Page 176 - Ultrasonography in Prehospital and Emergency Medicine - Rein Ketelaars

Cause of cardiac arrest
Age < 18 years n (%)
Age >= 18 years n (%)
Total n (%)
174
Chapter 8
Cardiac arrest
The causes of cardiac arrest are described for two age groups (under and over 18 years) and displayed in Table 8.2. The median delay starting BLS after the (estimated) occurrence of cardiac arrest (n = 50) was 2.5 minutes (IQR 0–8.25). CPR continued for a median of 32 min- utes (IQR 23–50). The first ultrasound examination was performed 28 minutes (IQR 20–39) after the arrest.
ROSC occurred in 14 patients (25%). In nine patients (16%) ROSC occurred on-scene, in three (5%) during transport and in two (4%) in the emergency department. Hence, in 42 (75%) patients, circulation never returned. ROSC occurred in four of eleven children (36%).
In some, ROSC occurred only temporarily and eventually, the team terminated resuscita-
Table 8.2
Non-trauma Cardiac
Medical (non-cardiac) SIDS
Choking and asphyxia Intoxication Unknown
Trauma (high energy)
Traffic accident
Fall from height
Crush injury and asphyxia Impact with a blunt object
Trauma (low energy) Drowning
Hanging
Burns and inhalation trauma
Total
Distribution of causes of cardiac arrest (per age category)
SIDS, sudden infant death syndrome.
9
–
6 (55) 2 (18) 1 (9) –
–
– – – – –
2 (18) 2 (18) –
–
11 (100)
20 12 (27) 2 (4) –
4 (9) 1 (2) 1 (2)
17 (38) 13 (29) 2 (4) 1 (2) 1 (2)
8 (18) 4 (9) 3 (7) 1 (2)
45 (100)
29 (52) 12 (21) 8 (14) 2 (4)
5 (9) 1 (2) 1 (2)
17 (30) 13 (23) 2 (4) 1 (2) 1 (2)
10 (18) 6 (11) 3 (5) 1 (2)
56 (100)