Opioid-Associated Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Published: March 08, 2021

People assisting an unconscious man with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
  • The ongoing U.S. opioid epidemic and associated opioid use disorder (OUD) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among adults 25-64 years.
  • The epidemiology and clinical profile of opioid-associated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, OA-OHCA, is incompletely characterized.
  • This scientific statement aims to address this knowledge gap by defining unique features of OA-OHCA epidemiology, pathophysiology, and patient management.