Acute cardiac care & resuscitationResearch article
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)
- epidemiological study
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, 3,139 (65.7%) EMS-treated
- Participants
- 4,779 arrests
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Incidence rates (per 100,000 person-years)
EMS-attended cases
10.1
EMS-treated cases
6.6
Infants (bimodal peak)
65.4
Adolescents (bimodal peak)
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
- Overall
- 10.0%
- Late childhood (highest)
- 15.4%
- Infants (lowest)
- 7.9%
Predictors of survival (multivariable analysis)
- Increasing age was positively associated with event survival
- Bystander-witnessed arrest, initial shockable rhythm, arrest aetiology, and EMS response time were significant predictors of short and long-term survival
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:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2026.111347
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it