Data show in-hospital cardiac arrest more common during winter
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Key takeaways:
- Seasonal variations exist in the incidence of in-hospital cardiac arrest for both men and women across the U.S.
- Strategies are needed to help prevent the extra burden of in-hospital cardiac arrest in winter.
Data show there are seasonal variations in the incidence of in-hospital cardiac arrest for both men and women across the U.S., with researchers noting a “consistent winter peak” that warrants further investigation.
“Circadian, circaseptan and seasonal variabilities in the incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are well described in the literature,” Arshad Jahangir, MD, a cardiac electrophysiologist at the Center for Advanced Atrial Fibrillation Therapies at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Centers, and colleagues wrote in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology. “Studies have shown a higher incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the winter and a lower incidence during the summer months. However, seasonal variation in the incidence of in-hospital cardiac arrest, which may have different mechanisms and risk factors, has not been well investigated.”
Image: Adobe Stock
Jahangir and colleagues assessed the incidence of in-hospital cardiac arrest across four seasons using National Inpatient Sample data from 2005 to 2019. Researchers evaluated overall seasonal trends in the incidence of in-hospital cardiac arrest and trends stratified by sex, age and region, as well as common causes of admission that led to in-hospital cardiac arrest, differences among patients with shockable vs. nonshockable arrest, independent predictors and seasonal variation in in-hospital cardiac arrest-related in-hospital mortality and length of stay.
Researchers observed a “consistent winter peak” in the incidence of in-hospital cardiac arrest among men and women during the study period across all age groups except young adults, defined as age 45 years or younger, and across all regions. In 2019, adjusted risk for in-hospital cardiac arrest was higher during winter than summer (adjusted OR = 1.08; P = .033). Patients with shockable in-hospital cardiac arrest were mostly admitted with cardiac conditions; those with nonshockable in-hospital cardiac arrest were predominantly admitted with noncardiac conditions.
There were no seasonal variations observed for in-hospital mortality after an in-hospital cardiac arrest.
“More resources may be needed in winter than in summer to counter factors that lead to a cardiopulmonary collapse in the hospital,” the researchers wrote. “Vaccination against pneumonia and other respiratory infectious agents may reduce some of the extra burden of in-hospital cardiac arrest in winter. Other strategies to reduce the incidence of in-hospital cardiac arrest in all seasons include early treatment of infection; identification of vulnerable patients who require closer monitoring; and primary and secondary prevention of MI, atrial fibrillation and HF progression. Knowledge of the high-risk population identified in our study may help health care providers and hospitals appropriately triage and monitor these patients.”
Collapse
Read more about
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts