Contributor: Travis Barlock, MD

Educational Pearls:

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is defined as when the heart suddenly stops beating. Immediate treatment for SCA includes Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation. This event is commonly depicted in medical dramas as an intense moment but often with the patient surviving and making a full recovery (67-75%). This depiction has likely led the general population astray when it comes to the true survivability of SCA. When surveyed, the general population tends to believe that in excess of 50% of patients requiring CPR survive and return to daily life with no long-term consequences.

What percent of patients actually survive cardiac arrest?

SCA due to Ventricular Fibrillation (VF): 25-40%

SCA due to Pulseless Electrical Activity (PEA): 11%

SCA due to noncardiac causes (trauma ect.): 11%

SCA when the initially observed rhythm is Asystole: Less than 5%, by some measures as low as 2%.

References

1. Diem SJ, Lantos JD, Tulsky JA. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation on television. Miracles and misinformation. N Engl J Med. 1996 Jun 13;334(24):1578-82. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199606133342406. PMID: 8628340.

2. Bitter CC, Patel N, Hinyard L. Depiction of Resuscitation on Medical Dramas: Proposed Effect on Patient Expectations. Cureus. 2021 Apr 11;13(4):e14419. doi: 10.7759/cureus.14419. PMID: 33987068; PMCID: PMC8112599.

3. Engdahl J, Bång A, Lindqvist J, Herlitz J. Can we define patients with no and those with some chance of survival when found in asystole out of hospital? Am J Cardiol. 2000 Sep 15;86(6):610-4. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9149(00)01037-7. PMID: 10980209.

4. Cobb LA, Fahrenbruch CE, Walsh TR, Copass MK, Olsufka M, Breskin M, Hallstrom AP. Influence of cardiopulmonary resuscitation prior to defibrillation in patients with out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation. JAMA. 1999 Apr 7;281(13):1182-8. doi: 10.1001/jama.281.13.1182. PMID: 10199427.

5. Rea TD, Eisenberg MS, Becker LJ, Murray JA, Hearne T. Temporal trends in sudden cardiac arrest: a 25-year emergency medical services perspective. Circulation. 2003 Jun 10;107(22):2780-5. doi: 10.1161/01.CIR.0000070950.17208.2A. Epub 2003 May 19. PMID: 12756155.

6. Panchal AR, Bartos JA, Cabañas JG, Donnino MW, Drennan IR, Hirsch KG, Kudenchuk PJ, Kurz MC, Lavonas EJ, Morley PT, O'Neil BJ, Peberdy MA, Rittenberger JC, Rodriguez AJ, Sawyer KN, Berg KM; Adult Basic and Advanced Life Support Writing Group. Part 3: Adult Basic and Advanced Life Support: 2020 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care. Circulation. 2020 Oct 20;142(16_suppl_2):S366-S468. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000916. Epub 2020 Oct 21. PMID: 33081529.

Summarized by Jeffrey Olson, MS1 | Edited by Meg Joyce & Jorge Chalit, OMS1