Elizabeth D Paratz1, Karen Smith2, Jocasta Ball3, Alexander van Heusden4, Dominica Zentner5, Sarah Parsons6, Natalie Morgan7, Tina Thompson8, Paul James8, Andreas Pflaumer9, Christopher Semsarian10, Dion Stub11, Danny Liew12, Andre La Gerche13. 1. Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Rd, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia; Alfred Hospital, 55 Commercial Rd, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia; St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, 41 Victoria Pde, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia. Electronic address: eparatz@hotmail.com. 2. Ambulance Victoria, 375 Manningham Rd, Doncaster, VIC, 3108, Australia; Department of Paramedicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 553 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne 3004, Australia. 3. Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Rd, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia; Ambulance Victoria, 375 Manningham Rd, Doncaster, VIC, 3108, Australia; Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 553 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne 3004, Australia. 4. Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Rd, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia. 5. Royal Melbourne Hospital, 300 Grattan St, Parkville, VIC, 3050, Australia; Royal Melbourne Hospital Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia. 6. Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, 65 Kavanagh St, Southbank, VIC, 3006, Australia; Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, 65 Kavanagh St, Southbank, VIC, 3006, Australia. 7. Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, 65 Kavanagh St, Southbank, VIC, 3006, Australia. 8. Royal Melbourne Hospital, 300 Grattan St, Parkville, VIC, 3050, Australia. 9. Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Rd Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, Melbourne University, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia. 10. Agnes Ginges Centre for Molecular Cardiology at Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney, The University of Sydney, Missenden Rd, Sydney, NSW, 2050, Australia. 11. Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Rd, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia; Alfred Hospital, 55 Commercial Rd, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia; Ambulance Victoria, 375 Manningham Rd, Doncaster, VIC, 3108, Australia; Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 553 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne 3004, Australia. 12. Alfred Hospital, 55 Commercial Rd, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia; Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 553 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne 3004, Australia. 13. Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Rd, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia; Alfred Hospital, 55 Commercial Rd, Prahran, VIC, 3181, Australia; St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, 41 Victoria Pde, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There are 20,000 sudden cardiac arrests (SCAs) in Australia annually, with 90% case-fatality. OBJECTIVE: The present study calculated both the health and economic impact of SCAs in Victoria, Australia. METHODS: Data on all SCAs attended by Ambulance Victoria from July 2017 to June 2018 were collected regarding age, gender, and survival to hospital, discharge and 12 months. Pre-SCA employment status of all patients was modelled using age and gender-matched Australian economic data. A Markov state-transition model with a five-year horizon calculated health and economic impact in years of life lived (YLL), productivity-adjusted life years (PALYs) and gross domestic product (GDP) lost. A counterfactual Markov state-transition model assessed outcomes of an identical cohort of patients who did not experience SCA. All values were discounted by 5%. RESULTS: In 12 months, 4637 people suffered SCAs in Victoria, of whom 1516 (32.7%) were working at the time. 695 patients (15.0%) survived to hospital, 325 (7.0%) to discharge, and 303 (6.5%) to 12 months. In five years following their SCA, the cohort lost 15,922 years of life and 2327 PALYs. Reduced productivity led to GDP losses of AUD$448 million (92.8% relative reduction). Extrapolated to the 20,000 SCAs occurring across all of Australia, total GDP losses approached AUD$2 billion. CONCLUSION: The health and economic burden of SCAs is high, predominantly underpinned by very high mortality. Annual national losses approach AUD$2 billion (USD$1.42 billion) and are comparable to productivity losses from all cancers combined. Prioritising research and state-of-the-art care for SCA patients appears economically sound. Crown
BACKGROUND: There are 20,000 sudden cardiac arrests (SCAs) in Australia annually, with 90% case-fatality. OBJECTIVE: The present study calculated both the health and economic impact of SCAs in Victoria, Australia. METHODS: Data on all SCAs attended by Ambulance Victoria from July 2017 to June 2018 were collected regarding age, gender, and survival to hospital, discharge and 12 months. Pre-SCA employment status of all patients was modelled using age and gender-matched Australian economic data. A Markov state-transition model with a five-year horizon calculated health and economic impact in years of life lived (YLL), productivity-adjusted life years (PALYs) and gross domestic product (GDP) lost. A counterfactual Markov state-transition model assessed outcomes of an identical cohort of patients who did not experience SCA. All values were discounted by 5%. RESULTS: In 12 months, 4637 people suffered SCAs in Victoria, of whom 1516 (32.7%) were working at the time. 695 patients (15.0%) survived to hospital, 325 (7.0%) to discharge, and 303 (6.5%) to 12 months. In five years following their SCA, the cohort lost 15,922 years of life and 2327 PALYs. Reduced productivity led to GDP losses of AUD$448 million (92.8% relative reduction). Extrapolated to the 20,000 SCAs occurring across all of Australia, total GDP losses approached AUD$2 billion. CONCLUSION: The health and economic burden of SCAs is high, predominantly underpinned by very high mortality. Annual national losses approach AUD$2 billion (USD$1.42 billion) and are comparable to productivity losses from all cancers combined. Prioritising research and state-of-the-art care for SCA patients appears economically sound. Crown