Classification, Resuscitation and Prognosis of Cardiac Arrest Cases upon Arrival at Emergency Room (DOA) According to ECG Data

• Published in: Nihon Kyukyu Igakukai Zasshi 1993/12/15, Vol.4(6), pp.589-595
• Main Authors: Taki, Kenji, Hirahara, Kenji, Totoki, Tadahide, Endo, Shigeatsu, Taniguchi, Shigeru, Hoshi, Shuitsu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: classification of DOA; CPR; dead on arrival (DOA); ECG; prognosis
• ISSN: 0915-924X; 1883-3772
• DOI: 10.3893/jjaam.4.589

A total of 353 dead on arrival (DOA) cases (disease group: 222, trauma group: 131) were classified into 5 types according to ECG data upon arrival at the emergency room, and the resuscitation rate, prognosis, circumstances and cause of each type of DOA were examined. The mean interval from cardiac arrest to arrival at the emergency room was 32.3 min over all, the shortest interval being in the type II disease group, 16.1 min, while the interval was 26.5 min in the type I trauma group. The mean resuscitation rate was 20% over all, though the resuscitation rates in type N and type I were over 50%. As to the prognoses of surviving cases, prognosis was better with a shorter interval from cardiac arrest to arrival at the emergency room. The cardiac arrests of most DOA cases occurred during rest or exercise due to cardiac or cerebro vascular disease in the disease group. In the trauma group, most DOA cases were due to traffic accidents, and neither the resuscitation rate nor prognosis were found to be related with either the type of DOA or with the mean interval of each type. To improve the resuscitation rate, it is concluded that immediate initiation of optimal CPR is required in the disease group and that prehospital care including fluid infusion and aggressive hospital care are essential. Therefore, an early identification system, CPR education for citizen and aggressive prehospital and hospital care are expected to improve the resuscitation rate.