Cardiopulmonary resuscitation by law enforcement agents in Spain: lessons from a mixed methods case study

Abstract

Much of the law enforcement work takes place close to the public, often arriving at the scene before medical services in the case of victims of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. If properly trained, these early care procedures can be powerful mechanisms to improve survival. This paper describes a case of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest assisted by law enforcement officers on the public highway in Asturias-Spain. In addition, a qualitative study was carried out to learn about the experience of the officers during the intervention, their willingness to act in similar emergencies, as well as to gather information about their training and knowledge of basic life support. The case was successfully resolved; however, some errors in the spontaneous execution of the chain of survival and the officers’ statements prompted some recommendations for the mobilization, training and staffing of law enforcement agencies in Spain.