Thanks to the quality and response times of local ambulance and emergency medical services, someone experiencing a heart attack in Clackamas County has a better chance of survival than elsewhere in the state or country, according to a newly released state study.
The State of Oregon’s recently released 2018 annual report summarizing out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates for counties nationwide reveals that the survival rate of someone experiencing a heart attack in Clackamas County is 50 percent compared to the national survival rate of 33 percent. Clackamas County’s survival rate also tops Oregon’s 39 percent rate.
The summary additionally reports an increased survival rate of 56.7 percent when a bystander in Clackamas County provided cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or an automated external defibrillator (AED) to someone experiencing cardiac arrest. This data represents the Utstein survival rate in Clackamas County, which measures the rate of survival for witnessed cardiac arrests that had a specific heart rhythm when EMS crews first arrived.
“These numbers are nothing short of astounding thanks in large part to the leadership and collaboration that occurs between our ambulance provider, American Medical Response [AMR], and ten local fire agencies that work together to improve the health and safety of our residents,” said Dr. Ritu Sahni, Clackamas County EMS Medical Director.
This report is based on 911 data submitted to the national Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES).
