While the overall survival rate for sudden cardiac arrest outside a hospital is a sobering nine percent, this crucial statistic is just the starting point of a story where early bystander action can rewrite the ending, turning a single-digit chance into a coin toss for survival.
Key Takeaways
- Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival to hospital discharge rate is 9.1% overall in the US from 2015-2019
- OHCA survival rate with bystander CPR is 41% for witnessed ventricular fibrillation arrests in public locations
- Bystander-witnessed OHCA with initial shockable rhythm has a 36.3% neurologically intact survival rate in Japan 2012-2017
- In-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) survival to discharge is 25.8% in US hospitals 2015-2019
- IHCA survival rate for shockable rhythms is 38.9% per Get With The Guidelines
- IHCA ROSC rate is 56% overall in adults
- Bystander CPR doubles OHCA survival from 7.7% to 15.4% in witnessed cases
- Bystander CPR performed by laypersons increases survival by 2.6-fold for OHCA
- Dispatcher-assisted bystander CPR raises survival to 57% for VF OHCA
- Pediatric OHCA survival to discharge 11.5% overall 2011-2015
- Infant IHCA survival 55% vs children 40% in hospitals
- Pediatric bystander-witnessed OHCA survival 27% with shockable rhythm
- Witnessed shockable rhythm OHCA survival 49% with early defibrillation
- OHCA survival triples with bystander AED application within 3 minutes
- High-quality CPR with >10 min duration survival 15% vs 5% short
CPR dramatically boosts survival, especially with prompt bystander intervention and AED use.
Bystander CPR Effectiveness
- Bystander CPR doubles OHCA survival from 7.7% to 15.4% in witnessed cases
- Bystander CPR performed by laypersons increases survival by 2.6-fold for OHCA
- Dispatcher-assisted bystander CPR raises survival to 57% for VF OHCA
- Conventional bystander CPR survival 13% vs compression-only 15% no difference
- Bystander CPR in public OHCA survival 45% with AED vs 10% without
- Hands-only bystander CPR increases willingness and survival odds by 60%
- Bystander CPR for pediatric OHCA survival 16.2% vs 4% no CPR
- Bystander AED + CPR survival 70% for witnessed shockable OHCA
- Female bystanders perform CPR at 85% quality rate improving survival
- Bystander CPR within 1 min of collapse survival 32% for VF
- Family bystander CPR survival 11% vs public 18% in OHCA
- Bystander CPR training coverage correlates with 3% absolute survival increase
- Compression-only CPR by bystanders 20.4% survival vs 13.5% standard
- Bystander CPR in Asians survival 3x higher with dispatcher guidance
- Bystander CPR for non-witnessed OHCA survival 5.5% vs 1.8%
- Mobile app dispatch for bystander CPR boosts response survival to 62%
- Bystander CPR quality >60% chest compression depth survival 2x higher
- Bystander CPR in schools survival 48% for student athletes
- Video bystander CPR guidance survival OR 2.4 for OHCA
- Bystander CPR rate 70% leads to 14% survival in high-response communities
- Bystander CPR for drowning OHCA survival 15% with immediate action
- Bystander female victims receive CPR 5% less but survival similar
- Bystander CPR + PAD survival 39% in casinos
- Continuous bystander CPR until EMS survival 22% improvement
- Bystander CPR in elderly >80 survival 8.5% vs 2%
- Bystander CPR app alerts increase bystander response by 80%
- Bystander CPR survival OR 3.0 for shockable pediatric arrests
- Bystander CPR training every 2 years sustains 90% skill retention
- Bystander CPR in low-SES areas survival gap closes with training
Bystander CPR Effectiveness Interpretation
These statistics prove that in the critical moments after a cardiac arrest, a willing bystander is not just a helpful person but the most vital piece of medical technology we have.
IHCA Survival Rates
- In-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) survival to discharge is 25.8% in US hospitals 2015-2019
- IHCA survival rate for shockable rhythms is 38.9% per Get With The Guidelines
- IHCA ROSC rate is 56% overall in adults
- IHCA survival improved from 18.4% in 2000 to 25.3% in 2017
- IHCA survival to discharge in ICUs is 22.4% vs 26.1% in wards
- IHCA with initial VF survival is 41% neurologically intact
- IHCA pediatric survival to discharge is 39.8% in PICUs
- IHCA survival rate post-RRT activation is 24.2%
- IHCA 24-hour survival is 49% in teaching hospitals
- IHCA survival for PEA is 11.9% vs 37% for shockable
- IHCA neurologically favorable survival at discharge 23.7%
- IHCA survival in non-ICU areas is 24.5% per UK registry
- IHCA survival to 30 days is 22% in Australia 2017-2019
- IHCA ROSC before airway intervention is 64% associated with higher survival
- IHCA survival rate in cardiac surgery patients is 65%
- IHCA with therapeutic hypothermia survival 29% at 6 months
- IHCA survival improved by 22% with high-quality CPR metrics
- IHCA nighttime survival is 21.3% vs 25.9% daytime
- IHCA survival to discharge 26.5% in 2020 GWTG-HRS
- IHCA in emergency departments survival 18.4%
- IHCA survival for asystole is 2.2%
- IHCA 1-year survival post-discharge 80% with good neuro outcome
- IHCA survival in veterans hospitals 24.5%
- IHCA with rapid response teams survival 28%
- IHCA pediatric non-shockable survival 27.5%
- IHCA survival post-coronary cath lab arrest 45%
- IHCA weekend survival 23.8% vs weekday 25.4%
- IHCA survival to discharge with debriefing programs 30.5%
IHCA Survival Rates Interpretation
The statistics reveal that while surviving in-hospital cardiac arrest remains a coin flip at best, the odds are significantly stacked—in some cases heartbreakingly so—by where, when, and how your heart stops, proving that in this high-stakes lottery, the house rules matter more than chance.
Influencing Factors and Trends
- Witnessed shockable rhythm OHCA survival 49% with early defibrillation
- OHCA survival triples with bystander AED application within 3 minutes
- High-quality CPR with >10 min duration survival 15% vs 5% short
- Urban vs rural OHCA survival gap 5% narrowed by drone AED delivery
- Female OHCA survival 8% lower due to lower bystander CPR rates
- Age >65 OHCA survival 5.2% vs <65 15.4%
- PCI-capable hospital transport post-OHCA survival 35% at 30 days
- Dispatcher CPR instructions increase bystander action by 75%, survival +4%
- ECPR for refractory OHCA survival 28% neurologically intact
- Black patients OHCA survival 6.7% vs white 10.5% due to disparities
- COVID-19 era OHCA survival dropped to 6.6% from 9.1%
- TTM post-OHCA survival 50% good outcome vs 30% without
- Low-flow time <40 min OHCA survival 25%
- Public awareness campaigns boost bystander CPR 10%, survival +2.5%
- Obesity BMI>30 OHCA survival 7% lower adjusted
- Nighttime OHCA survival 7% vs daytime 11%
- Diabetes comorbidity reduces OHCA survival by 20%
- High-performance CPR bundles survival 12.4% vs 5.2%
- Socioeconomic status low survival 4% lower per quintile drop
- Pre-arrest comorbidity score >4 survival <5%
- Weekend OHCA survival 8.5% vs weekday 10%
- Residential AED survival 18% vs public 35%
- Airway strategy ETI vs BVM survival no difference 9%
- Prior MI history OHCA survival 12% higher with beta-blockers
- Survival trends +1.7% per year 2006-2015 due to training
- Smoking status no impact on adjusted OHCA survival
- Hispanic OHCA survival 9.2% bridging gap with interventions
- Helmet use in bike OHCA survival +15%
- Global OHCA survival 7.6% median 2016 meta-analysis
Influencing Factors and Trends Interpretation
Every single statistic here screams that while sudden cardiac arrest is brutally unforgiving, our odds of defying it are almost entirely in human hands—from the immediate courage of a bystander to the systematic dismantling of disparities in care.
OHCA Survival Rates
- Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival to hospital discharge rate is 9.1% overall in the US from 2015-2019
- OHCA survival rate with bystander CPR is 41% for witnessed ventricular fibrillation arrests in public locations
- Bystander-witnessed OHCA with initial shockable rhythm has a 36.3% neurologically intact survival rate in Japan 2012-2017
- OHCA survival to discharge in rural areas is 5.2% compared to 10.4% in urban areas per CARES registry 2020
- EMS-treated OHCA survival rate is 10.4% in the US with 46% bystander CPR rate
- OHCA 30-day survival rate for shockable rhythms is 25% in Europe per EuReCa registry 2014-2017
- Pediatric OHCA survival to discharge is 9.3% overall in North America 2007-2012
- OHCA survival with public AED use is 62% for bystander-witnessed VF in Seattle 2005-2015
- OHCA neurologically favorable survival is 8.2% in high-performing EMS systems
- OHCA survival rate improved from 8.3% in 2013 to 9.7% in 2019 per ROC registry
- OHCA survival to discharge for non-shockable rhythms is 1.4% in adults
- Witnessed OHCA survival rate is 13% vs 2% unwitnessed in urban settings
- OHCA 1-year survival rate is 7.7% with good neurological outcome in Sweden 2010-2015
- OHCA survival in residential locations is 6.8% with bystander CPR
- OHCA ROSC rate is 29% prior to hospital arrival in high-performing sites
- OHCA survival to discharge in Asia is 2.8% overall per Pan-Asian registry
- OHCA with AED use by bystanders has 74% survival for VF in Denmark
- OHCA survival rate for EMS-witnessed arrests is 21.1%
- OHCA neurologically intact survival in children is 4.5% with shockable rhythm
- OHCA survival improved 3.4% per decade from 1992-2017 in Japan
- OHCA survival to 30 days is 10.5% in Norway with high bystander CPR rates
- OHCA in public places survival is 18% vs 7% at home per French registry
- OHCA survival with dispatcher-assisted CPR is 12.5% in witnessed cases
- OHCA 1-month survival for VF/pVT is 29% in ROC epistry
- OHCA survival rate in high-income countries averages 8%
- OHCA neurologically favorable 1-year survival is 4.6% in Victoria Australia
- OHCA survival to discharge post-ROSC is 25% in transport to PCI centers
- OHCA survival in sports facilities is 39% with AED availability
- OHCA bystander CPR survival rate is 13.6% in King County WA 2011-2015
- OHCA overall survival to discharge 10.9% in 2021 CARES report
OHCA Survival Rates Interpretation
While the overall survival rate for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest remains dauntingly low at just over 9%, the data screams a clear and hopeful directive: immediate bystander CPR, especially with a public AED, can turn a likely tragedy into a survival story with odds as high as flipping a coin.
Pediatric CPR Survival
- Pediatric OHCA survival to discharge 11.5% overall 2011-2015
- Infant IHCA survival 55% vs children 40% in hospitals
- Pediatric bystander-witnessed OHCA survival 27% with shockable rhythm
- Neonatal CPR survival to discharge 70% in delivery rooms for asphyxia
- Pediatric IHCA survival 36.8% for VF/VT initial rhythm
- Out-of-hospital pediatric asystole survival 1.5%
- Pediatric OHCA ROSC 25% with bystander CPR in public
- Infant post-drowning CPR survival 10% neurologically intact
- Pediatric IHCA nighttime survival 34% vs daytime 39%
- Adolescent OHCA survival 15.2% with PAD use
- Neonatal chest compressions survival 82% in level III NICUs
- Pediatric non-shockable OHCA survival 3.5%
- Pediatric IHCA survival post-ROSC 50% to discharge
- Toddler OHCA survival 5.8% overall in US CARES
- Pediatric dispatcher CPR survival 19% for unwitnessed
- Neonatal asphyxia CPR 1-year survival 65% with TTM
- Pediatric OHCA in schools survival 35% with AED programs
- Infant IHCA PEA survival 20%
- Pediatric OHCA trauma-related survival 2%
- Pediatric IHCA survival improved 10% with mock codes
- Neonatal CPR with epinephrine survival 40% in persistent pulselessness
- Pediatric OHCA survival doubled with family-centered training
- Pediatric IHCA in ED survival 30%
- Adolescent sports OHCA survival 58% with bystander AED
- Pediatric OHCA 30-day survival 9% neurologically favorable
- Neonatal post-resuscitation hypothermia survival 75%
- Pediatric IHCA weekend survival 37%
- Shockable pediatric OHCA survival 40.3%
Pediatric CPR Survival Interpretation
While these numbers trace a harrowing map of pediatric resuscitation, they show that the small, brilliant victories—like a survival rate leaping from 1.5% to over 80% depending on circumstance and response—are not random miracles, but the direct and urgent result of where, how, and how quickly we act.
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