Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in US Airports

How are out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) cases at US airports different from OHCA cases at other public venues?This cross-sectional study used a nationwide database of emergency medical services (EMS) activations in the US to compare OHCA in airports with nonairport nonresidential settings. Airports were associated with significantly increased rates of witnessed cardiac arrests, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator use before EMS arrival, shockable rhythms, and return of spontaneous circulation.This study suggests that, due to a variety of factors, airports are associated with improved OHCA response and survival outcomes compared with other nonresidential settings—other public venues should try to replicate these factors to improve their cardiac arrest preparedness.

Corresponding Author: Aditya C. Shekhar, MBE, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, New York City, NY 10029 (shekhar.aditya.c@gmail.com).

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