For the first time, the OHCAO team at University of Warwick have published national data for children who suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, underscoring urgent need for CPR training.
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is the most time-critical medical emergency, occurring in the community when someone's heart suddenly stops beating. While OHCA in children is rare, those who suffer an OHCA face unique risks and challenges, and little national data exists on how children fare after cardiac arrest.
The new 2024 Paediatric Report from the University of Warwick's Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Outcomes (OHCAO) is the first time the data has been collected at a national level. It reveals that, while fewer than one in ten adults are still alive 30 days after an OHCA, the chances of surviving are better than one in eight (13.2%) in children, and those children under one year of age are the most at risk (making up 40% of the cases in the under 18s).
Dr Christopher Smith, Clinical Lecturer at Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick and Co-Chief Investigator of the OHCAO registry, added: "This is the first time we've reported paediatric OHCA survival in England at a national level. While survival in children is higher than in adults, still only around one in eight children survive. This highlights the potential importance of rapid intervention, particularly recognising cardiac arrest and performing early CPR."
The OHCAO registry has tracked OHCA cases for over a decade. Compiled by the Warwick Clinical Trials Unit and supported by the British Heart Foundation and Resuscitation Council UK, the registry collects data submitted by all English regional ambulance services to build the most comprehensive picture of cardiac arrest outcomes in the country.
The new paediatric report found that:
- 617 cases were reported across England in 2024, an incidence of 1 per 20,000 children, with a median age of OHCA of 3 years.
- Most cases (81%) occur in the home, meaning prevention measures at home could have real impact.
- Boys are more likely to experience OHCA (60%), mirroring the pattern seen in the 2024 data for adult men (66.7%).
- Trauma and asphyxia account for around 22% of paediatric cases, compared with 8.5% in adults. Adult cases were dominated by cardiac causes (~83%), which only accounted for 59% of child cases.
Dr Mark Worrall, Consultant Paediatric Intensivist & Anaesthetist said: "This is a significant and much-needed step forward. For the first time, we have national data showing how out-of-hospital cardiac arrest affects children, and how many survive. These insights will help shape training, inform clinical practice, and improve support for families, healthcare teams and communities.
"Early CPR can save lives, and I strongly encourage all parents and carers to learn these lifesaving skills, whether through local face-to-face sessions or online tools like RCUK Lifesaver."
James Cant, CEO at Resuscitation Council UK said: "This new report gives us valuable data on a clinical area we previously knew little about. Understanding how out-of-hospital cardiac arrest affects children is vital for improving outcomes and ensuring families get the support they need.
"At Resuscitation Council UK, we're committed to making sure everyone has access to CPR training, and we've created Aaron's Heart, a free guide which outlines step-by-step how to perform lifesaving CPR on babies and children."
The paediatric report was published alongside the 2024 population-level report, which has been published each year for over a decade. The new population data from 2024 shows ongoing improvements in 30-day survival rate (up to 9.5% from 9% and 7.8% in the previous two years) and median ambulance response time (down to 7.2 mins from 7.4 mins and 8 mins the two years previously), with 2,700 lives saved last year.
CPR was attempted in ~72% of cases in 2024, but survival rates remain low. More positively, the use of public-access defibrillators continues to improve, usage was as low as 4.4% of cases in 2020 but is now at a record 9% of cases in this new 2024 data.
