What cardiac arrest registries can tell us about health differences and disparities

Abstract

Cardiac arrest is common and associated with significant mortality and morbidity among survivors. To better understand the epidemiology and outcomes of cardiac arrest, many countries and regions have developed cardiac arrest registries. In the United States, with the diversity of its population, these registries have illuminated differences and disparities in the care and outcomes of cardiac arrest patients based on their race, ethnicity, and sex. These findings raise concerns as traditionally vulnerable patient groups have lower survival rates for cardiac arrest—a condition for which overall survival is already low. Although leveraging registries to raise awareness of disparities in cardiac arrest outcomes is an important first step, further research is needed to understand the sources of these differences, narrow observed disparities and improve overall outcomes.