Post-cardiac arrest mortality is declining: a study of the US National Inpatient Sample 2001 to 2009

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Population-based mortality rates for cardiac arrest patients in the US have not been comprehensively studied over recent decades.
• Advances in postresuscitation care necessitate updated analyses of in-hospital outcomes.
• Understanding trends in cardiac arrest mortality is crucial for evaluating healthcare effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the annual in-hospital mortality rates for patients hospitalized with cardiac arrest in the United States from 2001 to 2009.
• To analyze trends in cardiac arrest mortality over a nine-year period.
• To identify factors influencing in-hospital survival after cardiac arrest.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the 2001-2009 US National Inpatient Sample, a large national hospital discharge database.
• Identified patients with cardiac arrest using the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Edition, code 427.5.
• Analyzed in-hospital mortality rates, controlling for patient demographics (age, sex, race) and comorbidities.

Main Results:

• A total of 1,190,860 patients hospitalized with cardiac arrest were included in the study.
• The in-hospital mortality rate for cardiac arrest decreased annually from 69.6% in 2001 to 57.8% in 2009.
• This decline was observed across all analyzed subgroups, including variations in age, sex, race, and comorbidity status.

Conclusions:

• The in-hospital mortality rate for patients hospitalized with cardiac arrest in the United States experienced an 11.8% reduction between 2001 and 2009.
• Earlier years of hospitalization were a significant independent predictor of in-hospital death, even after adjusting for other factors.
• The findings indicate a positive trend in cardiac arrest survival within US hospitals during the study period.