Background:

The incidence of out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is approximately 20 to 140 per 100.000 inhabitants. International registries, based on Utstein criteria have allowed standardized reporting of OHCA profiles and outcomes in different countries. We proposed to create a local OHCA registry.

Aim:

To assess the quality of the information about OHCA currently recorded in medical records according to Utstein guidelines.

Material and Methods:

A retrospective analysis of medical records of patients arriving in the emergency room of a public hospital with OHCA during a 3-year period. Data regarding the patient characteristics, event and outcomes were analyzed.

Results:

During the revision period, 317 patients arrived with an OHCA. None of the medical records had complete data on items that are considered a minimum requirement by Utstein guidelines. Mean age of patients was 63 years old, 60% were men, the most common arrest rhythm was asystole (43%) and 8% of patients were discharged alive.

Conclusions:

Data recorded in medical records is insufficient to inform the profile of OHCA. A prospective registry is currently being implemented based on the information provided by this study. This registry should optimize reporting and data analysis.