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Characteristics and outcome of cardiorespiratory arrest in children

Jesús López-Herce1, Cristina García, Pedro Domínguez

  • 1Arzobispo Morcillo 28029 Madrid, Spain. pielvi@ya.com

Resuscitation
|December 8, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric cardio-respiratory arrest in Spain has a high mortality rate, with survival significantly better after respiratory arrest compared to cardiac arrest. Longer cardiopulmonary resuscitation times indicate higher mortality risk in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine
  • Cardiology
  • Resuscitation Science

Background:

  • Cardio-respiratory arrest (CRA) in children presents unique challenges in diagnosis and management.
  • Understanding current outcomes and characteristics of pediatric CRA is crucial for improving survival rates.
  • Previous studies highlight variations in pediatric CRA based on arrest type and location.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the current characteristics and outcomes of pediatric cardio-respiratory arrest in Spain.
  • To identify key factors influencing survival rates in children experiencing CRA.

Main Methods:

  • An 18-month prospective, multicenter study.
  • Inclusion of 283 children (7 days to 17 years) experiencing out-of-hospital or in-hospital CRA.
  • Data collection followed the Utstein style, analyzing initial and 1-year survival.

Main Results:

  • A total of 311 CRA episodes were analyzed (70 respiratory, 241 cardiac).
  • Accidents were the leading cause of out-of-hospital CRA (40%), while cardiac disease led in-hospital CRA (31%).
  • Initial survival was 60.2%, with a 1-year survival of 33.2%. Survival was higher for respiratory arrest (70%) than cardiac arrest (21.1%).
  • Cardiopulmonary resuscitation duration exceeding 20 minutes was the strongest predictor of mortality (OR: 10.35).

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric cardio-respiratory arrest in Spain continues to have a high mortality rate.
  • Survival outcomes are significantly better for children experiencing respiratory arrest compared to cardiac arrest.
  • The duration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation is the most critical indicator of mortality in pediatric CRA.
Abstract

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