Pediatric Cardiac Arrest Outcomes in the United States: A Nationwide Database Cohort Study

Abstract

Background Knowledge about the causes and outcomes of pediatric cardiac arrest in the emergency department is limited. The aim of our study was to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of pediatric cardiac arrest in the emergency department (EDCA) and inpatient (IPCA) settings in the United States using a large database designed to provide nationwide estimates. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study using the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS), a database that includes both ED and inpatient encounters. The NEDS was analyzed for episodes of cardiac arrest between 2016-2018 in patients aged