Bystander CPR Increases the Chance of Surviving a Sports-related Sudden Cardiac Arrest by Over Seven Times.

A study presented at the European Society of Cardiology in September of 2019 utilized registry data from the Paris-Sudden Death Expertise Centre obtained during two time periods: 2005- 2010 and 2011-2016. The data showed the following: 

• No significant difference in the incidence, average age, gender distribution, or prevalence of previously known heart disease in sports-related sudden cardiac arrests during the time periods studied.  

• Survival rate to hospital admission increased to 85% in the later period compared with 51% in the earlier period.  

• Survival to hospital discharge increased to 43% from 26%. 

• The overall survival of athletes with cardiac arrest increased by two-thirds, from 20% in the earlier period to 60% in the later period.  

Further analysis of variables showed that only two factors were independently associated with increased survival to hospital discharge: 

• Shockable rhythm  

• Bystander CPR 

Study authors concluded: 

• The important decrease in death due to sports-related sudden cardiac arrest was related to more frequent CPR. 

• Widespread public and sports medicine practitioner CPR education is needed to improve survival from sudden cardiac arrest. 

• An AED should be available in all sports venues.  

Source

European Society of Cardiology. "Decline in sports-related sudden cardiac death linked with rise in bystander resuscitation." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 2 September 2019.