Underlying Medical Conditions Identified in Patients with In-Hospital and Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Nigeria

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Patients may suffer sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) either within or without of the hospital premises. Underlying medical conditions, especially when left unattended to makes patients prone to cardiac arrest. AIM: This study examines the underlying medical conditions identified in patients who had SCA in both the in-hospital and out-of-hospital settings. METHODOLOGY: This was a prospective multicenter study carried out in six tertiary health institutions from different geopolitical zones. In this cross-sectional study, patients aged above 18 years who suffered either in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) or out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) were recruited into this study. Data, including demographic parameters, underlying medical conditions, location of arrests, and activity of daily living (ADL) before arrests, were collected and recorded. RESULTS: A total of 3909 patients suffered SCA, with 89.9% being IHCA, while 10.1% were OHCA. Hypertension had a prevalence of 1421 (40.5%) and 104 (26.3%) in the IHCA and OHCA, respectively, and congestive cardiac failure accounted for 160 (4.6%) and 5 (1.3%) patients in the IHCA and OHCA, respectively. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus was 522 (14.9%) and 35 (8.8%) in the IHCA and OHCA categories, respectively. Only 1085 (27.8%) of patients were on antihypertensive medication, and 398 (10.2%) on antidiabetic drugs. CONCLUSION: Cardiovascular diseases were the major underlying medical disease in patients who suffered both IHCA and OHCA, with hypertension having the highest prevalence, this was followed by diabetes mellitus.