The first SARS-CoV-2 patient was detected in Portugal on the 2nd of March 2020, by then the virus was already spread worldwide Same publications refer to an increase in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) during the pandemic period 1–3 The purpose of this study is comparing the incidence of OHCA in Portugal in the first months of the pandemic, with the same period of the previous year A retrospective observational study was performed, with data collected from the Portuguese's National Registry of Cardiac Arrests (OHCA records) between the 1st of March and the 31st of May of 2020 compared with the homologous period of 2019 During the referred period were registered in 2020 a total of 4673 cases of OHCA, 11% more than in 2019 during the same period (n = 4201) No gender or age differences were found between the two samples OHCA happened more frequently at home (77 30% vs 73 96%), with a decrease in public places (6 24% vs 4 60%) No difference was found between nursery homes (13 28% vs 13 08%) or other undefined places (6 52% vs 5 03%) The cause of OHCA showed no major differences concerning cardiac (48 92% vs 49 41%), respiratory (4 78% vs 4 39%) and other undefined causes (42 23% vs 43 55%), nevertheless there was a reduction in traumatic OHCA (4 07% vs 2 67%) Life support manoeuvres were performed in 74 93% of the OCHA cases in 2020, 6 17% less than in 2019 (68 76%) From these, ROSC (Return Of Spontaneous Circulation) was obtained in fewer cases in 2020 than in 2019 (8 45% vs 4 17%) These results suggest a slight increase in OHCA from March to May 2020 compared with the same period in 2019 Nevertheless these results should be analysed taking into consideration COVID 19 incidence in Portugal during the reference period and the confinement measures
Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest during the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal