Sasa Balija
Current Organizations / Institutes
The organizations/institutes from the scholar's latest article
Research Subjects
Research Interests
Sasa Balija has a total of 4 co-authors. Here are the top co-authors by number of shared publications:
- Biljana Kurtović
Department of Nursing, University of Applied Health Sciences, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
1 shared publication - Damir Važanić
Hrvatski Zavod za Hitnu Medicinu
1 shared publication - Milan Milošević
School of Medicine, Andrija Stampar School of Public Health, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
1 shared publication - Ognjen Brborović
Social Medicine and Organization of Health Care Department University of Zagreb, School of Medicine Zagreb Croatia
1 shared publication
Latest Publications
- Open Access
- 13 October 2023
- Published by MDPI AG in Healthcare
- Vol. 11 (20) , 2729
Predictors, Prevalence, and Clinical Outcomes of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests in Croatia: A Nationwide Study
Background: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains a pivotal health challenge globally. In Croatia, there has been a knowledge gap regarding the prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of OHCA patients. This study aims to determine the prevalence, prediction, and outcomes of OHCA patients in Croatia. Methods: An extensive one-year analysis was performed on all OHCA treated by the Emergency Medical Service in Croatia, based on the Utstein recommendations. Data were extracted from Croatian Institute of Emergency Medicine databases, focusing on adult individuals who experienced sudden cardiac arrest in out-of-hospital settings in Croatia. Results: From 7773 OHCA cases, 9.5% achieved spontaneous circulation pre-hospital. Optimal outcomes corresponded to EMS intervention within ≤13 min post-arrest onset AUC = 0.577 (95% CI: 0.56–0.59; p < 0.001) and female gender OR = 1.81 (95% CI: 1.49–2.19; p < 0.001). Northern Croatia witnessed lower success rates relative to the capital city Zagreb OR = 0.68 (95% CI: 0.50–0.93; p = 0.015). Conclusions: Early intervention by EMS, specifically within a 13-min period following the onset of a cardiac arrest, significantly enhances the probability of achieving successful OHCA outcomes. Gender differences and specific initial heart rhythms further influenced the likelihood of successful outcomes. Regional disparities, with reduced success rates in northern Croatia compared to the City of Zagreb, were evident.
- 13 October 2023
- Published by MDPI AG in Healthcare
- Vol. 11 (20) , 2729
Open AccessPredictors, Prevalence, and Clinical Outcomes of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests in Croatia: A Nationwide Study
Background: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains a pivotal health challenge globally. In Croatia, there has been a knowledge gap regarding the prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of OHCA patients. This study aims to determine the prevalence, prediction, and outcomes of OHCA patients in Croatia. Methods: An extensive one-year analysis was performed on all OHCA treated by the Emergency Medical Service in Croatia, based on the Utstein recommendations. Data were extracted from Croatian Institute of Emergency Medicine databases, focusing on adult individuals who experienced sudden cardiac arrest in out-of-hospital settings in Croatia. Results: From 7773 OHCA cases, 9.5% achieved spontaneous circulation pre-hospital. Optimal outcomes corresponded to EMS intervention within ≤13 min post-arrest onset AUC = 0.577 (95% CI: 0.56–0.59; p < 0.001) and female gender OR = 1.81 (95% CI: 1.49–2.19; p < 0.001). Northern Croatia witnessed lower success rates relative to the capital city Zagreb OR = 0.68 (95% CI: 0.50–0.93; p = 0.015). Conclusions: Early intervention by EMS, specifically within a 13-min period following the onset of a cardiac arrest, significantly enhances the probability of achieving successful OHCA outcomes. Gender differences and specific initial heart rhythms further influenced the likelihood of successful outcomes. Regional disparities, with reduced success rates in northern Croatia compared to the City of Zagreb, were evident.