Background: Therapeutic hypothermia is a standard treatment for comatose out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients after restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Songklanagarind Hospital, a southern university hospital, will establish a therapeutic hypothermia protocol in 2013.

Objective: To estimate the survival rate of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients and determine factors associated with their survival and feasibility of therapeutic hypothermia in Songklanagarind Hospital.

Design: A descriptive, retrospective study

Material and Method: Data were collected from the emergency department from record forms and retrospectively reviewed using patient charts dated from January-December 2012. Inferential statistics, univariate (chi-square test) and multivariate analyses (logistic regression) were applied for data analysis.

Results: A total of 122 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients were ascertained; 67.2% were male. The most common cause of arrest is presumed cardiac in origin. The most common initial electrocardiogram rhythms was asystole (31.1%). Following resuscitation, 40 (32.8%) patients had ROSC. In our setting, survival rate in patients receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was 8.2%. Shorter CPR time and higher doses of adrenaline were associated with higher initial survival rate. Only 2 (1.6%) patients suitable for therapeutic hypothermia.

Conclusion: The survival rate of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients was 8.2%. Only 2 (1.6%) patients were suitable for therapeutic hypothermia.