Background: This study aims to investigate the effect of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb) suspended on particulate matters (PM) 2.5 and PM 10 taking into account clinical factors on 30-day and one-year survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).
Methods: A retrospective 4-year study that involved patients hospitalized after OHCA. Patients' data were obtained from Emergency Medical Services dispatch cards and the National Health Fund. The concentration of air pollutants was measured by the Environmental Protection Inspectorate in Poland.
Results: Among the 948 patients after OHCA, only 225 (23.7%) survived for 30 days, and 153 (16.1%) survived for 1 year. Survivors were more commonly affected by OHCA in urban areas (85 [55.6%] vs. 355 [44.7%]; P=0.013) and had slightly higher one-year mean concentration of As (0.78 vs. 0.77; P=0.01), Cd (0.34 vs. 0.34; P=0.012), and Pb (11.13 vs. 10.20; P=0.015) with no differences in daily mean concentration. Significant differences in mean concentrations of heavy metals and PM 2.5 and PM 10 were observed among different quarters. However, survival analysis revealed no differences in long-term survival between quarters. Heavy metals, PM 2.5, and PM 10 did not affect short-term and long-term survival in multivariable logistic regression.
Conclusions: The group of survivors showed slightly higher mean one-year concentrations of As, Cd and Pb, but they also experienced a higher incidence of OHCA in urban areas. There were no differences in long-term survival between patients who suffer OHCA in different quarters. Heavy metals did not independently affect survival.