Sudden cardiac death: results of resuscitation begun outside hospital.

A retrospective review was undertaken to determine the influence of the St John Ambulance life support units on the the incidence of sudden cardiac death during a 12 month period in Auckland. In 65 instances subjects who collapsed with either ventricular fibrillation or cardiac arrest were resuscitated and transported alive to a hospital accident and emergency department in the Auckland area. Twenty patients died within 24 hours of admission and a further 14 died in hospital. There were seven late deaths and 24 survivors (37%). Ten patients are asymptomatic and the remainder are troubled by angina or breathlessness. Only three of the surviving patients have suffered severe cerebral damage as a result of their collapse.