Cardiac arrest in the Australian Alps: A 20-year analysis.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Emergency Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Alpine tourism is a growing global activity with increasing numbers of older visitors and those with cardiovascular conditions.
• Physiological stress and exertion in alpine environments may increase the risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the incidence, characteristics, and outcomes of OHCA in Australian alpine regions.
• To compare alpine OHCA cases with non-alpine OHCA cases.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of OHCA cases from the Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry (2002-2021).
• Comparison of demographic and clinical characteristics between alpine and non-alpine OHCA patients.
• Inclusion of hospital discharge diagnoses and National Coronial Information System data to determine causes of alpine OHCA.

Main Results:

• Alpine OHCA is rare, representing 0.04% of all OHCAs and 0.8 per million alpine visits.
• Alpine OHCA patients were younger (median age 52) and had higher rates of bystander defibrillation (54.5%) compared to non-alpine OHCA patients.
• Survival to hospital discharge was similar for both groups (38.5%), with ischemic heart disease being the most common cause.

Conclusions:

• Despite challenges, alpine OHCA in Australia is infrequent.
• High survival rates in alpine OHCA are attributed to favorable arrest factors and effective local care systems emphasizing early bystander intervention.