Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival in Beirut, Lebanon

Abstract

Background: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is used to evaluate the performance of the emergency medical service (EMS) system. Our study examined the characteristics and outcomes of OHCA cases presenting to a tertiary care center in Beirut, Lebanon. Methods: A retrospective chart review of all adult OHCA patients admitted to the emergency department (ED) over a 3-year period was carried out. Data collection and analysis was performed using the Utstein guidelines. Results: A total of 214 OHCA patients were presumed to have cardiac etiology; of them 205 (95.8%) underwent ED resuscitation. The mean age was 69±15.4 years. More than half of the patients (54.2%) were witnessed, but unfortunately the bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation rate was low (4.2%). Most of them were transported by EMS (71.5%). An automatic external defibrillator was rarely used (0.9%). Asystole was the predominant presenting rhythm in ED (81.8%). Eleven patients (5.5%) survived to hospital discharge and five (45.4%) had good neurological outcome. Conclusion: The OHCA survival rate in Beirut, Lebanon, is low. Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation and early defibrillation should be prioritized to achieve better outcomes. © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.