Differences in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest emergency dispatch recognition and dispatcher assisted cpr instructions – a Scandinavian multicentre study

Abstract

Purpose of the study: Emergency medical dispatchers play a vital role in early recognition of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA). Provision of dispatcher assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DA-CPR) before arrival of the emergency medical services is associated with increased bystander CPR and survival. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences between OHCA emergency calls from emergency medical communication centers in Stockholm (Sweden), Copenhagen (Denmark), and Oslo (Norway). Quality measures were recognition of OHCA, provision of DA-CPR, median time to first chest compression and dispatchers’ assessment of the quality of bystander CPR concerning chest compression depth and rate.