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Paediatrics
Adrenaline given in only 60% of paediatric OHCA
Practice variability of epinephrine administration in pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the United States
Resuscitation Plus · Added 29 August 2026
Retrospective analysis of US NEMSIS data found adrenaline was administered in only 60% of paediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, with longer scene times, advanced airway attempts, and defibrillation associated with higher odds of administration, while public settings and female sex correlated with lower odds.
- Study type
- Registry
- Design
- Retrospective observational analysis of US NEMSIS 2021 registry data
- Participants
- 8,495 paediatric OHCA events managed by ALS units
- Main finding
- 40.2% of paediatric OHCA events received no adrenaline; administration associated with younger age, urban setting, scene time >10 min, advanced airway attempt (OR 8.33) and defibrillation (OR 1.95); lower odds in public settings (OR 0.55) and females (OR 0.83)
- Caveat
- Registry data reliant on documentation accuracy; associations do not establish causation
- Bottom line
- Context only
Why it matters in Australia (High relevance). Adrenaline is carried by ACTAS (AP scope) and paediatric cardiac arrest is within our scope—US practice patterns are directly relevant despite jurisdictional differences.
Learning goal
Recognise the system and setting factors that influence adrenaline administration in paediatric cardiac arrest.
More
- Topic: Paediatrics
- Daily scan: 29 August 2026
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