Cardiac arrest & resuscitation
The epidemiology of paediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Australia and New Zealand: a report from the Australasian resuscitation outcomes Consortium Epistry (Aus-ROC)
Authors' conclusion
The incidence, patient characteristics, and survival outcomes of pOHCA in our region differ significantly by age groups. Age- and context-specific prevention and resuscitation strategies are essential for reducing the burden and improving survival outcomes.
Study context
- Population
- Paediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (aged <18 years) attended by emergency medical services in Australia and New Zealand, 2017 to 2023Emergency medical services (EMS)-attended cases, 3139 (65.7%) EMS-treated · EMS-treated 3,139
- Participants
- 4,779 arrests
- Outcome
- Crude incidence rate (per 100,000 person-years)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
EMS-attended cases
10.1
EMS-treated cases
6.6
Infants (peak of bimodal age distribution)
65.4
Adolescents (peak of bimodal age distribution)
11.4
Further findings
Characteristics of EMS-attended cases
- Unwitnessed
- 66.9%
- Medical origin
- 60.1%
- Initial non-shockable rhythms
- 91.1%
- Occurred in private residences
- 74.3%
- Received bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation
- 62.7%
- Received bystander defibrillation
- 1.6%
- Arrest characteristics varied widely between age groups
Survival to 30-days/hospital discharge in EMS-treated cases
- EMS-treated cases overall
- 10.0%
- Late childhood (highest)
- 15.4%
- Infants (lowest)
- 7.9%
Predictors of survival (multivariable analysis)
- Increasing age positively associated with event survival
- Bystander-witnessed arrest, initial shockable rhythm, arrest aetiology, and EMS response time significant predictors of short and long-term survival
- Multivariable logistic regression
Original publication
The epidemiology of paediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Australia and New Zealand: a report from the Australasian resuscitation outcomes Consortium Epistry (Aus-ROC). Resuscitation. Published 9 October 2026. doi:10.
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