Table 2. Analysis of data from the German Resuscitation Registry, 2007–2019 *1.
| (Assumed) cause | Lay resuscitatation | Number of cases | Male sex | Mean age (years) | Cardiac arrest observed | Use of AED by layperson | Time before start of CPR (min) | Rhythm defibrillatable at ERS arrival (VF/VT) | ROSC | Thirty days’ survival/discharged alive | CPC 1/2 on discharge |
| All causes | Yes | 14 245 | 67.9% *2 | 67.0 ± 18.0 *2 | 62.1% *2 | 2.5% | 2.8 *2 | 32.5% *2 | 48.1% *2 | 17.0% *2 | 11.5% *2 |
| No | 26 359 | 64.2% | 70.1 ± 16.5 | 38.7% | 0.9% | 9.2 | 19.2% | 41.0% | 9.5% | 6.1% | |
| Cardiac, other, and unknown | Yes | 11 530 | 69.7% *2 | 68.6 ± 15.7 *2 | 63.3% *2 | 2.8% | 2.8 *2 | 38.5% *2 | 47.5% *2 | 18.0% *2 | 12.5% *2 |
| No | 20 590 | 65.0% | 71.8 ± 14.7 | 39.3% | 1.0% | 9.3 | 23.1% | 39.9% | 9.8% | 6.6% | |
| Trauma and bleeding to death | Yes | 472 | 73.7% | 56.4 ± 21.4 *4 | 57.0% *2 | 0.6% | 3.1 *2 | 6.1% | 26.5% | 4.2% | 2.8% |
| No | 1389 | 69.3% | 59.1 ± 20.9 | 38.3% | 0.1% | 9.3 | 4.5% | 26.8% | 3.0% | 1.5% | |
| Hypoxia | Yes | 1603 | 55.9% | 64.6 ± 22.9 | 60.5% *2 | 0.8% | 2.7 *2 | 5.4% | 55.1% | 12.1% *4 | 5.5% |
| No | 3159 | 57.2% | 68.6 ± 18.6 | 39.6% | 0.4% | 8.9 | 4.2% | 52.3% | 10.0% | 5.0% | |
| Drowning | Yes | 100 | 69.0% | 34.5 ± 29.9 *2 | 26.0% | 0.1% | 3.6 *2 | 6.0% | 56.0% *4 | 24.0% *4 | 16.0% *4 |
| No | 105 | 69.5% | 56.0 ± 23.2 | 22.9% | 1.9% | 18.2 | 8.6% | 38.1% | 11.4% | 6.7% | |
| Intoxication | Yes | 216 | 71.3% | 41.9 ± 16.5 *4 | 38.4% *2 | 0.9% | 3.2 *2 | 8.3% | 54.6% *4 | 29.2% *2 | 21.8% *2 |
| No | 378 | 70.9% | 44.9 ± 16.0 | 18.3% | 0.3% | 9.7 | 6.9% | 45.0% | 14.6% | 10.1% | |
| Central nervous system disorder | Yes | 147 | 45.6% | 67.7 ± 17.5 | 67.4% *2 | 1.4% | 2.7 *2 | 17.7% *3 | 67.3% *3 | 18.4% *4 | 13.6% *3 |
| No | 294 | 52.7% | 70.6 ± 15.5 | 40.5% | 0.7% | 8.6 | 9.2% | 53.7% | 10.2% | 5.8% | |
| Sepsis | Yes | 47 | 57.5% | 67.3 ± 21.9 | 63.8% *2 | 0.0% | 2.5 | 10.6% | 46.8% | 8.5% | 2.1% |
| No | 101 | 64.4% | 71.0 ± 17.0 | 24.8% | 1.0% | 6.6 | 5.0% | 49.5% | 3.0% | 1.0% |
*1 The cases investigated were out-of-hospital cardiac arrests that occurred before the arrival of ERS personnel and for which data on subsequent treatment were available. The data included comprise demographic information, basic characteristics, and patient outcome by underlying cause. Statistical analysis by means of chi-squared test was carried out separately for each cause (lay resuscitation versus no lay resuscitation).
*2 p < 0.001; *3 p < 0.01; *4 p < 0.05
AED, Automatic external defibrillator; CPC, cerebral performance category; CPR, cardiopulmonary resuscitation; ERS, emergency rescue services; ROSC, return of spontaneous circulation; VF, ventricular fibrillation; VT, ventricular tachycardia