Race and Survival After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in a Suburban Community

Pulseless Electric Activity

“…45,48,49 In 3 suburban counties in Michigan, 21% of blacks versus 14% of whites presented with PEA. 50 In the Oregon SUDS, black race was strongly associated with PEA as opposed to VF (OR, 2.64; 95% CI, 1.29-5.38) after adjustment for age, sex, resuscitation variables, and comorbidities. 45,48 Hypoxia has long been recognized as a component of PEA pathophysiology, which may explain why pulmonary disease is a significant independent predictor of PEA.…”

Post–Cardiac Arrest Syndrome

“…Advanced age is associated with decreased survival after resuscitation, [257][258][259] but at least 1 study suggested that advanced age did not predict poor neurological outcome in survivors. 260 Race [261][262][263] and poor pre-cardiac arrest health, including conditions such as diabetes mellitus, 259,264 sepsis, 265 metastatic cancer, 266 renal failure, 267 homebound lifestyle, 266 and stroke, 267 were associated with outcome, although not enough to be reliable predictors of function. The prearrest Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II and III scores also were not reliable predictors.…”

Racial Disparity in Cardiac Procedures and Mortality Among Long-Term Survivors of Cardiac Arrest

“…Differences in survival to hospital discharge were found between whites and blacks in Chicago, Ill, 3 but no such disparity was observed in suburban Michigan. 4 Although sizable registries of long-term survivors have been compiled in clinical trials, 5,6 these may not reflect survival in the general population. Blacks have a higher incidence of cardiac arrest, 7 yet the largest community-based survival study was conducted in a population with fewer than 2% nonwhites.…”