Evaluation of Telephone Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Performance in Current Practice in Saudi Arabia

Objectives

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a global health problem with a low survival rate. Telephone cardiopulmonary resuscitation (T-CPR) guidance by emergency medical services (EMS) dispatchers can improve CPR performance and, consequently, survival rates. Accordingly, the American Heart Association (AHA) has released performance standards for T-CPR in current practice to improve its quality. However, no study has examined T-CPR performance in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate T-CPR performance in the Saudi Arabian EMS system.

Methods

A retrospective observation of OHCA calls in current practice was conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. OHCA calls were reviewed to identify those that met the selection criteria. Variables collected included return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), OHCA recognition rate, time from EMS call receipt to location acquisition, to OHCA recognition and to commencement of CPR.

Results

A total of 308 OHCA cases were reviewed, and 100 calls were included. ROSC was identified in 10% of the included calls. OHCA was correctly recognized in 62% of the calls. The time to OHCA identification and CPR performance from EMS call receipt were found to be 303 s and 367 s, respectively.

Conclusion

T-CPR performance in Saudi Arabia is below AHA standards. However, this is similar to what has been reported in the literature. Avoiding any unnecessary call transfer during OHCA calls and prompt identification of callers' locations could improve T-CPR performance.

Emergency Medical Services Challenges Regarding Resource Capacity and Competency during COVID-19 Pandemic

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the availability of resources, personal protective equipment PPE) and beliefs amongst Emergency Medical Services (EMS) professionals in Makkah city. Also, we aimed to assess various aspects of how Emergency Medical Services are handling the COVID-19 pandemic via online self-administrated questionnaire. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on a convenience sample of 276 EMS providers from the city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia during the period from July 2020 to June 2021. SPSS (version 21.0) was used for data entry and data analysis. We approximate a 95% confidence interval (±0.05). Results: Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and paramedics are representing most of the participants, 44% and 43%, respectively. EMS doctor, EMS registered nurse and others represent the remaining 13%. When the participants assessed their level of satisfaction on how their institutions have handled the pandemic, 34% expressed that they were satisfied, 14% were very satisfied, while 21% and 13% expressed that they were dissatisfied and very dissatisfied. On the availability of resources, 42% had access to N95 masks whenever they needed access to them while 33% did not have access. Conclusion: As the study demonstrates a relationship between the capability of emergency medical services personnel to handle a pandemic like COVID-19 and institutional preparedness, there are still significant gaps in EMS personnel's PPE training. EMS agencies should be supported in their efforts to effectively prepare their workers while the pandemic continues in our communities. Therefore, institutions should adopt guidelines that stipulate care for patients with COVID-19, provide training to emergency personnel, and properly distribute resources and PPE.

Increased Emergency Calls during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia: A National Retrospective Study

The impact on the utilization of emergency medical services (EMS) in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic. We studied cumulative data from emergency calls collected from the SRCA. Data were separated into three periods: before COVID-19 (1 January-29 February 2020), during COVID-19 (1 March-23 April 2020), and during the Holy Month of Ramadan (24 April-23 May 2020). A marked increase of cases was handled during the COVID-19 period compared to the number before pandemic. Increases in all types of cases, except for those related to trauma, occurred during COVID-19, with all regions experiencing increased call volumes during COVID-19 compared with before pandemic. Demand for EMS significantly increased throughout Saudi Arabia during the pandemic period. Use of the mobile application ASAFNY to request an ambulance almost doubled during the pandemic but remained a small fraction of total calls. Altered weekly call patterns and increased call volume during the pandemic indicated not only a need for increased staff but an alteration in staffing patterns.