HSE National Ambulance Service publishes 2023 Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Register
Published: 10 October 2024
Bystander CPR in cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in this country increased by 25% between 2012 and 2023, a HSE National Ambulance Service report has shown. Bystander CPR happens when someone who has witnessed or comes across a cardiac arrest steps in to provide CPR.
Overall, in 2023 there were 2,857 cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests where resuscitation continued after the arrival of the emergency medical services.
The figures are contained in the 2023 annual report of the Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Register (OHCAR) published by the HSE National Ambulance Service. Community First Responders and other first responders play a very important role in supporting the delivery of prehospital emergency care in local communities.
Professor Conor Deasy, Chair of the OHCAR, Clinical Director of Emergency and Acute Care at Cork University Hospital (CUH) said: “It’s great to see that bystander CPR in cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in this country increased by 25% between 2012 and 2023. In line with previous years, surviving patients were more likely to be younger and have been witnessed to collapse in a public urban location. Knowing what to do; ring 999/112, put your phone on a speaker while speaking to the 999 call taker and start chest compressions.
“Members of the public defibrillated 304 patients, of whom 89 survived (29%). This achievement emphasises the importance of Community First Responders and Public Access Defibrillators in saving lives.”
In 2023
- Of the 2,857 patients, 66% were male and the median age was 68 years - patients ranged in age from less than one year to over 100 years of age
- Women who suffered a cardiac arrest were on average older by 6 years than men (72 years vs 66)
- The majority, or 68% of all cardiac arrests happened in the home
- Of the 2,857 people who suffered an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest where resuscitation was attempted, 240 individuals or 8.4 per cent survived to leave hospital alive, according to the report. This is a 1% rise in survival rates, which translates into an extra 34 lives saved.
- Bystander CPR was attempted in 85% of cardiac arrests which were not witnessed by members of the emergency medical services.
National Ambulance Service Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Register 2023 (PDF, 4 MB, 49 pages)
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