Report Reveals Only 7 Percent Survival Rates among Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Cases

Recently released reports suggest that the survival rate of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests is only 7 percent.

Cardiac arrests are the leading cause of deaths in the United States, especially among older adults. According to statistics, it claims over 350,000 lives each year and approximately 382,800 people experience sudden cardiac arrest in the United States each year. Statistics also reveal that 92 percent of sudden cardiac arrest victims don't survive, with chances of survival even lower for out-of-hospital cases.

According to findings presented by Professor Xavier Jouven and Dr Wulfran Bougouin from France at European Society of Cardiology Congress 2013, the survival rate of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests is only 7 percent.

"Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is an important public health problem, accounting for more than 400,000 deaths every year," said Professor Jouven in a press release. "The main cause is ventricular tachyarrhythmias which are often triggered by acute ischaemic events that can occur in persons with or without known heart disease. The survival rate from cardiac arrest has remained low over the last 40 years despite major investment and the epidemiology of SCD in Western Europe is unclear."

According to Jouven, the findings of their research emphasis on the need to take proper measures to reduce the number of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest deaths. Jouven suggests that friends and relatives of people at risk of SCD should learn CPR and attend regular training to keep their skills up-to-date.

The most common cause of SCA is a heart rhythm disorder (arrhythmia) called ventricular fibrillation (VF). VF is an "electrical problem" in the heart. Without immediate emergency help, death follows within minutes of an episode of ventricular fibrillation. It is estimated that 95 percent of victims who experience SCA die before they reach a hospital or some other source of emergency help. As many as 75 percent of people who die of SCA show signs of a previous heart attack with eighty percent showing signs of coronary artery disease.