Resuscitation 111 (2017) 34–40 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Resuscitation journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/resuscitation Clinical paper Characteristics and outcomes of young adults who suffered an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) ,,⋆ Michael Yih-Chong Chia a,* , Qing Shu Lu b , Nik Hisamuddin Rahman c , Nausheen Edwin Doctor d , Tatsuya Nishiuchi e , Benjamin Sieu-Hon Leong f , Lai Peng Tham g , E-Shaun Goh h , Ling Tiah i , Apichaya Monsomboon j , Marcus Eng Hock Ong k,l , for the PAROS Clinical Research Network 1 a Emergency Department, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, 11 Jalan Tan Tock Seng, Singapore 308433, Singapore b Singapore Clinical Research Institute Pte Ltd., 31 Biopolis Way, Nanos #02-01, Singapore 138669, Singapore c Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kota Bharu 16150, Kelantan, Malaysia d Emergency Department, Sengkang Health, 378 Alexandra Road, Singapore 159964, Singapore e Department of Acute Medicine, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashiosaka City, Osaka 577-8502, Japan f Emergency Medicine Department, National University Hospital, 5 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119074, Singapore g Department of Emergency Medicine, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, 100 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 229899, Singapore h Emergency Medicine, Raffles Medical Group, 585 North Bridge Road, Singapore 188770, Singapore i Accident and Emergency Department, Changi General Hospital, 2 Simei Street 3, Singapore 529889, Singapore j Emergency Medicine Unit, Faculty of Internal Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Bangkoknoi, Bangkok 10700, Thailand k Department of Emergency Medicine, Singapore General Hospital, Outram Road, Singapore 169608, Singapore l Health Services and Systems Research, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore 169857, Singapore a r t i c l e i n f o Article history: Received 20 June 2016 Received in revised form 17 October 2016 Accepted 19 November 2016 Keywords: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests Cardiopulmonary resuscitation Ventricular fibrillation Prognosis young adults Favourable neurologic outcomes Return of spontaneous circulation a b s t r a c t Background: There is paucity of data examining the incidence and outcomes of young OHCA adults. The aim of this study is to determine the outcomes and characteristics of young adults who suffered an OHCA and identify factors that are associated with favourable neurologic outcomes. Methods: All EMS-attended OHCA adults between the ages of 16 and 35 years in the Pan-Asian Resuscita- tion Outcomes Study (PAROS) registry were analysed. The primary outcome was favourable neurologic outcome (Cerebral Performance Category 1 or 2) at hospital discharge or at 30th day post OHCA if not discharged. Regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with favourable neurologic outcomes. Results: 66,780 OHCAs were collected between January 2009 and December 2013; 3244 young OHCAs had resuscitation attempted by emergency medical services (EMS). 56.8% of patients had unwitnessed arrest; 47.9% were of traumatic etiology. 17.2% of patients (95% CI: 15.9–18.5%) had return of sponta- neous circulation; 7.8% (95% CI: 6.9–8.8%) survived to one month; 4.6% (95% CI: 4.0–5.4%) survived with favourable neurologic outcomes. Factors associated with favourable neurologic outcomes include wit- nessed arrest (adjusted RR = 2.42, p-value < 0.0001), bystander CPR (adjusted RR = 1.57, p-value = 0.004), first arrest shockable rhythm (adjusted RR = 27.24, p-value < 0.0001), and cardiac etiology (adjusted RR = 3.99, p-value < 0.0001). Conclusions: OHCA among young adults are not uncommon. Traumatic OHCA, occurring most frequently in young adults had dismal prognosis. First arrest rhythms of VF/VT/unknown shockable rhythm, cardiac etiology, bystander-witnessed arrest, and bystander CPR were associated with favourable neurological  A Spanish translated version of the abstract of this article appears as Appendix in the final online version at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.resuscitation.2016.11.019.  The abstract of this paper was presented as a poster at the Congress of the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) in Prague, Czech Republic, 29–31 October 2015. ⋆ The abstract of the poster presented at ERC is published in Resuscitation journal. Resuscitation; 96(2015), Supplement 1, Page 102. This study’s dataset is from the Pan-Asian Resuscitation Outcomes Study (PAROS) registry. The main results of the PAROS registry has been published in Resuscitation journal—Ong MEH, Shin SD, Souza N, Tanaka H, Nishiuchi T, Song KJ, Ko PC, Leong BSH, Khunkhlai N, Naroo GY, Sarah AK, Ng YY, Li WY, Ma MH, for the PAROS Clinical Research Network. Outcomes for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest across 7 countries in Asia: The Pan Asian Resuscitation Outcomes Study (PAROS). Resuscitation; 96(2015): 100–108. * Corresponding author. Fax: +65 6254 3772. E-mail address: Michael Yc Chia@ttsh.com.sg (M.Y.-C. Chia). 1 Investigators have been listed in Appendix A. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.resuscitation.2016.11.019 0300-9572/© 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.