Exercise related cardiac arrest in amateur athletes on the tennis court

Abstract

Aim of the study: The aim of this study was to study exercise-related cardiac arrests on the tennis court and investigate the impact of early initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation on survival rate and outcome.

Methods: This study was based on the cardiac arrest registry of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the General Hospital Vienna in Austria. Between February 1993 and April 2010 non-professional athletes were identified, who experienced exercise-related cardiac arrest on the tennis court. The analysis was accomplished using descriptive statistics. Results are presented as mean±standard-deviation or median and interquartile range (IQR).

Results: The subjects (n=27) were predominantly male (96%) with a median age of 58 years; 52% of all patients had underlying cardiovascular risk factors. All cardiac arrests were witnessed. Bystander CPR was documented in 17 cases (63%). Median time from collapse to initiation of CPR was 1(IQR 0-2) minute. Ventricular fibrillation was the initial rhythm in 25 patients (93%) and in 3 an automated external defibrillator was used by bystanders. Twenty-four patients (89%) had return of spontaneous circulation before admission to the hospital and four (15%) followed verbal commands thereafter. The survival rate at 6 months was 82% with 20 patients (74%) having favourable neurologic outcome.

Conclusions: Cardiac arrest on the tennis court is a predominantly witnessed event with a respectively high rate of bystander CPR, which reflects in a high successful survival rate.