Global burden of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in children: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression

The incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and its mortality among children decreased globally over the years. However, the incidence, mortality, and its determinants are heterogeneous globally. The current study was designed to investigate the incidence of OHCA, mortality, and its determinants based on a systematic review of published literature. A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed/Medline; Science Direct, Cochrane Library, Hinari, and LILACS without language and date restrictions. The data were extracted with two independent authors in a customized format. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa appraisal tool. A total of 2526 articles were identified from different databases with an initial search. Forty-eight articles with 138.3 million participants were included in the systematic review. The meta-analysis showed that the pooled rate of mortality was found to be 70% (95% CI: 57-81%, 42 studies, 28,345 participants). The incidence of OHCA and mortality among children was very high among children with significant regional disparity. Those children with cardiovascular causes of arrest, and initial nonshockable rhythm were independent predictors of OHCA-related mortality. This systematic review and meta-analysis is registered in Prospero (CRD42022316602).ImpactThis systematic review addresses a significant health problem in a global context from 1995 to 2022.The meta-regression revealed that the incidence of OHCA and mortality of children decline over the years in high-income countries despite regional dispraises among individual studies.Body of evidence on the incidence of OHCA and mortality is lacking in low- and middle-income countries.