Trends in Management and Mortality in Adults Hospitalized With Cardiac Arrest in the United States

We sought to examine temporal trends in management (ie, use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation [ECMO], therapeutic hypothermia [TH], coronary angiogram, and percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI]) and in-hospital mortality in adults hospitalized with cardiac arrest.

Utilizing the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, medical history, clinical management, and in-hospital mortality were assessed in 942 495 hospitalizations in adults with cardiac arrest (identified through International Classification of Diseases-9 codes) from 2006 to 2012.

From 2006 to 2012, there was an overall rise in the use of coronary angiogram (12.8%, 13.0%, 14.7%, 15.0%, 14.3%, 14.7%, and 15.8%), PCI (7.5%, 7.1%, 8.4%, 8.1%, 8.1%, 8.4%, and 8.9%), TH (0.2%, 0.3%, 0.6%, 1.2%, 1.9%, 2.8%, and 3.0%), and ECMO (0.1%, 0.1%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.2%, 0.3%, and 0.4%; P < .001 for all). In-hospital mortality significantly decreased over the 7-year study period (65.5%, 63.4%, 59.3%, 57.9%, 57.0%, 56.0%, and 56.3% from 2006 to 2012). In multivariable analysis, a 31% decrease in mortality was accompanied by a concomitant 24% and 27% increase in coronary angiogram and PCI, respectively, during the study period. Therapeutic hypothermia and ECMO were associated with an approximate 11-fold and 7-fold increase, respectively, from 2006 to 2012. The strongest predictors of use of ECMO, TH, coronary angiogram, and PCI were younger age and the presence of coronary artery disease.

During 2006 to 2012, a decline in mortality was accompanied by a steady rise in the use of ECMO, TH, coronary angiogram, and PCI in adults hospitalized with cardiac arrest. Patients of younger age and with coronary artery disease were more likely to receive these advanced therapies.