Impact of Age on Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Resuscitation Duration

Introduction: Our study's aim is to evaluate if the age of patients who have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has an influence on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) duration carried out by professional teams. Patients and methods: We performed a prospective, monocentric study, using data from our University Hospital Center, from the National Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Electronic Register (OHCAR). Patients who had an OHCA were included, except those found in cadaveric rigidity or who had previously expressed advance end-of-life directives. They were divided into two groups according to their age: under 75 years, and 75 years and more. The primary endpoint was the resuscitation duration decided by the prehospital team's physician. Results: From January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015, 188/253 (74% male) OHCA patients received CPR by prehospital medical team. There has been 39% of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Only 31% were admitted alive to hospital, 6% were alive at day 30. The RCP duration was statistically longer for patients under 75 years old (29 +/- 15 vs 23 +/- 19 min; P < 0.01). However, for patients with spontaneous cardiac activity return, CPR duration was the same (16 +/- 10 vs 14 +/- 9 min respectively; P = 0.34). Survival of patients 75 years and older was 10 vs 22% (P = 0.35). Conclusion: Our study suggests that as the patient's age increases, the medical teams reduce the duration of resuscitation.