A retrospective review of out of hospital cardiac arrest at Gillette Stadium: 10 years of experience at a large sports venue

Abstract

Introduction: Rates of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) at major sporting events are as high as 0.7 per 100,000 attendees. However, factors contributing to OHCA at mass gatherings have not been well-described. We describe our experience with ten years of medical oversight and OHCA care at a professional football stadium. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of OHCA events between August 2010 and January 2020 at a 65,878-seat football stadium, with a single transporting EMS agency and a single receiving hospital. We analyzed EMS incident reports and matched patients to hospital records for outcome data. Results: A total of 7,767,345 people attended 115 football games during the study period. There were 21 OHCAs (0.27 per 100,000 attendees). Ninety-five percent of OHCAs were witnessed and 71.4% had an initial shockable rhythm, with bystander AED use in 47.6%. Median EMS response time was 2 minutes (IQR 1–6). For 7 patients defibrillated by EMS, time to defibrillation was 4 minutes (IQR 4–11). Return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) occurred in 71%, with 47% having good 30-day neurologic survival. All patients with an initial rhythm of asystole died. Conclusion: The ROSC rate at our stadium exceeded 70% with almost half surviving with good neurologic outcomes, substantially higher than that reported for the general public. We hope that our experience will provide valuable lessons to other similarly sized stadiums.

Keywords

• Emergency medical services
• Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
• Mass gathering medicine