The care of patients who have survived the early phase of a cardiac arrest out-of-hospital has been intensified over the past decade, with an increasing incidence of treatment with hypothermia, mechanical revascularization and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD).
In the absence of extensive randomized studies documenting the value of various aspects of care after a cardiac arrest, there is a need for a continuous monitoring of the consequences of the introduction of these various treatments.
The study tests the hypothesis that the degree of activity in the care after a cardiac arrest is related to survival after 30 days with good cerebral function as well as survival after one year.
A prospective and retrospective survey was conducted of all patients who were alive when admitted to hospital during the period 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2011 in the whole of Västra Götaland with respect to various factors in cases of cardiac arrest, previous medical history and care after a cardiac arrest. Approximately 700 patients are expected to be included in the study.