Effects of Dispatcher-assisted Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation on Survival Outcomes in Infants, Children, and Adolescents with Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrests

Comparative effectiveness of self-learning and instructor-assisted pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation training: A prospective randomized study

BACKGROUND

Unlike that for adults, training for cardiopulmonary resuscitation of infant and child is scarce, and warrants efforts for greater accessibility. Effective self-learning could expand training accessibility and facilitate the development of effective infant and child cardiopulmonary resuscitation training methods.

AIM

This study was conducted to develop a pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation self-learning training program, implement nurse training, and evaluate training effectiveness by comparing trainees' achievement of self-efficacy in pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation, with or without instructor assistance.

DESIGN

Prospective randomized controlled study.

SETTINGS

General hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

Nurses working in a general hospital.

METHODS

Participants were randomly and sequentially assigned to either an instructor-assisted or a self-learning group and completed a pre-training survey, pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation training, post-training survey and test, and a 1-year follow-up test. Pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation training was divided into infant and child cardiopulmonary resuscitation training.

RESULTS

Among the 97 participants, instructor-assisted and self-learning groups trained in pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation showed no significant difference in correct chest compressions, ventilation performance, and self-efficacy at the post-training assessment. However compared to the pre-training assessment, these parameters increased significantly in both groups at the post-training assessment (self-efficacy: infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation: pre-training 15.48, post-training: 17.25 vs pre-training 19.74, post-training 20.05; child cardiopulmonary resuscitation: pre-training 15.78, post-training 17.90 vs pre-training 19.48, post-training 20.55; both p < 0.001), respectively. In the self-learning group, at the 1-year follow-up, the rate of correct infant resuscitation compression decreased significantly from 89 (immediate post-training score) to 76 (p = 0.07), without significant intergroup difference. Regarding the time of measurement, although the main effect was significant (p < 0.001), the interaction effect of instructor-assisted training and time of measurement on pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation self-efficacy was not.

CONCLUSION

Pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation training did not differ significantly with training modality and improved self-efficacy, which changed significantly over time. These results aid the design of effective self-learning training programs for pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation training.

Epidemiology, Process of Care, and Associated Outcomes of Pediatric Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in China: Results From a Prospective, Multicenter, Population-Based Registry

OBJECTIVES

To comprehensively describe the incidence, process of care, outcomes, and variation among different age groups of pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in China.

DESIGN

The Baseline Investigation of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (BASIC-OHCA) is a prospective, multicenter, population-based registry of emergency medical services (EMS)-assessed OHCA in China.

SETTING

A total of 25 monitoring sites of all seven geographical regions were included, covering a pediatric population (age ≤ 19) of around 22.3 million in China.

PATIENTS

Pediatric patients enrolled in BASIC-OHCA from August 2019 to December 2020 were included.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

A total of 1493 pediatric patients with EMS-assessed OHCA were enrolled, and resuscitation was attempted in 651 cases (43.6%). The crude incidence of EMS-assessed and EMS-treated OHCA was 5.5 (95% CI, 5.2-5.9) and 2.4 (95% CI, 2.2-2.6) per 100,000 pediatric population. Among 651 EMS-treated OHCA cases, 434 patients (66.7%) were male, and 353 (54.2%) had nonmedical causes (trauma, asphyxia, and drowning being the most common). There were 396 patients (60.8%) who collapsed at home, and the proportion of cases that occurred in public places such as streets and schools increased with age. There were 26 patients (4.0%) who had an initial shockable rhythm. For 626 non-EMS-witnessed patients, 152 patients (24.3%) received bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), 68 (10.9%) received dispatcher-assisted CPR, and 3 (0.5%) had automated external defibrillator applied. The survival to discharge or 30 days was 3.5% (23/651), and the favorable neurologic prognosis was 3.1% (20/651), with no differences among age groups.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides the first national exploration of pediatric OHCA in China. The high proportion of nonmedical causes underscores the importance of preventing accidents in children. Gaps in the chain of survival and patient outcomes provide a focus for improving the treatment of pediatric OHCA in China and other developing countries.

Comparison of paediatric basic life support guidelines endorsed by member councils of Resuscitation Council of Asia

Background

Paediatric cardiac arrest outcomes, especially for infants, remain poor. Due to different training, resource differences, and historical reasons, paediatric cardiac arrest algorithms for various Asia countries vary. While there has been a common basic life support algorithm for adults by the Resuscitation Council of Asia (RCA), there is no common RCA algorithm for paediatric life support.We aimed to review published paediatric life support guidelines from different Asian resuscitation councils.

Methods

Pubmed and Google Scholar search were performed for published paediatric basic and advanced life support guidelines from January 2015 to June 2023. Paediatric representatives from the Resuscitation Council of Asia were sought and contacted to provide input from September 2022 till June 2023.

Results

While most of the components of published paediatric life support algorithms of Asian countries are similar, there are notable variations in terms of age criteria for recommended use of adult basic life support algorithms in the paediatric population less than 18 years old, recommended paediatric chest compression depth targets, ventilation rates post-advanced airway intra-arrest, and first defibrillation dose for shockable rhythms in paediatric cardiac arrest.

Conclusion

This was an overview and mapping of published Asian paediatric resuscitation algorithms. It highlights similarities across paediatric life support guidelines in Asian countries. There were some differences in components of paediatric life support which highlight important knowledge gaps in paediatric resuscitation science. The minor differences in the paediatric life support guidelines endorsed by the member councils may provide a framework for prioritising resuscitation research and highlight knowledge gaps in paediatric resuscitation.

Global burden of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in children: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression

The incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and its mortality among children decreased globally over the years. However, the incidence, mortality, and its determinants are heterogeneous globally. The current study was designed to investigate the incidence of OHCA, mortality, and its determinants based on a systematic review of published literature. A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed/Medline; Science Direct, Cochrane Library, Hinari, and LILACS without language and date restrictions. The data were extracted with two independent authors in a customized format. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa appraisal tool. A total of 2526 articles were identified from different databases with an initial search. Forty-eight articles with 138.3 million participants were included in the systematic review. The meta-analysis showed that the pooled rate of mortality was found to be 70% (95% CI: 57-81%, 42 studies, 28,345 participants). The incidence of OHCA and mortality among children was very high among children with significant regional disparity. Those children with cardiovascular causes of arrest, and initial nonshockable rhythm were independent predictors of OHCA-related mortality. This systematic review and meta-analysis is registered in Prospero (CRD42022316602). IMPACT: This systematic review addresses a significant health problem in a global context from 1995 to 2022. The meta-regression revealed that the incidence of OHCA and mortality of children decline over the years in high-income countries despite regional dispraises among individual studies. Body of evidence on the incidence of OHCA and mortality is lacking in low- and middle-income countries.

Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation for paediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in England: An observational registry cohort study

INTRODUCTION

Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (BCPR) is strongly advocated by resuscitation councils for paediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs). However, there are limited reports on rates of BCPR in children and its relationship with return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) or survival outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

We describe the rate of BCPR and its association with any ROSC and survival- to- hospital-discharge.

METHODS

We conducted retrospective analysis of prospectively collected paediatric (<18 years of age) OHCA cases in England; we included specialist registry patients treated by emergency medical services (EMS) with known BCPR status and outcome between January 2014 and November 2018. Data included patient demographics, aetiology, witness status, initial rhythm, EMS, season, time of day and bystander status. Associations between BCPR, and any ROSC and survival-to-hospital-discharge outcomes were explored using multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

There were 2363 paediatric OHCAs treated across 11 EMS regions. BCPR was performed in 69.6% (1646/2363) of the cases overall (range 57.7% (206/367) to 83.7% (139/166) across EMS regions). Only 34.9% (550/1572) of BCPR cases were witnessed. Overall, any ROSC was achieved in 22.8% (523/2289) and survival to hospital discharge in 10.8% (225/2066). Adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for any ROSC was significantly improved following BCPR compared to no BCPR (aOR 1.37, 95% CI 1.03-1.81), but adjusted odds ratio for survival-to-hospital-discharge were similar (aOR 1.01, 95% CI 0.66-1.55).

CONCLUSIONS

BCPR was associated with improved rates of any ROSC but not survival-to-hospital-discharge. Variations in EMS BCPR rates may indicate opportunities for regional targeted increase in public BCPR education.

Effectiveness of a Dispatcher-Assisted Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Program Developed by the Thailand National Institute of Emergency Medicine (NIEMS)

BACKGROUND

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a life-threatening condition with an overall survival rate that generally does not exceed 10%. Several factors play essential roles in increasing survival among patients experiencing cardiac arrest outside the hospital. Previous studies have reported that implementing a dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DA-CPR) program increases bystander CPR, quality of chest compressions, and patient survival. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a DA-CPR program developed by the Thailand National Institute for Emergency Medicine (NIEMS).

METHODS

This was an experimental study using a manikin model. The participants comprised both health care providers and non-health care providers aged 18 to 60 years. They were randomly assigned to either the DA-CPR group or the uninstructed CPR (U-CPR) group and performed chest compressions on a manikin model for two minutes. The sequentially numbered, opaque, sealed envelope method was used for randomization in blocks of four with a ratio of 1:1.

RESULTS

There were 100 participants in this study (49 in the DA-CPR group and 51 in the U-CPR group). Time to initiate chest compressions was statistically significantly longer in the DA-CPR group than in the U-CPR group (85.82 [SD = 32.54] seconds versus 23.94 [SD = 16.70] seconds; P <.001). However, the CPR instruction did not translate into better performance or quality of chest compressions for the overall sample or for health care or non-health care providers.

CONCLUSION

Those in the CPR-trained group applied chest compressions (initiated CPR) more quickly than those who initiated CPR based upon dispatch-based CPR instructions.

European Resuscitation Council Guidelines 2021: Systems saving lives

The European Resuscitation Council (ERC) has produced these Systems Saving Lives guidelines, which are based on the 2020 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Science with Treatment Recommendations. The topics covered include chain of survival, measuring performance of resuscitation, social media and smartphones apps for engaging community, European Restart a Heart Day, World Restart a Heart, KIDS SAVE LIVES campaign, lower-resource setting, European Resuscitation Academy and Global Resuscitation Alliance, early warning scores, rapid response systems, and medical emergency team, cardiac arrest centres and role of dispatcher.

Benefit of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation before Revascularization in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction Complicated by Profound Cardiogenic Shock after Resuscitated Cardiac Arrest

Few studies have focused on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with cardiogenic shock after resuscitated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Only a small number of studies have reported the timing of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in patients with AMI with cardiogenic shock. The current study, which used the large nationwide OHCA registry, shows that ECMO treatment before revascularization can decrease 30-day mortality, compared to ECMO after revascularization, in patients with AMI complicated by profound cardiogenic shock after resuscitated cardiac arrest. The current study emphasized the importance of early ECMO therapy before revascularization in circumstance which is difficult to determine optimal revascularization timing.

Background and Objectives

The study sought to investigate the impact of early extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support before revascularization in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by profound cardiogenic shock after resuscitated cardiac arrest. It is difficult to determine optimal timing of ECMO in patients with AMI complicated by profound cardiogenic shock after resuscitated cardiac arrest.

Methods

Among 116,374 patients experiencing out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in South Korea, a total of 184 resuscitated patients with AMI complicated by profound cardiogenic shock, and who were treated successfully with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and ECMO, were enrolled. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the timing of ECMO: pre-PCI ECMO (n=117) and post-PCI ECMO (n=67). We compared 30-day mortality between the 2 groups.

Results

In-hospital mortality was 78.8% in the entire study population and significantly lower in the pre-PCI ECMO group (73.5% vs. 88.1%, p=0.020). Thirty-day mortality was also lower in the pre-PCI ECMO group compared to the post-PCI ECMO group (74.4% vs. 91.0%; adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.47–0.93; p=0.017). Shockable rhythm at the emergency room (HR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.36–0.91; p=0.019) and successful therapeutic hypothermia (HR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.23–0.69; p=0.001) were also associated with improved 30-day survival.

Conclusions

ECMO support before revascularization was associated with an improved short-term survival rate compared to ECMO after revascularization in patients with AMI complicated by profound cardiogenic shock after resuscitated cardiac arrest.

Part 7: Systems of Care: 2020 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care

Survival after cardiac arrest requires an integrated system of people, training, equipment, and organizations working together to achieve a common goal. Part 7 of the 2020 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care focuses on systems of care, with an emphasis on elements that are relevant to a broad range of resuscitation situations. Previous systems of care guidelines have identified a Chain of Survival, beginning with prevention and early identification of cardiac arrest and proceeding through resuscitation to post-cardiac arrest care. This concept is reinforced by the addition of recovery as an important stage in cardiac arrest survival. Debriefing and other quality improvement strategies were previously mentioned and are now emphasized. Specific to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, this Part contains recommendations about community initiatives to promote cardiac arrest recognition, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, public access defibrillation, mobile phone technologies to summon first responders, and an enhanced role for emergency telecommunicators. Germane to in-hospital cardiac arrest are recommendations about the recognition and stabilization of hospital patients at risk for developing cardiac arrest. This Part also includes recommendations about clinical debriefing, transport to specialized cardiac arrest centers, organ donation, and performance measurement across the continuum of resuscitation situations.

Relief Alternatives during Resuscitation: Instructions to Teach Bystanders. A Randomized Control Trial

To analyze the quality of resuscitation (CPR) performed by individuals without training after receiving a set of instructions (structured and unstructured/intuitive) from an expert in a simulated context, the specific objective was to design a simple and structured CPR learning method on-site. An experimental study was designed, consisting of two random groups with a post-intervention measurement in which the experimental group (EG) received standardized instructions, and the control group (CG) received intuitive or non-standardized instructions, in a public area simulated scenario. Statistically significant differences were found (p < 0.0001) between the EG and the CG for variables: time needed to give orders, pauses between chest compressions and ventilations, depth, overall score, chest compression score, and chest recoil. The average depth of the EG was 51.1 mm (SD 7.94) and 42.2 mm (SD 12.04) for the CG. The chest recoil median was 86.32% (IQR 62.36, 98.87) for the EG, and 58.3% (IQR 27.46, 84.33) in the CG. The use of a sequence of simple, short and specific orders, together with observation-based learning makes possible the execution of chest compression maneuvers that are very similar to those performed by rescuers, and allows the teaching of the basic notions of ventilation. The structured order method was shown to be an on-site learning opportunity when faced with the need to maintain high-quality CPR in the presence of an expert resuscitator until the arrival of emergency services.

Mechanical Chest Compression Device for Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Nationwide Observational Study

BACKGROUND

There are few studies on the use of a mechanical chest compression (meCC) device during transport in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).

OBJECTIVE

The aim of our study was to compare the performance of an meCC device with that of manual chest compression during transport after OHCA.

METHODS

This study used data from the national cardiac arrest registry of patients with OHCA of presumed cardiac etiology. The primary exposure was the use of an meCC device by an Emergency Medical Services provider while transporting a patient to the emergency department. The primary endpoint was good cerebral performance category at discharge. We compared survival and neurologic outcomes between an meCC device group and a manual chest compression group. We also performed an interaction analysis to assess changes in study outcomes of meCC device use by the initial electrocardiogram (ECG) and transport time interval (TTI).

RESULTS

Among 30,021 adult patients after OHCA with presumed cardiac etiology, an meCC device was used in 2357 (7.6%). After adjustment for possible confounders, there were no significant differences with respect to good neurologic recovery in the outcomes of patients who were treated with an meCC device and those who received manual chest compression (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.66; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.43-1.02) and survival to discharge (AOR 0.83; 95% CI 0.64-1.06). In the interaction model, the AOR of the meCC device study outcome did not interact with the initial ECG and TTI.

CONCLUSIONS

The meCC device did not show better study outcomes than manual compression.

2019 American Heart Association Focused Update on Pediatric Basic Life Support: An Update to the American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care

This 2019 focused update to the American Heart Association pediatric basic life support guidelines follows the 2019 systematic review of the effects of dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DA-CPR) on survival of infants and children with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. This systematic review and the primary studies identified were analyzed by the Pediatric Task Force of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. It aligns with the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation's continuous evidence review process, with updates published when the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation completes a literature review based on new published evidence. This update summarizes the available pediatric evidence supporting DA-CPR and provides treatment recommendations for DA-CPR for pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Four new pediatric studies were reviewed. A systematic review of this data identified the association of a significant improvement in the rates of bystander CPR and in survival 1 month after cardiac arrest with DA-CPR. The writing group recommends that emergency medical dispatch centers offer DA-CPR for presumed pediatric cardiac arrest, especially when no bystander CPR is in progress. No recommendation could be made for or against DA-CPR instructions when bystander CPR is already in progress.

2019 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations: Summary From the Basic Life Support; Advanced Life Support; Pediatric Life Support; Neonatal Life Support; Education, Implementation, and Teams; and First Aid Task Forces

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation has initiated a continuous review of new, peer-reviewed, published cardiopulmonary resuscitation science. This is the third annual summary of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations. It addresses the most recent published resuscitation evidence reviewed by International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation Task Force science experts. This summary addresses the role of cardiac arrest centers and dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the role of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation in adults and children, vasopressors in adults, advanced airway interventions in adults and children, targeted temperature management in children after cardiac arrest, initial oxygen concentration during resuscitation of newborns, and interventions for presyncope by first aid providers. Members from 6 International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation task forces have assessed, discussed, and debated the certainty of the evidence on the basis of the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation criteria, and their statements include consensus treatment recommendations. Insights into the deliberations of the task forces are provided in the Justification and Evidence to Decision Framework Highlights sections. The task forces also listed priority knowledge gaps for further research.

2019 American Heart Association Focused Update on Systems of Care: Dispatcher-Assisted Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Cardiac Arrest Centers: An Update to the American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care

Survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest requires an integrated system of care (chain of survival) between the community elements responding to an event and the healthcare professionals who continue to care for and transport the patient for appropriate interventions. As a result of the dynamic nature of the prehospital setting, coordination and communication can be challenging, and identification of methods to optimize care is essential. This 2019 focused update to the American Heart Association systems of care guidelines summarizes the most recent published evidence for and recommendations on the use of dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation and cardiac arrest centers. This article includes the revised recommendations that emergency dispatch centers should offer and instruct bystanders in cardiopulmonary resuscitation during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and that a regionalized approach to post-cardiac arrest care may be reasonable when comprehensive postarrest care is not available at local facilities.

Interaction Effects Between Targeted Temperature Management and Hypertension on Survival Outcomes After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A National Observational Study from 2009 to 2016

Targeted temperature management (TTM) has been used to improve neurological recovery in comatose patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Hypertension (HTN) existing before a cardiac arrest represents a risk of OHCA, but it is not known whether it affects neurological prognosis. This study aimed at investigating the effect of TTM on neurological recovery in OHCA patients with or without underlying HTN. This study was conducted by using the national cardiac arrest registry of OHCA patients with presumed cardiac etiology between 2009 and 2016. The endpoint was cerebral performance category (CPC) 1 and 2 at discharge. We compared outcomes between the TTM and non-TTM groups by using multivariable logistic regression with an interaction term between TTM and HTN for calculating adjusted odd ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) after adjusting for potential confounders. Among the 25,985 patients with OHCA who survived till hospital admission, TTM was performed on 12.2%. The TTM group showed better outcomes than the non-TTM group: 28.1% versus 15.5% for good neurologic recovery (p < 0.01). The AOR of TTM for good neurological recovery for all study groups was 1.65 (1.47-1.85). In the interaction model, the AOR of TTM for good neurological recovery was 1.87 (1.26-2.76) in patients without HTN and 0.87 (0.75-1.02) in patients with HTN. The underlying HTN modified the effect of TTM on neurological outcomes for OHCA patients. TTM is associated with good neurological recovery in patients without HTN, but not in patients with HTN.

Dispatcher-Assisted Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Program and Outcomes After Pediatric Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

OBJECTIVES

A dispatcher-assisted bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DA-BCPR) is expected to influence the outcomes of pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Our objective was to measure the effect size of a DA-BCPR on survival outcomes according to location of the event.

METHODS

All emergency medical service treated OHCA patients younger than 19 years in Korea from January 2012 through December 2013 were analyzed. Patients with OHCA witnessed by emergency medical service providers and those with missing outcome information were excluded. Patients were categorized into the following categories: No-BCPR, BCPR without dispatcher assistance (BCPR-NDA), and BCPR-DA. The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to calculate the adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for outcomes by exposure group (reference, No-BCPR group) with and without an interaction term between exposure and location of arrest.

RESULTS

A total of 1013 eligible patients were analyzed. Among these patients, 16.6% received BCPR-NDA, 23.2% received BCPR-DA, and 60.2% received no BCPR. After adjusting for potential confounders, compared with N0-BCPR group, AORs for survival were 1.79 (95% CI, 1.03-3.12) in BCPR group, 1.71 (95% CI, 0.85-3.46) in BCPR-NDA group, and 1.39 (95% CI, 0.72-2.69) in BCPR-DA group. The AORs for survival of BCPR-NDA and BCPR-DA in public location were 3.30 (95% CI, 1.12-9.72) and 2.95 (95% CI, 1.00-8.67), whereas BCPR-NDA and BCPR-DA in private locations were 1.62 (95% CI, 0.68-3.88) and 1.15 (95% CI, 0.53-2.51).

CONCLUSION

The DA-CPR was associated with better outcomes in pediatric OHCA patients whose arrest occurred in public locations, but no improvement in outcomes was identified in patients whose arrest occurred at private locations.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of dispatcher-assisted CPR on outcomes from sudden cardiac arrest in adults and children

BACKGROUND

Dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DA-CPR) has been reported in individual studies to significantly increase the rate of bystander CPR and survival from cardiac arrest.

METHODS

We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of DA-CPR programs on key clinical outcomes following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. We searched the PubMED, EMBASE, CINAHL, ERIC and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases from inception until July 2018. Eligible studies compared systems with and without dispatcher-assisted CPR programs. The results of included studies were classified into 3 categories for the purposes of more accurate analysis: comparison of outcomes in systems with DA-CPR programs, case-based comparison of DA-CPR to bystander CPR, and case-based comparisons of DA-CPR to no CPR before EMS arrival. The GRADE system was used to assess certainty of evidence at an outcome level. We used random-effects models to produce summary effect sizes across all outcomes.

RESULTS

Of 5531 citations screened, 33 studies were eligible for inclusion. All included studies were observational. Evidence certainty across all outcomes was assessed as low or very low. In system-level and patient-level comparisons, the provision of DA-CPR compared with no DA-CPR was consistently associated with improved outcome across all analyses. Comparison of DA-CPR to bystander CPR produced conflicting results. Findings were consistent across sensitivity analyses and the pediatric sub-group.

CONCLUSION

These results support the recommendation that dispatchers provide CPR instructions to callers for adults and children with suspected OHCA. Review registration: PROSPERO- CRD42018091427.

Association between the centralization of dispatch centers and dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation programs: A natural experimental study

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to evaluate the associations between the centralization of dispatch centers and dispatcher-assisted bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DA-BCPR) for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients.

METHODS

All emergency medical services (EMS)-treated adults in Gyeonggi province (34 fire departments covering 43 counties, with a population of 12.6 million) with OHCAs of cardiac etiology were enrolled between 2013 and 2016, excluding cases witnessed by EMS providers. In Gyeonggi province, 34 agency-based dispatch centers were sequentially integrated into two province-based central dispatch centers (north and south) between November 2013 and May 2016. Exposure was the centralization of the dispatch centers. Endpoint variables were BCPR and dispatcher-provided CPR instructions. Generalized linear mixed models for multilevel regression analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Overall, 11,616 patients (5060 before centralization and 6556 after centralization) were included in the final analysis. The OHCAs that occurred during the after-centralization period were more likely to receive BCPR (62.6%, 50.6% BCPR-with-DA and 12.0% BCPR-without-DA) than were those that occurred before-centralization period (44.6%, 16.6% BCPR-with-DA and 28.1% BCPR-without-DA) (p < 0.01, adjusted OR: 1.59 (1.38-1.83), adjusted rate difference: 9.1% (5.0-13.2)). For dispatcher-provided CPR instructions, OHCAs diagnosed at a higher rate during the after-centralization period than during the before-centralization period (67.4% vs. 23.1%, p < 0.01, adjusted OR: 4.57 (3.26-6.42), adjusted rate difference: 30.3% (26.4-34.2)). The EMS response time was not different between the groups (p=0.26).

CONCLUSIONS

The centralization of dispatch centers was associated with an improved bystander CPR rate and dispatcher-provided CPR instructions for OHCA patients.

Cardiac arrest while exercising on mountains in national or provincial parks: A national observational study from 2012 to 2015

BACKGROUND

Previous studies on cardiac arrest in mountainous areas were focused on environmental features such as altitude and temperature. However, those are limited to factors affecting the prognosis of patients after cardiac arrest. We analyzed the cardiac arrests in national or provincial parks located in the mountains and determined the factors affecting the prognosis of patients after cardiac arrest.

METHODS

This study included all emergency medical service (EMS) treated patients over the age of 40 experiencing out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) of presumed cardiac etiology during exercise, between January 2012 and December 2015. The main focus of interest was the location of cardiac arrest occurrence (national mountain parks and provincial parks vs. other sites). The main outcome was survival to discharge and multivariable logistic regression was performed to adjust for possible confounding effects.

RESULTS

A total 1835 patients who suffered a cardiac arrest while exercising were included. From these, 68 patients experienced cardiac arrest in national or provincial parks, and 1767 occurred in other locations. The unadjusted and adjusted ORs (95% CI) for a good cerebral performance scale (CPC) were 0.09 (0.01-0.63) and 0.08(0.01-0.56), survival discharges were 0.13(0.03-0.53) and 0.11 (0.03-0.48).

CONCLUSIONS

Cardiac arrests occurring while exercising in the mountainous areas have worse prognosis compared to alternative locations.