Abstract
“Utstein style” for uniform reporting of patients of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest research were published in the journal “Circulation” in 1991. However, the number of research papers reporting based on “Utstein style” in population-based and prospective research is limited internationally and the number is furthermore even scarcer in Japan. In Sapporo, the Sapporo City Fire Bureau and Sapporo City General Hospital established “the Sapporo Utstein-style Study”, which started collecting the data in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients since January 2002 and all data were analyzed during the following period of three years and 6 months until June 2005. In the present study, we reported the results of collection and analysis using “Utsein style” in out-of-hospital cardiogenic cardiac arrest patients in Sapporo, and conducted comparative studies domestically and in overseas regions as well as discussed points of concern. Among 622 patients of bystander-witnessed out-of-hospital cardiogenic cardiac arrest in Sapporo, 257 patients (41.3%) achieved return of spontaneous circulation, 235 (37.8%) were admitted to ICU ward, 105 (16.9%) were discharged alive, which demonstrated relatively satisfactory results when compared to the data reported domestically and internationally. In addition, among 181 patients when the initial rhythm was VF/VT in cardiogenic cardiac arrests, 123 patients (68.0%) achieved return of spontaneous circulation, 118 (65.2%) were admitted to ICU ward, 66 (36.7%) were discharged alive, which indicated high levels even based on international standards. However, when we investigated the Utstein style research reported up to today in various journals, we discovered significant discrepancies in the range of research and study periods, ratios of witnessed cases, ratios of VF/VT and practical status of resuscitation. In order to perform comparative studies among local regions earnestly in the future, certain guidelines are necessary for the range of research and study periods, and we think it is also important to evaluate the practical status of resuscitation in the local regions.
