OD-OHCA Increasing in Frequency

Background: Drug overdose with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OD-OHCA) is unfortunately a common cause of mortality and a serious public health challenge in the United States. Most studies dealing with this issue focus primarily or completely on opioids, and the epidemiology and outcomes of other drug-specific OHCA such as benzodiazepines, stimulants, or drugs in combination are less studied. Objective: To evaluate the incidence, presentation, treatment, and outcomes of adults with OD-OHCA in the context of all forms of OHCA. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: The records of all nontraumatic adult OHCA occurring in greater King County, WA, from 2015 to 2021 were evaluated. The etiology of these arrests was classified according to all available data, and in cases of OD, the drugs involved were determined by sophisticated toxicology and in nonsurvivors, autopsy findings. For this study, the OHCA was divided into non–OD-OHCA or OD-OHCA with latter divided into opioid without more...