Characteristics Associated with Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests and Resuscitations during the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic in New York City

David J. Prezant, Pamela H. Lai, Elizabeth A. Lancet, Michael D. Weiden, Mayris P. Webber, Rachel Zeig-Owens, Charles B. Hall, David J. Prezant

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

212 Scopus citations

Abstract

Importance: Risk factors for out-of-hospital death due to novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are poorly defined. From March 1 to April 25, 2020, New York City, New York (NYC), reported 17118 COVID-19-related deaths. On April 6, 2020, out-of-hospital cardiac arrests peaked at 305 cases, nearly a 10-fold increase from the prior year. Objective: To describe the characteristics (race/ethnicity, comorbidities, and emergency medical services [EMS] response) associated with outpatient cardiac arrests and death during the COVID-19 pandemic in NYC. Design, Setting, and Participants: This population-based, cross-sectional study compared patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest receiving resuscitation by the NYC 911 EMS system from March 1 to April 25, 2020, compared with March 1 to April 25, 2019. The NYC 911 EMS system serves more than 8.4 million people. Exposures: The COVID-19 pandemic. Main Outcomes and Measures: Characteristics associated with out-of-hospital arrests and the outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. Results: A total of 5325 patients were included in the main analysis (2935 men [56.2%]; mean [SD] age, 71 [18] years), 3989 in the COVID-19 period and 1336 in the comparison period. The incidence of nontraumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in those who underwent EMS resuscitation in 2020 was 3 times the incidence in 2019 (47.5/100000 vs 15.9/100000). Patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest during 2020 were older (mean [SD] age, 72 [18] vs 68 [19] years), less likely to be white (611 of 2992 [20.4%] vs 382 of 1161 [32.9%]), and more likely to have hypertension (2134 of 3989 [53.5%] vs 611 of 1336 [45.7%]), diabetes (1424 of 3989 [35.7%] vs 348 of 1336 [26.0%]), and physical limitations (2259 of 3989 [56.6%] vs 634 of 1336 [47.5%]). Compared with 2019, the odds of asystole increased in the COVID-19 period (odds ratio [OR], 3.50; 95% CI, 2.53-4.84; P <.001), as did the odds of pulseless electrical activity (OR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.31-3.02; P =.001). Compared with 2019, the COVID-19 period had substantial reductions in return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) (727 of 3989 patients [18.2%] vs 463 of 1336 patients [34.7%], P <.001) and sustained ROSC (423 of 3989 patients [10.6%] vs 337 of 1336 patients [25.2%], P <.001), with fatality rates exceeding 90%. These associations remained statistically significant after adjustment for potential confounders (OR for ROSC, 0.59 [95% CI, 0.50-0.70; P <.001]; OR for sustained ROSC, 0.53 [95% CI, 0.43-0.64; P <.001]). Conclusions and Relevance: In this population-based, cross-sectional study, out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased compared with the same period the previous year and were associated with older age, nonwhite race/ethnicity, hypertension, diabetes, physical limitations, and nonshockable presenting rhythms. Identifying patients with the greatest risk for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and death during the COVID-19 pandemic should allow for early, targeted interventions in the outpatient setting that could lead to reductions in out-of-hospital deaths.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1154-1163
Number of pages10
JournalJAMA cardiology
Volume5
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2020

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Characteristics Associated with Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests and Resuscitations during the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic in New York City'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this