Resuscitation outcomes and associated factors among out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients at the National Referral Hospital, Bhutan: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Presentation to the Emergency Department (ED) following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is not uncommon, and resuscitation outcomes are generally poor. In a country like Bhutan, where emergency medicine is still developing, there is a lack of baseline data on the burden of OHCA cases presenting to the ED, and resuscitation outcomes remain largely unexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to study the factors associated with, and the outcomes of, resuscitation among patients who sustained OHCA. METHODS: A Prospective cohort study was conducted over one year, from August 1, 2023 to July 31, 2024 at the ED of the National Referral Hospital in Bhutan. All OHCA patients who underwent resuscitation in the ED were included. Demographic data, clinical presentation, ED interventions, and outcomes following return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) were recorded using a standardized research questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. RESULTS: During the study period, 104 OHCA patients were resuscitated in the ED. Sustained ROSC was achieved in 36% (37/104) of the cases. The median age was 53.5 years (IQR: 32.7-71.7) with male predominance (56.7%). Over 40% (42/104) of the patients were elderly, and around 10% (10/104) were pediatric. The majority of arrests were witnessed (69.2%) and occurred at home (57.7%). Hypertension was the most common comorbidity, followed by end stage renal disease. Asystole was the most frequent initial arrest rhythm (82%). All patients received adrenaline and intravenous fluids during resuscitation, and 40% (41/104) required intubation in the ED. Among 37 patients who achieved sustained ROSC, 54% (20/37) of them survived immediate resuscitation period and were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Ultimately, two patients survived to hospital discharge and remained alive at 90-day follow-up, resulting in a sustained survival rate of 1.9% from the original cohort. Among survivors 50% (1/2) had good neurological outcome (Cerebral performance category 1 to 2). A higher ROSC was observed among patients whose arrest occurred in an institution (p = 0.019), and among those who received defibrillation (p = 0.007) and blood products (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Sustained ROSC was achieved in over one - third of OHCA patients; however, the overall survival to hospital discharge was low (1.9%). The findings highlight the urgent need to strengthen both pre-hospital and post-resuscitation care in Bhutan.