Acute cardiac care & resuscitationCohort study
Out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrest from foreign body airway obstruction: a population‑based study in Victoria, Australia
- retrospective analysis
- population-based
Authors' conclusion
OHCA due to FBAO is associated with extremely poor survival, particularly in patients aged over 65 years. The findings emphasise the critical importance of prompt bystander intervention and the need for evidence-informed EMS interventions and assessment of futility.
Study context
- Population
- Emergency Medical Service (EMS)-attended OHCA precipitated by Foreign Body Airway Obstruction (FBAO) in Victoria, Australia (1 July 2020–30 June 2024), Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest RegistryOHCAs due to FBAO, of 29,684 OHCAs
- Participants
- 223 participants
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
OHCA due to FBAO
OHCAs due to FBAO, of 29,684 OHCAs
223 (0.8%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Patient and event characteristics
- Median age
- 77 years
- Private residences
- 56%
- Residential care homes
- 30%
- No bystander intervention
- Sixteen percent
EMS interventions
- CPR
- n = 171, 84.2%
- Magill's forceps
- n = 119, 58.6%
- Suction
- n = 111, 54.7%
- Magill's forceps and intubation success establishing ventilation, each when used
- 73%
- Laryngeal mask airway devices used
- n = 67, 35%
- Laryngeal mask airway devices effective
- 7%
FBAO removal, ROSC and survival to hospital discharge
- FBAO removal
- 165 (74.0%)
- Return of spontaneous circulation
- 107 (48.0%)
- Survived to hospital discharge
- 8 (3.6%)
- Survivors among patients aged over 65 years (n = 165)
- no survivors
Original publication
Out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrest from foreign body airway obstruction: a population‑based study in Victoria, Australia. Resuscitation. Published 14 September 2026. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2026.111309
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it