Socioeconomic disparities in prehospital factors and survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

Community-level bystander treatment and outcomes for witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the state of Connecticut

Background

Prior reports have demonstrated underutilization of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) use in patients with witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in Connecticut. This study aimed to identify community-level risk factors that contribute to low rates of bystander intervention to improve statewide OHCA outcomes.

Methods

We analyzed 2,789 adult patients with witnessed, non-traumatic OHCA submitted to the Connecticut Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES) between 2013-2022. Patients were grouped by zip code, and associated municipal characteristics were acquired from 2022 United States Census Bureau data. Use of bystander CPR, attempted bystander AED defibrillation, and patient survival with favorable neurological function were determined for 19 of the 20 most populous cities and towns. Pearson correlation tests and linear regression were used to determine associations between OHCA treatment and outcomes with population size, racial/ethnic demographics, language use, income, and educational level.

Results

Bystander CPR was lower in municipalities with population size > 100,000 and in communities where > 40% of residents are non-English-speaking. AED use was also lower in these municipalities, as well as those with per capita incomes < $40,000 or > 1/3 Hispanic residents. Communities with populations > 100,000, > 40% non-English-speaking, per capita income < $40,000, and > 1/3 Hispanic residents were all associated with lower survival rates.

Conclusions

OHCA pre-hospital treatment and outcomes vary significantly by municipality in Connecticut. Community outcomes might be improved by specifically targeting urban population centers and Hispanic communities with culturally sensitive, low, or no-cost CPR and AED educational programs, using instructional languages other than English.

Incidence and Survival of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Public Housing Areas in 3 European Capitals

BACKGROUND

Strategies to reach out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (called cardiac arrest) in residential areas and reduce disparities in care and outcomes are warranted. This study investigated incidences of cardiac arrests in public housing areas.

METHODS

This register-based cohort study included cardiac arrest patients from Amsterdam (the Netherlands) from 2016 to 2021, Copenhagen (Denmark) from 2016 to 2021, and Vienna (Austria) from 2018 to 2021. Using Poisson regression adjusted for spatial correlation and city, we compared cardiac arrest incidence rates (number per square kilometer per year and number per 100 000 inhabitants per year) in public housing and other residential areas and examined the proportion of cardiac arrests within public housing and adjacent areas (100-m radius).

RESULTS

Overall, 9152 patients were included of which 3038 (33.2%) cardiac arrests occurred in public housing areas and 2685 (29.3%) in adjacent areas. In Amsterdam, 635/1801 (35.3%) cardiac arrests occurred in public housing areas; in Copenhagen, 1036/3077 (33.7%); and in Vienna, 1367/4274 (32.0%). Public housing areas covered 42.4 (12.6%) of 336.7 km2 and 1 024 470 (24.6%) of 4 164 700 inhabitants. Across the capitals, we observed a lower probability of 30-day survival in public housing versus other residential areas (244/2803 [8.7%] versus 783/5532 [14.2%]). The incidence rates and rate ratio of cardiac arrest in public housing versus other residential areas were incidence rate, 16.5 versus 4.1 n/km2 per year; rate ratio, 3.46 (95% CI, 3.31-3.62) and incidence rate, 56.1 versus 36.8 n/100 000 inhabitants per year; rate ratio, 1.48 (95% CI, 1.42-1.55). The incidence rates and rate ratios in public housing versus other residential areas were consistent across the 3 capitals.

CONCLUSIONS

Across 3 European capitals, one-third of cardiac arrests occurred in public housing areas, with an additional third in adjacent areas. Public housing areas exhibited consistently higher cardiac arrest incidences per square kilometer and 100 000 inhabitants and lower survival than other residential areas. Public housing areas could be a key target to improve cardiac arrest survival in countries with a public housing sector.

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.

The American Heart Association Emergency Cardiovascular Care 2030 Impact Goals and Call to Action to Improve Cardiac Arrest Outcomes: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

Every 10 years, the American Heart Association (AHA) Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee establishes goals to improve survival from cardiac arrest. These goals align with broader AHA Impact Goals and support the AHA's advocacy efforts and strategic investments in research, education, clinical care, and quality improvement programs. This scientific statement focuses on 2030 AHA emergency cardiovascular care priorities, with a specific focus on bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, early defibrillation, and neurologically intact survival. This scientific statement also includes aspirational goals, such as establishing cardiac arrest as a reportable disease and mandating reporting of standardized outcomes from different sources; advancing recognition of and knowledge about cardiac arrest; improving dispatch system response, availability, and access to resuscitation training in multiple settings and at multiple time points; improving availability, access, and affordability of defibrillators; providing a focus on early defibrillation, in-hospital programs, and establishing champions for debriefing and review of cardiac arrest events; and expanding measures to track outcomes beyond survival. The ability to track and report data from these broader aspirational targets will potentially require expansion of existing data sets, development of new data sets, and enhanced integration of technology to collect process and outcome data, as well as partnerships of the AHA with national, state, and local organizations. The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, disparities in COVID-19 outcomes for historically excluded racial and ethnic groups, and the longstanding disparities in cardiac arrest treatment and outcomes for Black and Hispanic or Latino populations also contributed to an explicit focus and target on equity for the AHA Emergency Cardiovascular Care 2030 Impact Goals.

Automated external defibrillator location and socioeconomic deprivation in Great Britain

OBJECTIVE

The early use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) improves outcomes in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). We investigated AED access across Great Britain (GB) according to socioeconomic deprivation.

METHODS

Cross-sectional observational study using AED location data from The Circuit: the national defibrillator network led by the British Heart Foundation in partnership with the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, Resuscitation Council UK and St John Ambulance. We calculated street network distances between all 1 677 466 postcodes in GB and the nearest AED and used a multilevel linear mixed regression model to investigate associations between the distances from each postcode to the nearest AED and Index of Multiple Deprivation, stratified by country and according to 24 hours 7 days a week (24/7) access.

RESULTS

78 425 AED locations were included. Across GB, the median distance from the centre of a postcode to an AED was 726 m (England: 739 m, Scotland: 743 m, Wales: 512 m). For 24/7 access AEDs, the median distances were further (991 m, 994 m, 570 m). In Wales, the average distance to the nearest AED and 24/7 AED was shorter for the most deprived communities. In England, the average distance to the nearest AED was also shorter in the most deprived areas. There was no association between deprivation and average distance to the nearest AED in Scotland. However, the distance to the nearest 24/7 AED was greater with increased deprivation in England and Scotland. On average, a 24/7 AED was in England and Scotland, respectively, 99.2 m and 317.1 m further away in the most deprived than least deprived communities.

CONCLUSION

In England and Scotland, there are differences in distances to the nearest 24/7 accessible AED between the most and least deprived communities. Equitable access to 'out-of-hours' accessible AEDs may improve outcomes for people with OHCA.

Temporal trends in socioeconomic disparity in clinical outcomes for patients with acute coronary syndrome

AIMS

Socioeconomic factors are well-established determinants of clinical outcomes among patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) although quality of care has improved the last decades. This study aims to investigate 20-years temporal trends of socioeconomic disparity in 1-year incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) among ACS patients in Denmark.

METHODS

This population-based cohort study included all incident ACS patients in the Danish National Patient Registry during 1998-2017. Socioeconomic disparity was assessed by income and educational level. Patients were followed 1-year for MACE; defined as all-cause mortality, recurrent ACS, revascularization, stroke, or cardiac arrest. Adjusted MACE incidence rates (aIR) and hazard rate ratios (aHR) were computed with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for five-year-periods. Changes in trends were examined from interaction analyses between the HR for five-year-periods and income and education, respectively.

RESULTS

The study included 220,887 patients with first-time ACS. The incidence of MACE decreased within all income and education levels. In 1998-2002 the MACE aIR among patients with low income was 885[95%CI:863-907] versus 733[711-756]/1000-person-year among those with high income (aHR: 1.19[95%CI:1.15-1.23]). The aIRs decreased to 506[489-522] and 405[388-423]/1000-person-year, respectively, in 2013-2017 (aHR: 1.23[1.17-1.29]). The aIRs of MACE decreased correspondingly within all educational levels from 1998 to 2002 to 2013-2017. However, the socioeconomic disparity according to the interaction analyses persisted both according to income and educational level.

CONCLUSION

Although 1-year clinical outcomes following ACS has improved substantially over the last decades, socioeconomic disparity persisted both according to income and education level.

Disparities in cardiovascular disease and treatment in the Nordic countries

The Nordic countries, including Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden have seen a steep decline in cardiovascular mortality in recent decades. They are among the most egalitarian countries by several measures, and all have universal, publicly funded welfare systems providing healthcare for all citizens. However, despite these seemingly ideal conditions, disparities in access to cardiovascular care and outcomes persist. To address this challenge, The Lancet Region Health-Europe convened experts from a broad range of countries to summarize the current state of knowledge on cardiovascular disease disparities across Europe. This Series Paper presents the main challenges in Nordic countries based on evidence from high-quality nationwide registries. Focusing on major cardiovascular health determinants, areas in need of improvement were identified. There is a need for addressing structural causes underlying these disparities, such as poverty and discrimination, but also to improve access to healthcare in deprived neighborhoods and to address underlying social determinants of health that may mitigate disparities in cardiovascular outcomes. Overall, while the Nordic countries have made great strides in promoting egalitarianism and providing universal healthcare, there is still much work to be done to ensure equitable access to care and improved cardiovascular outcomes for all members of society.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Treatment and Outcomes for Witnessed Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Connecticut

BACKGROUND

Racial and ethnic disparities in the treatment and outcomes for witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in the United States have been previously described. We sought to characterize disparities in pre-hospital care, overall survival, and survival with favorable neurological outcomes following witnessed OHCA in the state of Connecticut.

METHODS

We performed a cross-sectional study to compare pre-hospital treatment and outcomes for White versus Black and Hispanic (Minority) OHCA patients submitted from Connecticut to the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES) between 2013 and 2021. Primary outcomes included bystander CPR use, bystander automated external defibrillator (AED) use with attempted defibrillation, overall survival, and survival with favorable cerebral function.

RESULTS

2,809 patients with witnessed OHCA were analyzed (924 Black or Hispanic; 1885 White). Minorities had lower rates of bystander CPR (31.4% vs 39.1%, P=0.002) and bystander AED placement with attempted defibrillation (10.5% vs 14.4%, P=0.004), with lower rates of survival to hospital discharge (10.3% vs 14.8%, P=0.001) and survival with favorable cerebral function (65.3% vs 80.2%, P=0.003). Minorities were less likely to receive bystander CPR in communities with median annual household income >$80, 000 (OR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.33 - 0.95; P=0.030) and in integrated neighborhoods (OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.52 - 0.95; P=0.020).

CONCLUSIONS

Black and Hispanic Connecticut patients with witnessed OHCA have lower rates of bystander CPR, attempted AED defibrillation, overall survival, and survival with favorable neurological outcomes compared to White patients. Minorities were less likely to receive bystander CPR in affluent and integrated communities.

The development of a risk-adjustment strategy to benchmark emergency medical service (EMS) performance in relation to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Australia and New Zealand

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study was to develop a risk adjustment strategy, including effect modifiers, for benchmarking emergency medical service (EMS) performance for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in Australia and New Zealand.

METHOD

Using 2017-2019 data from the Australasian Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (Aus-ROC) OHCA Epistry, we included adults who received an EMS attempted resuscitation for a presumed medical OHCA. Logistic regression was applied to develop risk adjustment models for event survival (return of spontaneous circulation at hospital handover) and survival to hospital discharge/30 days. We examined potential effect modifiers, and assessed model discrimination and validity.

RESULTS

Both OHCA survival outcome models included EMS agency and the Utstein variables (age, sex, location of arrest, witnessed arrest, initial rhythm, bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, defibrillation prior to EMS arrival, and EMS response time). The model for event survival had good discrimination according to the concordance statistic (0.77) and explained 28% of the variation in survival. The corresponding figures for survival to hospital discharge/30 days were 0.87 and 49%. The addition of effect modifiers did little to improve the performance of either model.

CONCLUSION

The development of risk adjustment models with good discrimination is an important step in benchmarking EMS performance for OHCA. The Utstein variables are important in risk-adjustment, but only explain a small proportion of the variation in survival. Further research is required to understand what factors contribute to the variation in survival between EMS.

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.

Global prevalence of basic life support training: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest exerts a large disease burden, which may be mitigated by bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillation. We aimed to estimate the global prevalence and distribution of bystander training among laypersons, which are poorly understood, and to identify their determinants.

METHODS

We searched electronic databases for cross-sectional studies reporting the prevalence of bystander training from representative population samples. Pooled prevalence was calculated using random-effects models. Key outcome was cardiopulmonary resuscitation training (training within two-years and those who were ever trained). We explored determinants of interest using subgroup analysis and meta-regression.

RESULTS

28 studies were included, representing 53,397 laypersons. Among national studies, the prevalence of cardiopulmonary resuscitation training within two-years and among those who were ever trained, and automated external defibrillator training was 10.02% (95% CI 6.60-14.05) and 39.64% (95%CI 29.11-50.67), and 15.70% (95% CI 10.17-22.18) respectively. Subgroup analyses by continent revealed pooled prevalence estimates of 31.58% (95%CI 18.70-46.09), 52.62% (95%CI 38.40-66.63), 18.93 (95%CI 0.00-62.94), 64.97% (95%CI 64.00-65.93), and 50.56% (95%CI 47.57-53.54) in Asia, Europe, Middle East, North America, and Oceania respectively, with significant subgroup differences (p<0.01). A country's income and cardiopulmonary resuscitation training (ever trained) (p=0.033) were positively correlated. Similarly, this prevalence was higher among the employed (p<0.00001) and highly educated (p<0.00001).

CONCLUSIONS

Large regional variation exists in data availability and bystander training prevalence. Socioeconomic status correlated with prevalence of bystander training, and regional disparities were apparent between continents. Bystander training should be promoted, particularly in Asia, Middle East, and low-income regions. Data availability should be encouraged from under-represented regions.

Pre-arrest comorbidity burden and the future risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Korean adults

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the impact of pre-arrest comorbidities on future out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) development using a nationwide dataset.

METHODS

This population-based, matched case-control study used the national health insurance claims data relevant to OHCA in South Korea from January 2009 to December 2018. Case patients were randomly matched to controls by age, sex and date of cardiac arrest. Controls were defined as patients who did not experience OHCA based on claim codes in national health screening data. The comorbidity burden was assessed using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI).

RESULTS

A total of 191 370 OHCA patients were matched to 347 568 controls. The mean CCI in the case group was 3.76, which was significantly higher than that in the control group (1.75, p<0.001). Overall, OHCA was 1.35 (95% CI 1.34 to 1.35) times more likely to occur with every 1 point increase in the CCI. All other comorbidities constituting the CCI were associated with the OHCA risk (p<0.001). Patients with CCI ≥3 presented an OR of 3.71 (95% CI 3.67 to 3.76) for the risk of OHCA occurrence. This association was more pronounced in patients aged <70 years than in those aged ≥70 years (OR (95% CI) 16.07 (15.48 to 16.68) vs 6.50 (6.33 to 6.68)).

CONCLUSION

A high burden of pre-arrest comorbidity was associated with a higher risk of OHCA development, which was more pronounced in patients with less advanced age.

Epidemiology and Prehospital Care of Pediatric Unintentional Injuries Among Countries with Different Economic Status in Asia: A Cross-National, Multi-Center Observational Study

OBJECTIVE

Injury is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children. However, the epidemiology and prehospital care for pediatric unintentional injuries in Asia are still unclear.

METHODS

A total of 9,737 pediatric patients aged <18 years with unintentional injuries cared for at participating centers of the Pan-Asian Trauma Outcome Study (PATOS) from October 2015 to December 2020 were reviewed retrospectively. Patients were divided into two groups: those <8 and those ≥8 years of age. Variables such as patient demographics, injury epidemiology, Injury Severity Score (ISS), and prehospital care were collected. Injury severity and administered prehospital care stratified by gross national income were also analyzed.

RESULTS

Pediatric unintentional injuries accounted for 9.4% of EMS-transported trauma cases in the participating Asian centers, and the mortality rate was 0.88%. The leading cause of injury was traffic injuries in older children aged ≥8 years (56.5%), while falls at home were common among young children aged <8 years (43.9%). Compared with younger children, older children with similar ISS tended to receive more prehospital interventions. Uneven disease severity was found in that older children in lower-middle and upper-middle-income countries had higher ISS compared with those in high-income countries. The performance of prehospital interventions also differed among countries with different gross national incomes. Immobilizations were the most performed prehospital intervention followed by oxygen administration, airway management, and pain control; only one patient received prehospital thoracentesis. Procedures were performed more frequently in high-income countries than in upper-middle-income and lower-middle-income countries.

CONCLUSIONS

The major cause of injury was road traffic injuries in older children, while falls at home were common among young children. Prehospital care in pediatric unintentional injuries in Asian countries was not standardized and might be insufficient, and the economic status of countries may affect the implementation of prehospital care.

Individual-level income and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival in men and women

Objective

Area-level socioeconomic factors are known to associate with chances to survive out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA survival). However, the relationship between individual-level socioeconomic factors and OHCA survival in men and women is less established. This study investigated the association between individual-level income and OHCA survival in men and women, as well as its contribution to outcome variability and mediation by resuscitation characteristics.

Methods

A cross-sectional cohort study using data from a Dutch community-based OHCA registry was performed. We included 5395 patients aged≥25 years with OHCA from a presumed cardiac cause. Household income, derived from Statistics Netherlands, was stratified into quartiles. The association between survival to hospital discharge and household income was analysed using multivariable logistic regression adjusting for age, sex and resuscitation characteristics.

Results

Overall women had lower household income than men (median €18 567 vs €21 015), and less favourable resuscitation characteristics. Increasing household income was associated with increased OHCA survival in both men and women in a linear manner (Q4 vs Q1: OR 1.63 95% CI (1.24 to 2.16) in men, and 2.54 (1.43 to 4.48) in women). Only initial rhythm significantly changed the ORs for OHCA survival with>10% in both men and women. Household income explained 3.8% in men and 4.3% in women of the observed variance in OHCA survival.

Conclusion

Both in men and women, higher individual-level household income was associated with a 1.2-fold to 2.5-fold increased OHCA survival to hospital discharge, but explained only little of outcome variability. A shockable initial rhythm was the most important resuscitation parameter mediating this association. Our results do not support the need for immediate targeted interventions on actionable prehospital resuscitation care characteristics.

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.

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.