The Brighton resuscitation ambulances: review of 40 consecutive survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

In three years 40 patients were resuscitated by ambulancemen after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and survived to be discharged. Twenty-six of these had had circulatory arrest before an ambulance arrived and a further three had developed ventricular fibrillation before they were moved. Thirty-two patients were alive at the time of review six months to three and a half years later. Resuscitation by ambulancemen can be effective for patients with unheralded sudden cardiac arrest as well as for patients with recent myocardial infarction. Survivors of out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation may have a favourable long-term prognosis.