Long-term survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in children: outcomes in Andalusia in 2008-2019.

OBJECTIVE

To determine survival to discharge and neurological outcomes on long-term follow-up of pediatric patients attended for out of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).

METHODS

Retrospective study based on an ongoing OHCA registry. Patients aged 16 years or younger were included. Futile resuscitation attempts were excluded. Neurological outcome on hospital discharge and on follow-up was based on variables in the Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category (PCPC) scale. Cases from January 1, 2008, through December 31, 2019, were extracted, and 2 surveys were carried out in May 2021 and January 2023. Patient follow-up time ranged from 1 to 13 years.

RESULTS

Of the 13 778 patients in the registry, we found 277 (2.0%) who were aged 16 years or younger. One hundred thirty-seven patients (49.5%) were transported to a hospital, and spontaneous circulation was restored in 99 (35.7%). Thirty-six patients (13%) were discharged. The median (interquartile range) follow-up time was 2172 (978-3035) days. Thirty-one of these patients (86.1%) were alive at follow-up, 3 had died, and 2 were lost to follow-up. Neurological outcomes had worsened in 2 and improved in 6 patients. The neurological outcome of 27 of the 31 patients with complete follow-up data (87.1%) was good (PCPC scores of 1 or 2).

CONCLUSIONS

In spite of the low incidence of shockable rhythm in pediatric OHCA, survival with a good neurological outcome is comparable to survival in adults. Children who are discharged after OHCA maintained or improved their neurological function over the long term.