SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL of the Hungarian Society of Cardiology

Relationship between survival and initial rhythm after cardiac arrest

█ Original article

DOI: 10.26430/CHUNGARICA.2017.47.1.30

Authors:
Szigethi Tímea, Pileczky Dávid, Pap Zsófia, Fekete-Győr Alexandra, Kovács Enikő, Heltai Krisztina, Molnár Levente, Ruzsa Zoltán, Bárczi György, Gellér László, Becker Dávid, Merkely Béla, Zima Endre
Semmelweis Egyetem, Városmajori Szív- és Érgyógyászati Klinika, Budapest

Summary

Background: The sudden cardiac death (SCD) is one of the main purposes of death in the developing countries. The most common causes of SCD are malignant arrhythmias. That could be devided into two major groups by sort: shockable (ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia) and non-shockable rhythms (asystole, pulseless electrical activity).
Aim and Methods: The aim of this study was to analize the long-term survival after SCD due to initial rhythm. The data were collected retrospectively from Semmelweis University Heart and Vascular Center between 2008 and 2011. We analized the data of 116 consecutive patient. Patients were devided to initial shockable (SR) and non-shockable rhythm (NSR) groups, and we compared the survival rates at hospital discharge, and after 1 and 3 months. Patients detected with unclear data of initial rhythm were excluded. Statistical analysis was performed with non-parametric tests, c2 test and t test.
Results: 67% of patients have got initially shockable rhythm. Patients with SR had a higher hospital discharge rate than those with NSR (54% vs. 16%, p=0.0002). The 1-month and 3-months survival rates were significantly higher in the SR group, than in the NSR in both cases, 60% vs. 24%, p=0.0001, and 49% vs. 16%, p=0.0004.
Conclusion: In our experience, after sudden cardiac death patients with initial shockable rhythm have higher chance of long-term survival, which contributes with international data.

ISSUE: CARDIOLOGIA HUNGARICA | 2017 | VOLUME 47, ISSUE 1

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