Sex-related differences in the presentation and outcome of out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest: A multiyear, prospective, population-based study

Abstract

To examine whether previously observed sex-related differences in coronary artery disease syndromes also apply to patients with out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest, a probable subset of patients with coronary artery disease who are easy to recognize and are treated in a standardized fashion. Prospective, population-based study conducted over a 6-yr period. A large urban municipality (population, 1.1 million) served by a single emergency medical services system with centralized medical direction and standardized protocols. All patients with out-of-hospital, nontraumatic, primary cardiac arrest. Standardized advanced cardiac life support protocols. During the 6 yrs of the study, 4147 consecutive patients were studied, 42% of whom were women (p p In cases of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest, women have significantly better resuscitation rates than men, especially when controlling for age, particularly among women with non-ventricular fibrillation/ventricular tachycardia presentations. Additional studies are required to validate these observations, not only for long-term survival and external validity, but also for other potential genetic factors and potential discrepancies with other studies.