Project definition

European Registry of Cardiac Arrest (EuReCa)

EuReCa is an international, prospective, multi-centre registry study that spans three months and focuses on the epidemiology, treatment, and outcomes of patients who experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in Europe.

Sudden OHCA is the third leading cause of death in industrialised nations, affecting more than 350,000 patients annually in Europe. An estimated 100,000 lives could be saved each year with improved lay resuscitation techniques—specifically, providing immediate chest compressions before the arrival of emergency medical services (EMS) across Europe.

To establish a European database with uniform and reliable data, the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) prioritised the creation of a European Registry of Cardiac Arrest (EuReCa). Founded in 2008, EuReCa aims to provide a standardised, Utstein-based recording of the incidence, characteristics, interventions, and outcomes related to cardiac arrest. EuReCa stimulates a culture of collaboration among healthcare professionals and researchers, driving a sense of urgency to enhance the quality of resuscitation efforts, aligned with the mission of the ERC: "To preserve human life by making high-quality resuscitation available to all."

Europe is characterised by a diverse range of EMS structures and organisations, making it a significant challenge for EuReCa to understand and navigate the differences across regions and countries.

Present Study: EuReCa THREE 

The aim of the EuReCa THREE study was to create a detailed overview of epidemiology, lay resuscitation rates, treatment and outcome of patients suffering from OHCA in Europe. 

The data for the EuReCa THREE were collected from 1 September to 30 November 2022 from 28 countries. Primary research questions were focused on assessing time intervals and their impact on outcomes.

Results of the EuReCa THREE Study

Of the 45,251 confirmed OHCA cases, 32,033 were treated by the EMS, i.e. resuscitation started or continued. The mean response time was 12.2 min (range 6.4–22.8), with 25% of patients being reached within 7 min. For all cases where resuscitation was started or continued by EMS, the rate of any ROSC was 31.2% (range 17.0–42.7), ROSC sustained until arrival at the emergency department and transfer of care (survived event) was 22.5%(range 12.3–25.5) and overall survival was 7.5% (range 3.1–35.0), (incidence 4.0 per 100,000 inhabitants, range 1.7–24.6).

Conclusion

The results of EuReCa-THREE highlight continuing variation in the incidence, management and outcomes from OHCA across Europe. For patients who were EMS-treated, results indicate clear associations between response times and the likelihood of survival.

Relevant Links:

Resuscitation:  Read Article about EuReCa THREE

Webinar on EuReCa THREE

Authors: European registry of cardiac arrest study THREE (EuReCa- THREE) – EMS response time influence on outcome in Europe