Long-term outcome of bystander-witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Estonia from 1999 to 2002

Objective: To assess the long-term outcome of bystander-witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims in Estonia by using the survival rate and quality of life assay. Methods: All resuscitation attempts made from 01.01.1999 to 31.12.2002 in Estonia were retrospectively screened for bystander-witnessed adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrests of cardiac origin. The patients who survived hospital discharge were included in the Study. Their long-term survival data were retrieved from Estonian Population Registry on March 15, 2004. Quality of life was assessed by RAND-36 questionnaire. Comparisons were made with population norms, and patients suffering from myocardial infarction or angina pectoris. Results: 854 bystander-witnessed resuscitation attempts were made in four years. 91 patients (10.7%) survived to hospital discharge. Their one-year survival rate was 77.0% and five-year survival rate 64.3%. 44 patients responded to quality of life questionnaire, sent 16-62 months after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (response rate 77.2%). Respondents rated their quality of life significantly worse than general population in five out of eight categories. The out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors with known cardiovascular disease in history (n = 30) had quality of life similar to patients suffering from myocardial infarction or angina pectoris who had not required resuscitation. Conclusion: In Estonia majority of bystander-witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims who survive hospital discharge are alive one and also more than three years after resuscitation. Their quality of life is worse than that of general population. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.