.ConclusionsResuscitation science continues to evolve rapidly and incorporate all links in the chain of survival.