Relationship Between Emergency Medical Services Response Time and Bystander Intervention in Patients With Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Dual-dispatch protocols and return of spontaneous circulation in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a nationwide observational study

OBJECTIVE

The Korean National Fire Agency conducted a pilot project examining Advanced Life Support (ALS) protocols, including epinephrine administration, to improve survival among patients suffering out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of the Korean National Fire Agency ALS protocol on prehospital return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in patients with OHCA.

METHODS

This study included patients with adult-presumed cardiac arrest between January and December 2020. The main factor of interest was ambulance type according to ALS protocol, which was divided into dedicated ALS ambulance (DA), smartphone-based ALS ambulance (SALS), and non-DA, and the main analysis factor was prehospital ROSC. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed.

RESULTS

During the study period, a total of 18,031 adult patients with OHCA was treated by the emergency medical services, including 7,520 DAs (41.71%), 2,622 SALSs (14.54%), and 7,889 non-DAs (43.75%). The prehospital ROSC ratio was 13.19% for DA, 11.17% for SALS, and 7.91% for non-DA (P<0.01). Compared with that of the DA group, the odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for prehospital ROSC ratio were 0.97 (0.82-1.15) in the SALS group and 0.57 (0.50-0.65) in the non-DA group. The prehospital ROSC ratio of the DA group was higher than those of the non-DA group and the SALS group.

CONCLUSION

ALS protocol intervention was associated with prehospital ROSC rates. Therefore, continuous efforts to promote systemic implementation of the ALS protocol to improve OHCA outcomes are necessary.

Ambulance and helicopter response time. Association with patient outcome and illness severity: Protocol of a systematic literature review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Response time for emergency medical service units is a key performance indicator. Studies have shown reduced response time association with improved outcome for specific critical conditions. To achieve short response time, emergency vehicles utilize lights and sirens, and crews are allowed to be non-compliant with traffic rules, posing a risk for accident. The purpose of the systematic review and meta-analysis is to provide an overview of the current body of evidence regarding the association, if any, between ambulance and helicopter response time and major complications and mortality in patients conveyed by ambulance and/or helicopter. Our secondary aim will be to enhance knowledge in the field of criteria-based dispatch to provide decision makers with evidence to optimize dispatch of limited resources.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

What is the association between overall emergency medical services unit response time and patient outcomes, major complications, and time-critical conditions? What is the internal and external validity of the included literature?

METHODS

We plan the systematic review and meta-analysis to be in accordance with the Cochrane Handbook and Joanna Briggs Institute Manual for Systematic Reviews. The methodology will include formulating the review questions using a Population, Exposure, and Outcome framework. Every study design is eligible, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods designs. We will include all articles in English, Scandinavian, German, French and Portuguese in this systematic review.

RESULTS

We will publish results from the systematic review and meta-analysis in a peer-reviewed journal and we will present the results at scientific conferences and meetings. Results will also be available at www.ahrtemis.dk.

CONCLUSION

We will base our conclusions on the findings of the review and meta-analysis.

Upholding te mana o te wā: Māori patients and their families' experiences of accessing care following an out-of-hospital cardiac event

Objective

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of Māori patients and their families accessing care for an acute out-of-hospital cardiac event and to identify any barriers or enablers of timely access to care.

Design

Eleven interviews with patients and their families were conducted either face-to-face or using online conferencing. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed for thematic analysis using Kaupapa Māori methodology.

Results

Data analysis identified three themes: (1) me and the event, (2) the people (3) upholding te mana ō te wā or self-determined heart wellbeing. Knowledge of symptoms and a desire to maintain personal dignity at the time of the event affected emergency medical service initiation. Participants described relationships with health professionals, the importance of good quality information, having family support, and drawing on cultural practices as vital for their health care journey.

Conclusion

Systemic barriers including racism, discrimination, and inadequate resourcing exist for Māori journeying to and through care following an out of hospital cardiac event. Improving the cultural safety of health professionals, better access to community defibrillation, and improving understanding of the life-long impacts a cardiac event has on patients and whānau is recommended.

Delayed arrival of advanced life support adversely affects the neurological outcome in a multi-tier emergency response system

AIM

Prehospital management of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is based on basic life support, with the addition of advanced life support (ALS) if possible. This study aimed to investigate the effect of delayed arrival of ALS on neurological outcomes of patients with OHCA at hospital discharge.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of a registry of patients with OHCA. A multi-tier emergency response system was established in the study area. ALS was initiated when the second-arrival team arrived at the scene. A restricted cubic spline curve was used to investigate the relationship between the response time interval of the second-arrival team and neurological outcomes at hospital discharge. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the independent association between the response time interval of the second-arrival team and neurological outcomes of patients at hospital discharge.

RESULTS

A total of 3186 adult OHCA patients who received ALS at the scene were included in the final analysis. A restricted cubic spline curve showed that a long response time interval of the second-arrival team was correlated with a high likelihood of poor neurological outcomes. Meanwhile, multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that a long response time interval of the second-arrival team was independently associated with poor neurological outcomes (odds ratio, 1.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.17).

CONCLUSION

In a multi-tiered prehospital emergency response system, the delayed arrival of ALS was associated with poor neurological outcomes at hospital discharge.

Impact of Heavy Snowfall on Emergency Transport and Prognosis of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Patients: A Nation-Wide Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a significant global cause of mortality, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) response interval is critical for survival and a neurologically-favorable outcome. Currently, it is unclear whether EMS response interval, neurologically-intact survival, and overall survival differ between snowy and non-snowy periods at heavy snowfall areas.

METHODS

A nation-wide population-based cohort of OHCA patients, registered from 2017 through 2019 in the All-Japan Utstein Registry, was divided into four groups according to areas (heavy snowfall area or other area) and seasons (winter or non-winter): heavy snowfall-winter, heavy snowfall-non-winter, other area-winter, and other area-non-winter. The first coprimary outcome was EMS response interval, and the secondary coprimary outcome was one-month survival and a neurologically-favorable outcome at one month.

RESULTS

A total of 337,781 OHCA patients were divided into four groups: heavy snowfall-winter (N = 15,627), heavy snowfall-non-winter (N = 97,441), other area-winter (N = 32,955), and other area-non-winter (N = 191,758). Longer EMS response intervals (>13 minutes) were most likely in the heavy snowfall-winter group (OR = 1.86; 95% CI, 1.76 to 1.97), and also more likely in heavy snowfall areas in non-winter (OR = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.38 to 1.50). One-month survival in winter was worse not only in the heavy snowfall area (OR = 0.86; 95% CI, 0.78 to 0.94) but also in other areas (OR = 0.91; 95% CI, 0.87 to 0.94). One-month neurologically-favorable outcomes were also comparable between heavy snowfall-winter and other area-non-winter groups.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed OHCA in heavy snowfall areas in winter resulted in longer EMS response intervals. However, heavy snowfall had little effect on one-month survival or neurologically-favorable outcome at one month.

Current summary of the evidence in drone-based emergency medical services care

Interventions for many medical emergencies including cardiac arrests, strokes, drug overdoses, seizures, and trauma, are critically time-dependent, with faster intervention leading to improved patient outcomes. Consequently, a major focus of emergency medical services (EMS) systems and prehospital medicine has been improving the time until medical intervention in these time-sensitive emergencies, often by reducing the time required to deliver critical medical supplies to the scene of the emergency. Medical indications for using unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, are rapidly expanding, including the delivery of time-sensitive medical supplies. To date, the drone-based delivery of a variety of time-critical medical supplies has been evaluated, generating promising data suggesting that drones can improve the time interval to intervention through the rapid delivery of automatic external defibrillators (AEDs), naloxone, antiepileptics, and blood products. Furthermore, the improvement in the time until intervention offered by drones in out-of-hospital emergencies is likely to improve patient outcomes in time-dependent medical emergencies. However, barriers and knowledge gaps remain that must be addressed. Further research demonstrating functionality in real-world scenarios, as well as research that integrates drones into the existing EMS structure will be necessary before drones can reach their full potential. The primary aim of this review is to summarize the current evidence in drone-based Emergency Medical Services Care to help identify future research directions.

Prehospital Time Interval for Urban and Rural Emergency Medical Services: A Systematic Literature Review

The aim of this study was to discuss the differences in pre-hospital time intervals between rural and urban communities regarding emergency medical services (EMS). A systematic search was conducted through various relevant databases, together with a manual search to find relevant articles that compared rural and urban communities in terms of response time, on-scene time, and transport time. A total of 37 articles were ultimately included in this review. The sample sizes of the included studies was also remarkably variable, ranging between 137 and 239,464,121. Twenty-nine (78.4%) reported a difference in response time between rural and urban areas. Among these studies, the reported response times for patients were remarkably variable. However, most of them (number (n) = 27, 93.1%) indicate that response times are significantly longer in rural areas than in urban areas. Regarding transport time, 14 studies (37.8%) compared this outcome between rural and urban populations. All of these studies indicate the superiority of EMS in urban over rural communities. In another context, 10 studies (27%) reported on-scene time. Most of these studies (n = 8, 80%) reported that the mean on-scene time for their populations is significantly longer in rural areas than in urban areas. On the other hand, two studies (5.4%) reported that on-scene time is similar in urban and rural communities. Finally, only eight studies (21.6%) reported pre-hospital times for rural and urban populations. All studies reported a significantly shorter pre-hospital time in urban communities compared to rural communities. Conclusions: Even with the recently added data, short pre-hospital time intervals are still superior in urban over rural communities.

Firefighters as first-responders in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest- a retrospective study of a time-gain selective dispatch system in the Skåne Region, Sweden

AIM

To analyze the impact of a time-gain selective, first-responder dispatch system on the presence of a shockable initial rhythm (SIR), return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and 30-day survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).

METHOD

A retrospective observational study comprising OHCA registry data and dispatch data in the Skåne Region, Sweden (2010-2018). Data were categorized according to dispatch procedures, two ambulances (AMB-only) versus two ambulances and firefighter first-responders (DUAL-dispatch), based on the dispatcher's estimation of a time-gain. Dual dispatch was sub-categorized by arrival of first vehicle (first-responder or ambulance). Logistic regressions were used, additionally with groups matched (1:1) for age, witnessed event, bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation and ambulance response time. Adjusted and conditional odds-ratios (aOR, cOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) are presented.

RESULTS

Of 3,245 eligible cases, 43% were DUAL-dispatches with first-responders first on scene (FR-first) in 72%. Despite a five-minute median reduction in response time in the FR-first group, no association with SIR was found (aOR 0.83, 95%CI 0.64-1.07) nor improved 30-day survival (aOR 1.03, 95%CI 0.72-1.47). A positive association between ROSC and the FR-first group (aOR 1.25, 95%CI 1.02-1.54) disappeared in the matched analysis (cOR 1.12, 95%CI 0.87-1.43). Time to first monitored rhythm was 7:06 minutes in the FR-first group versus 3:01 in the combined AMB-only/AMB-first groups.

CONCLUSION

In this time-gain selective first-responder dispatch system, a shorter response time was not associated with increased SIR, improved ROSC rate or survival. Process measures differed between the study groups which could account for the observed findings and requires further investigation.

Predictors of problem-solving skills among emergency medical services staff in Iran: A cross-sectional correlational study

Background and aims

Pre-hospital emergency technicians face many problems in the workplace daily, so the ability to solve or overcome them in the workplace is essential. This article aimed to assess the predictors of problem-solving skills among emergency medical services staff in Iran.

Methods

This study was cross-sectional correlational research. Using convenience sampling methods, 140 emergency medical services (EMS) staff were enrolled in the study. Response time was assessed using ASAYAR software, problem-solving skills (PSS) were measured using the Hepner Petersen Problem Solving Questionnaire (PSI), and cognitive emotion regulation strategies were assessed using the Garnfsky Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson's r correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression analysis were applied using SPSS 14.0.

Results

The results of our study showed that the total mean score for problem-solving skills was 136.84 (14.65) (range, 175–107 points). Multiple linear regression indicated that refocusing on planning, positive evaluation, stress management courses, delays and their causes, positive refocusing, catastrophizing, and acceptance were effective predictors of problem-solving skills in emergency personnel, accounting for 54% of the total variances.

Conclusion

This study is one of the first studies in this field. Based on our findings, individuals who consider their emotions and feelings when solving problems are better able to use the process of thinking and problem-solving skills. Therefore, by training people in the field of emotional regulation skills, the skills to solve problems technicians can be increased.

Influence of advanced life support response time on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patient outcomes in Taipei

Background

The association between out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patient survival and advanced life support response time remained controversial. We aimed to test the hypothesis that for adult, non-traumatic, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients, a shorter advanced life support response time is associated with a better chance of survival. We analyzed Utstein-based registry data on adult, non-traumatic, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients in Taipei from 2011 to 2015.

Methods

Patients without complete data, witnessed by emergency medical technicians, or with response times of ≥ 15 minutes, were excluded. We used logistic regression with an exposure of advanced life support response time. Primary and secondary outcomes were survival to hospital discharge and favorable neurological outcomes (cerebral performance category ≤ 2), respectively. Subgroup analyses were based on presenting rhythms of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and witness status.

Results

A total of 4,278 cases were included in the final analysis. The median advanced life support response time was 9 minutes. For every minute delayed in advanced life support response time, the chance of survival to hospital discharge would reduce by 7% and chance of favorable neurological outcome by 9%. Subgroup analysis showed that a longer advanced life support response time was negatively associated with the chance of survival to hospital discharge among out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients with shockable rhythm and pulse electrical activity groups.

Conclusions

In non-traumatic, adult, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients in Taipei, a longer advanced life support response time was associated with declining odds of survival to hospital discharge and favorable neurologic outcomes, especially in patients presenting with shockable rhythm and pulse electrical activity.

Socio-spatial disparities in access to emergency health care-A Scandinavian case study

Having timely access to emergency health care (EHC) depends largely on where you live. In this Scandinavian case study, we investigate how accessibility to EHC varies spatially in order to reveal potential socio-spatial disparities in access. Distinct measures of EHC accessibility were calculated for southern Sweden in a network analysis using a Geographical Information System (GIS) based on data from 2018. An ANOVA test was carried out to investigate how accessibility vary for different measures between urban and rural areas, and negative binominal regression modelling was then carried out to assess potential disparities in accessibility between socioeconomic and demographic groups. Areas with high shares of older adults show poor access to EHC, especially those in the most remote, rural areas. However, rurality alone does not preclude poor access to EHC. Education, income and proximity to ambulance stations were also associated with EHC accessibility, but not always in expected ways. Despite indications of a well-functioning EHC, with most areas served within one hour, socio-spatial disparities in access to EHC were detected both between places and population groups.

Dispatcher instructions for bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation and neurologically intact survival after bystander-witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrests: a nationwide, population-based observational study

Background

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation recommends that dispatchers provide instructions to perform compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to callers responding to adults with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). This study aimed to determine the optimal dispatcher-assisted CPR (DA-CPR) instructions for OHCA.

Methods

We analysed the records of 24,947 adult patients (aged ≥ 18 years) who received bystander DA-CPR after bystander-witnessed OHCA. Data were obtained from a prospectively recorded Japanese nationwide Utstein-style database for a 2-year period (2016–2017). Patients were divided into compression-only DA-CPR (n = 22,778) and conventional DA-CPR (with a compression-to-ventilation ratio of 30:2, n = 2169) groups. The primary outcome measure was 1-month neurological intact survival, defined as a cerebral performance category score of 1–2 (CPC 1–2).

Results

The 1-month CPC 1–2 rate was significantly higher in the conventional DA-CPR group than in the compression-only DA-CPR group (before propensity score (PS) matching, 7.5% [162/2169] versus 5.8% [1309/22778], p < 0.01; after PS matching, 7.5% (162/2169) versus 5.7% (123/2169), p < 0.05). Compared with compression-only DA-CPR, conventional DA-CPR was associated with increased odds of 1-month CPC 1–2 (before PS matching, adjusted odds ratio 1.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14–1.70, p < 0.01; after PS matching, adjusted odds ratio 1.34, 95% CI 1.00–1.79, p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Within the limitations of this retrospective observational study, conventional DA-CPR with a compression-to-ventilation ratio of 30:2 was preferable to compression-only DA-CPR as an optimal DA-CPR instruction for coaching callers to perform bystander CPR for adult patients with bystander-witnessed OHCAs.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13054-021-03825-w.

Moderating effects of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest characteristics on the association between EMS response time and survival

BACKGROUND

Although several Utstein variables are known to independently improve survival, how they moderate the effect of emergency medical service (EMS) response times on survival is unknown.

OBJECTIVES

To quantify how public location, witnessed status, bystander CPR, and bystander AED shock individually and jointly moderate the effect of EMS response time delays on OHCA survival.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study was a secondary analysis of the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium Epistry-Cardiac Arrest database (December 2005 to June 2015). We included all adult, non-traumatic, non-EMS witnessed, and EMS-treated OHCAs from eleven sites across the US and Canada. We trained a logistic regression model with standard Utstein control variables and interaction terms between EMS response time and the four aforementioned OHCA characteristics.

RESULTS

102,216 patients were included. Three of the four characteristics - witnessed OHCAs (OR = 0.962), bystander CPR (OR = 0.968) and public location (OR = 0.980) - increased the negative effect of a one-minute delay on the odds of survival. In contrast, a bystander AED shock decreased the negative effect of a one-minute response time delay on the odds of survival (OR = 1.064). The magnitude of the effect of a one-minute delay in EMS response time on the odds of survival ranged from 1.3% to 9.8% (average: 5.3%), depending on the underlying OHCA characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

Delays in EMS response time had the largest reduction in survival odds for OHCAs that did not receive a bystander AED shock but were witnessed, occurred in public, and/or received bystander CPR. A bystander AED shock appears to be protective against a delay in EMS response time.

Bystander interventions and survival following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest at Copenhagen International Airport

AIM

To examine incidence and outcome following out-of-hospital cardiac (OHCA) arrest in a high-risk area characterised by high density of potential bystanders and easy access to nearby automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

METHODS

This retrospective observational study investigated pre-hospital and in-hospital treatment, as well as survival amongst persons with OHCA at Copenhagen International Airport between May 25, 2015 and May 25, 2019. OHCA data from pre- and in-hospital medical records were obtained and compared with public bystander witnessed OHCAs in Denmark.

RESULTS

Of the 23 identified non-traumatic OHCAs, 91.3% were witnessed by bystanders, 73.9% received bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and 43.5% were defibrillated by a bystander. Survival to hospital discharge was 56.5%, with 100% survival among persons with an initial shockable heart rhythm. Compared with nationwide bystander witnessed OHCAs, persons with OHCA at the airport were less likely to receive bystander CPR (73.9% vs. 89.4%, OR 0.33; 95% CI, 0.13-0.86), more likely to receive bystander defibrillation (43.5% vs. 24.8%, OR 2.32; 95% CI, 1.01-5.31), to achieve return of spontaneous circulation (78.2% vs. 50.6%, OR 3.51; 95% CI, 1.30-9.49), and survive to hospital discharge (56.5% vs. 45.2%, OR 1.58; 95% CI, 0.69-3.62).

CONCLUSION

We found a high proportion of bystander defibrillation indicating that bystanders will quickly apply an AED, when accessible. Importantly, 56% of all persons, and all persons with a shockable heart rhythm survived. These findings suggest increased potential for survival following OHCA and support current guidelines to strategically deploy accessible AEDs in high-risk OHCA areas.

Shortening Ambulance Response Time Increases Survival in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Background The ambulance response time in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has doubled over the past 30 years in Sweden. At the same time, the chances of surviving an OHCA have increased substantially. A correct understanding of the effect of ambulance response time on the outcome after OHCA is fundamental for further advancement in cardiac arrest care. Methods and Results We used data from the SRCR (Swedish Registry of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) to determine the effect of ambulance response time on 30-day survival after OHCA. We included 20 420 cases of OHCA occurring in Sweden between 2008 and 2017. Survival to 30 days was our primary outcome. Stratification and multiple logistic regression were used to control for confounding variables. In a model adjusted for age, sex, calendar year, and place of collapse, survival to 30 days is presented for 4 different groups of emergency medical services (EMS)-crew response time: 0 to 6 minutes, 7 to 9 minutes, 10 to 15 minutes, and >15 minutes. Survival to 30 days after a witnessed OHCA decreased as ambulance response time increased. For EMS response times of >10 minutes, the overall survival among those receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation before EMS arrival was slightly higher than survival for the sub-group of patients treated with compressions-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Conclusions Survival to 30 days after a witnessed OHCA decreases as ambulance response times increase. This correlation was seen independently of initial rhythm and whether cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed before EMS-crew arrival. Shortening EMS response times is likely to be a fast and effective way of increasing survival in OHCA.

Factors associated with return of spontaneous circulation after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Poland: a one-year retrospective study

Background

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a common reason for calls for intervention by emergency medical teams (EMTs) in Poland. Regardless of the mechanism, OHCA is a state in which the chance of survival is dependent on rapid action from bystanders and responding health professionals in emergency medical services (EMS). We aimed to identify factors associated with return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC).

Methods

The medical records of 2137 EMS responses to OHCA in the city of Wroclaw, Poland between July 2017 and June 2018 were analyzed.

Results

The OHCA incidence rate for the year studied was 102 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. EMS were called to 2317 OHCA events of which 1167 (50.4%) did not have resuscitation attempted on EMS arrival. The difference between the number of successful and failed cardiopulmonary resuscitations (CPRs) was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Of 1150 patients in whom resuscitation was attempted, ROSC was achieved in 250 (27.8%). Rate of ROSC was significantly higher when CPR was initiated by bystanders (p < 0.001). Patients presenting with asystole or pulseless electrical activity (PEA) had a higher risk of CPR failure (86%) than those with ventricular fibrillation/ventricular tachycardia (VF/VT). Patients with VF/VT had a higher chance of ROSC (OR 2.68, 1.86–3.85) than those with asystole (p < 0.001). The chance of ROSC was 1.78 times higher when the event occurred in a public place (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The factors associated with ROSC were occurrence in a public place, CPR initiation by witnesses, and presence of a shockable rhythm. Gender, age, and the type of EMT did not influence ROSC. Low bystander CPR rates reinforce the need for further efforts to train the public in CPR.

Does second EMS unit response time affect outcomes of OHCA in multi-tiered system? A nationwide observational study

OBJECTIVES

The time dependence of a multi-tier response for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the time-dependent effect of EMS response type in a multi-tiered system on the clinical outcomes of OHCA.

METHODS

Adult EMS-treated OHCA of presumed cardiac etiology who were not witnessed by EMS between January 2015 and December 2017 were included. The main exposure was EMS response type: single-tier response, early multi-tier response (0-18 min from call to second EMS arrival), and late multi-tier response (19 min from call to second EMS arrival). The primary outcome was good neurologic recovery at the time of discharge from the hospital. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed, adjusting for patient-community and prehospital variables.

RESULTS

Among 54,436 patients, 29,995 patients (55.1%), 21,552 patients (39.6%), and 2889 patients (5.3%) were treated by single-tiered EMS, early multi-tiered EMS, and late multi-tiered EMS, respectively. Good neurological recovery and survival to discharge were more frequent in the early multi-tiered response group (6.4% and 9.7%) than in the single-tiered response group (4.8% and 7.5%) or late multi-tiered response group (3.1% and 5.8%). Compared to the single-tiered response group, the early multi-tiered response group was more likely to have good neurological recovery (adjusted OR, 95% CI: 1.15 [1.06-1.26]), but the late multi-tiered response group was less likely to have good neurological recovery (adjusted OR, 95% CI: 0.76 [0.61-0.96]).

CONCLUSION

In our basic to intermediate-tiered EMS system, early multi-tier response was associated with improved survival and good neurological recovery.

Sex-specific differences in survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a nationwide, population-based observational study

Background

It remains unclear whether men have more favorable survival outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) than women.

Methods

We reviewed a total of 386,535 patients aged ≥ 18 years with OHCA who were included in the Japanese registry from 2013 to 2016. The study endpoints were the rates of 1-month survival and neurologically intact survival (Cerebral Performance Category Scale score = 1 or 2). Based on age, the reviewed patients were categorized into the following eight groups: < 30, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60–69, 70–79, 80–89, and ≥ 90 years. The survival outcomes in men and women were compared using hierarchical propensity score matching.

Results

The crude survival rate was significantly higher in men than in women in five groups: 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60–69, and 70–79 years (all P < 0.001). Similarly, the crude neurologically intact survival rate was significantly higher in men than in women in seven groups: < 30, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60–69, 70–79, and 80–89 years (all P < 0.005). However, multivariate logistic regression analysis of each group revealed no significant sex-specific differences in 1-month survival outcomes (all P > 0.02). Moreover, after hierarchical propensity score matching, the survival outcomes did not significantly differ between both sexes (all P > 0.05).

Conclusions

No significant sex-specific differences were found in the rates of 1-month survival and neurologically intact survival after OHCA.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13054-019-2547-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Prehospital determinants of successful resuscitation after traumatic and non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

Background

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is prevalent in the UK. Reported survival is lower than in countries with comparable healthcare systems; a better understanding of outcome determinants may identify areas for improvement.

Methods

An analysis of 9109 OHCA attended in East of England between 1 January 2015 and 31 July 2017. Univariate descriptives and multivariable analysis were used to understand the determinants of survival for non-traumatic cardiac arrest (NTCA) and traumatic cardiac arrest (TCA). Two Utstein outcome variables were used: survival to hospital admission and hospital discharge.

Results

The incidence of OHCA was 55.1 per 100 000 population/year. The overall survival to hospital admission was 27.6% (95% CI 26.7% to 28.6%) and the overall survival to discharge was 7.9% (95% CI 7.3% to 8.5%). Survival to hospital admission and survival to hospital discharge were both greater in the NTCA group compared with the TCA group: 27.9% vs 19.3% p=0.001, and 8.0% vs 3.8% p=0.012 respectively.

Determinants of NTCA and TCA survival were different, and varied according to the outcome examined. In NTCA, bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was associated with survival at discharge but not at admission, and the likelihood of bystander CPR was dependent on geographical socioeconomic status. An air ambulance was associated with increased survival to both hospital admission and discharge in NTCA, but only with survival to admission in TCA.

Conclusion

NTCA and TCA are clinically distinct entities with different predictors for outcome—future OHCA reports should aim to separate arrest aetiologies. Determinants of survival to hospital admission and discharge differ in a way that likely reflects the determinants of neurological injury. Bystander CPR public engagement may be best focused in more deprived areas.

Post out-of-hospital cardiac arrest care in a tertiary care center in southern Thailand: From emergency department to intensive care unit

Background:

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest results in a high mortality rate. The 2015 American Heart Association guideline for post-cardiac arrest was launched and adopted into our institutional policy.

Objectives:

We aimed to evaluate post-cardiac arrest care and compare the results with the 2015 American Heart Association guideline and clinical outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.

Methods

Included in this study were all adult patients who survived out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and were admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit of Songklanagarind Hospital, Thailand. The retrospective review was from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2017.

Results:

From a total of 161 post-cardiac arrest patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit, 69 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients were identified. The most common cause of arrest was presumed cardiac in origin (45.0%) in which the majority was acute myocardial infarction (67.8%). Coronary intervention and targeted temperature management were performed in 27.5% and 13% of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients, respectively. Survival to hospital discharge was 42%. Independent factors associated with survival to discharge were shockable rhythms, lower adrenaline doses, and the absence of hypotension at medical intensive care unit admission.

Conclusion:

Compliance with the 2015 American Heart Association post-cardiac arrest care guideline was low in our institution, especially in coronary intervention and targeted temperature management.

Association between ambulance response time and neurologic outcome in patients with cardiac arrest

PURPOSE

Emergency medical services (EMS) response time is one of prehospital factors associated with survival rate of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). The objective of this study was to determine whether short EMS response time was associated with improved neurologic outcome of patients with OHCA through prospective analysis.

METHODS

We performed a prospective observational analysis of collected data from KoCARC registry between October 2015 and December 2016. OHCA patients aged 18 years or older with presumed cardiac etiology by emergency physicians in emergency department were included in this study.

RESULTS

Of 3187 cardiac arrest patients enrolled in the KoCARC registry, 2309 patients were included in the final analysis. Response time threshold was 11.5 min for prehospital return of spontaneous circulation and 7.5 min for survival to discharge and favorable neurologic outcome. Patients in the ≤7.5 min response time group showed increased odds of survival to discharge (OR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.13-2.10, p = .006) and favorable neurologic recovery (OR: 2.01, 95% CI: 1.36-2.99, p = .001). When response time was decreased by 1 min, all outcomes were improved (survival to discharge, OR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.04-1.12, p < .001; favorable neurological outcome, OR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.07-1.21, p < .001).

CONCLUSION

We found that shorter EMS response time could lead to favorable neurologic outcome in patients with OHCA of presumed cardiac origin. EMS response time threshold associated with improved favorable outcome was ≤7.5 min.

Can they stop the bleed? Evaluation of tourniquet application by individuals with varying levels of prior self-reported training

BACKGROUND

Application of extremity tourniquets is a central tenet of multiple national initiatives to empower laypersons to provide hemorrhage control (HC). However, the efficacy of the general population who self-report prior first-aid (FA) or HC training on individual's ability to control bleeding with a tourniquet remains unknown. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of laypeople with self-reported prior FA or HC training to control bleeding with a tourniquet.

STUDY DESIGN

Employees of a stadium were assessed via simulation in their ability to apply a Combat Application Tourniquet. As a subgroup analysis of a larger study, participants who self-reported: 1) No prior training, 2) FA training only or 2) FA + HC training were compared. Logistic regression adjusting for age, gender, education, willingness-to-assist, and comfort level in HC was performed.

RESULTS

317 participants were included. Compared to participants with no prior training (14.4%,n = 16/111), those with FA training only (25.2%,n = 35/139) had a 2.12-higher odds (95%CI:1.07-4.18) of correct tourniquet application while those with FA + HC (35.8%,n = 24/67) had a 3.50-higher odds (95%CI:1.59-7.72) of correct application. Participants with prior FA + HC were more willing-to-assist and comfortable performing HC than those without prior training (p < 0.05). However, reporting being very willing-to-assist [OR0.83,95%CI:0.43-1.60] or very comfortable [OR1.11,95%CI:0.55-2.25] was not associated with correct tourniquet application.

CONCLUSION

Self-reported prior FA + HC training, while associated with increased likelihood to correctly apply a tourniquet, results in only 1/3 of individuals correctly performing the skill. As work continues in empowering and training laypeople to act as immediate responders, these findings highlight the importance of effective layperson education techniques.

Prehospital response to respiratory distress by the public ambulance system in a Ukrainian city

BACKGROUND

The capability of the public ambulance system in Ukraine to address urgent medical complaints in a prehospital environment is unknown. Evaluation using reliable sources of patient data is needed to provide insight into current treatments and outcomes.

METHODS

We obtained access to de-identified computer records from the emergency medical services (EMS) dispatch center in Poltava, a medium-sized city in central Ukraine. Covering a five-month period, we retrieved data for urgent calls with a patient complaint of respiratory distress. We evaluated ambulance response and treatment times, field diagnoses, and patient disposition, and analyzed factors related to fatal outcomes.

RESULTS

Over the five-month period of the study, 2,029 urgent calls for respiratory distress were made to the Poltava EMS dispatch center. A physician-led ambulance typically responded within 10 minutes. Seventy-seven percent of patients were treated and released, twenty percent were taken to hospital, and three percent died in the prehospital phase. On univariate analysis, age over 60 and altered mental status at the time of the call were strongly associated with a fatal outcome.

CONCLUSION

The EMS dispatch center in a medium-sized city in Ukraine has adequate organizational infrastructure to ensure that a physician-led public ambulance responds rapidly to complaints of respiratory distress. That EMS system was able to manage most patients without requiring hospital admission. However, a prehospital fatality rate of three percent suggests that further research is warranted to determine training, equipment, or procedural needs of the public ambulance system to manage urgent medical conditions.

Field termination-of-resuscitation rule for refractory out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Japan

BACKGROUND

Guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) recommend using the universal termination-of-resuscitation (TOR) rule to identify out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients eligible for field termination of resuscitation, thus avoiding medically futile transportation to the hospital. However, in Japan, emergency medical services (EMS) personnel are forbidden from terminating CPR in the field and transport almost all patients with OHCA to hospitals. We aimed to develop and validate a novel TOR rule to identify patients eligible for field termination of CPR.

METHODS

We analyzed 540,478 patients with OHCA from 2011 to 2015 using a Japanese registry. Main outcome measures were specificity and positive predictive value (PPV) of the newly developed TOR rule in predicting 1-month mortality after OHCA.

RESULTS

Recursive partitioning analysis in the development group (n=434,208) showed that EMS personnel could consider TOR if patients with OHCA met all of the following five criteria: (1) initial asystole, (2) arrest unwitnessed by a bystander, (3) age ≥81 years, (4) no bystander-administered CPR or automated external defibrillator use before EMS arrival, and (5) no return of spontaneous circulation after EMS-initiated CPR for 14min. For patients meeting these criteria, specificity and PPV for predicting 1-month mortality were 99.2% [95% confidence interval (CI), 99.0-99.3%] and 99.7% (95% CI, 99.6-99.7%), respectively, for the development group and were 99.5% (95% CI, 99.3-99.7%) and 99.8% (95% CI, 99.7-99.9%), respectively, for the validation group. Implementation of this novel rule would reduce patient transports to hospitals by 10.6% in the development group and 10.4% in the validation group.

CONCLUSIONS

Having both high specificity and PPV of >99% for predicting 1-month mortality, our developed TOR rule may be applied in the field for Japanese patients with OHCA who meet all five criteria. Prospective validation studies and establishment of prehospital EMS protocol are required before implementing this rule.