Bystander-witnessed Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest Research Articles

Survival After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Before and After Legislation for Bystander CPR

The lack of evidence-based implementation strategies is a major contributor to increasing mortality due to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in developing countries with limited resources. To evaluate whether the implementation of legislation is associated with increased bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) use and improved clinical outcomes for patients experiencing OHCA and to provide policy implications for low-income and middle-income settings. This observational cohort study analyzed a prospective city registry of patients with bystander-witnessed OHCA between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2022. The Emergency Medical Aid Act was implemented in Shenzhen, China, on October 1, 2018. An interrupted time-series analysis was used to assess changes in outcomes before and after the law. Data analysis was performed from May to October 2023. The Emergency Medical Aid Act stipulated the use of AEDs and CPR training for the public and provided clear legal guidance for OHCA rescuing. The primary outcomes were rates of bystander-initiated CPR and use of AEDs. Secondary outcomes were rates of prehospital return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), survival to arrival at the hospital, and survival at discharge. A total of 13 751 patients with OHCA (median [IQR] age, 59 [43-76] years; 10 011 men [72.83%]) were included, with 7858 OHCAs occurring during the prelegislation period (January 1, 2010, to September 30, 2018) and 5893 OHCAs occurring during the postlegislation period (October 1, 2018, to December 31, 2022). The rates of bystander-initiated CPR (320 patients [4.10%] vs 1103 patients [18.73%]) and AED use (214 patients [4.12%] vs 182 patients [5.29%]) increased significantly after legislation implementation vs rates before the legislation. Rates of prehospital ROSC (72 patients [0.92%] vs 425 patients [7.21%]), survival to arrival at the hospital (68 patients [0.87%] vs 321 patients [5.45%]), and survival at discharge (44 patients [0.56%] vs 165 patients [2.80%]) were significantly increased during the postlegislation period. Interrupted time-series models demonstrated a significant slope change in the rates of all outcomes. These findings suggest that implementation of the Emergency Medical Aid Act in China was associated with increased rates of CPR and public AED use and improved survival of patients with OHCA. The use of a systemwide approach to enact resuscitation initiatives and provide legal support may reduce the burden of OHCA in low-income and middle-income settings.

Identifying areas of Australia with high out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidence and low bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation rates: A retrospective, observational study.

This study aims to explore regional variation and identify regions within Australia with high incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and low rates of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Adult OHCAs of presumed medical aetiology occurring across Australia between 2017 and 2019 were mapped onto local government areas (LGA) using the location of arrest coordinates. Bayesian spatial models were applied to provide "smoothed" estimates of OHCA incidence and bystander CPR rates (for bystander-witnessed OHCAs) for each LGA. For each state and territory, high-risk LGAs were defined as those with an incidence rate greater than the state or territory's 75th percentile and a bystander CPR rate less than the state or territory's 25th percentile. A total of 62,579 OHCA cases attended by emergency medical services across 543 LGAs nationwide were included in the study. Nationally, the OHCA incidence rate across LGA ranged from 58.5 to 198.3 persons per 100,000, while bystander CPR rates ranged from 45% to 75%. We identified 60 high-risk LGAs, which were predominantly located in the state of New South Wales. Within each region, high-risk LGAs were typically located in regional and remote areas of the country, except for four metropolitan areas-two in Adelaide and two in Perth. We have identified high-risk LGAs, characterised by high incidence and low bystander CPR rates, which are predominantly in regional and remote areas of Australia. Strategies for reducing OHCA and improving bystander response may be best targeted at these regions.

Impact of the number of citizens officially certified for government-organized civilian cardiopulmonary resuscitation courses on the prognosis for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Japan

Abstract Background To improve the prognosis of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), the rate of high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and immediate use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) by citizens must be further increased. Japanese government launched certified CPR courses for citizens throughout Japan in 1994 and the number of citizens certified on the course is increasing. However, the impact of the number of citizens officially certified for the courses on the rate of CPR implementation by citizens and the outcomes in patients with OHCA is unclear. Methods From a prospective, nationwide, population-based registry of patients with OHCA in Japan, we identified 350,444 patients from 2005 through 2020 with bystander-witnessed OHCA with 72,069 ventricular-fibrillation (VF) and the other non-VF cardiac arrests. The association between the number of citizens certified for the CPR courses and the rate of CPR implementation by citizens throughout Japan was analyzed by Poisson distribution and Cochran–Armitage test for trend. The primary outcome was survival at 1 month. The secondary outcomes were favorable neurologic outcome at 1 month. The associations between the CPR attempted by citizens [categorized into three (chest-compression-only CPR, chest compression with rescue breathing, and use of AEDs with chest compression and rescue breathing)] and outcomes were determined by multivariable mixed logistic regression analyses. Results Cumulative number of citizens certified for the CPR courses increased from 717,808 in 2005 to 34,938,322 in 2020, which reached to 27.8% of total Japanese population. Annual course receivers were also linearly increased during the period (Incidence Rate Ratios 1.03, p<0.001). Similarly, the rate of patients receiving CPR by citizens increased linearly from 40.6% in 2005 to 56.8% in 2020 (P for trend<0.001). In the multivariable mixed logistic regression analyses, higher CPR activity by citizens were significantly associated with better 1-year survival in both VF and non-VF patients even after adjusted for covariates [VF = chest compression: odds ratio (OR) 1.17; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.98–1.39; P =0.078; chest compression with rescue breathing: OR 1.22; 95% CI 1.02–1.49; P =0.030; use of AEDs with chest compression and rescue breathing: OR 1.54; 95% CI 1.54–1.92; P <0.001 vs no CPR, non-VF= chest compression: OR 1.19; 95% CI 0.76–1.87; P =0.45; chest compression with rescue breathing: OR 2.26; 95% CI 1.34–3.82; P =0.020 vs non-CPR]. Similar results were also found in neurological outcomes in 1 month. Conclusions The rate of CPR implementation by citizens throughout Japan has continuously and linearly increased in these 15 years in proportion to the increase in the number of citizens certified for the government-organized CPR courses. Higher CPR activity by citizens were significantly associated with better 1-year survival and favorable functional status in both VF and non-VF patients.

Abstract 408: Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Children: An Epidemiological Study Based on the German Resuscitation Registry Identifying Modifiable Factors for Return of Spontaneous Circulation

Aim: This work provides an epidemiological overview of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in children in Germany between 2007 and 2021. We wanted to identify modifiable factors associated with survival. Methods: Data from the German Resuscitation Registry (GRR) was used, and we included patients registered between 1 st January 2007 and 31 st December 2021. We included children aged >7 days and <18 years, where cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was started and treatment was continued by emergency medical services (EMS). Incidences and descriptive analyses are presented for the overall cohort and each age group. Multivariate binary logistic regression was performed on the whole cohort to determine the influence of (1) CPR with/without ventilation started by bystander, (2) OHCA witnessed status, and (3) nighttime on the outcome hospital admission with ROSC. Results: OHCA in children aged <1 year had the highest incidence per 100 000 inhabitants, with 23.42, accounting for 42.0% of all included cases. Overall, hypoxia was the leading presumed cause of OHCA; whereas trauma and drowning accounted for a high proportion in children aged >1 year. Bystander-witnessed OHCA and bystander CPR rate were highest in children aged 1-4 years, with 43.9% and 62.3%, respectively. In reference to EMS-started CPR, bystander CPR with ventilation were associated with an increased odds ratio for ROSC at hospital admission after adjusting for age, sex, year of OHCA and location of OHCA. Conclusion: This study provides an epidemiological overview of OHCA in children in Germany and identifies bystander CPR with ventilation as one primary factor for survival.

Incidence, process of care, and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in China: a prospective study of the BASIC-OHCA registry

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is an important global public health issue, but its epidemiology and outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries remain largely unknown. We aim to comprehensively describe the incidence, process of care, and outcomes of OHCA in China. In the prospective, multicentre, population-based Baseline Investigation of Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest (BASIC-OHCA) registry study, participating sites were selected from both urban and rural areas in all seven geographical regions across China. All patients with OHCA assessed by emergency medical service (EMS) staff were consecutively enrolled from Aug 1, 2019, to Dec 31, 2020. Patients with suspected cardiac arrest assessed by bystanders whose return of spontaneous circulation was achieved without the need for defibrillation or EMS personnel cardiopulmonary resuscitation were excluded. Patients with all key variables missing were excluded, including resuscitation attempt, age, sex, witnessed status, cause, all process of care indicators, and all outcome measures. In this analysis, we included data for EMS agencies serving 25 monitoring sites (20 urban and five rural) that included the entire serving population, data for the whole of 2020, and at least 50 OHCA patients in 2020. Data were collected and reported using the Utstein template. We calculated the crude incidence of EMS-assessed OHCA in 2020. We also report data on baseline characteristics (including sex, cause, location of OHCA, and presence of shockable rhythm), process of care (including EMS response time, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, defibrillation, and advanced life support), and outcomes of non-traumatic OHCA between Aug 1, 2019, and Dec 31, 2020, including survival and survival with favourable neurological outcomes at discharge or 30 days, and at 6 and 12 months. Of 115·1 million people served by the 25 participating sites, 132 262 EMS-assessed patients with OHCA were enrolled, and resuscitation was attempted for 42 054 (31·8%) patients between Aug 1, 2019, and Dec 31, 2020. The crude incidence of EMS-assessed OHCA was 95·7 per 100 000 population (95% CI 95·6-95·8) in 2020. Among 38 227 individuals with non-traumatic OHCA, 25 958 (67·9%) were male, 30 282 (79·2%) had a cardiac arrest at home, 32 523 (85·1%) had a presumed cardiac cause, and 2297 (6·0%) presented with an initial shockable rhythm. 4049 (11·5%) of 35 090 patients with an unwitnessed or bystander-witnessed OHCA received dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation and 7121 (20·3%) received bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation; only 14 (<0·1%) patients were assessed by bystanders with an automated external defibrillator. The median EMS response time was 12 min (IQR 9-16). At hospital discharge or 30 days, 441 (1·2%) of 38 227 survived, 304 (0·8%) survived up to 6 months, and 269 (0·7%) up to 12 months. At hospital discharge or 30 days, 309 (0·8%) survived with favourable neurological outcomes, 257 (0·7%) had favourable neurological outcomes at 6 months, and 236 (0·6%) at 12 months. Our findings revealed a high burden of EMS-assessed OHCA with a low proportion of resuscitation attempts. The suboptimal implementation of chain of survival and unsatisfactory prognosis call for national efforts to improve the care and outcomes of patients with OHCA in China. The National Science & Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program of China, the State Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Taishan Pandeng Scholar Program of Shandong Province, the Key Research & Development Program of Shandong Province, the Interdisciplinary Young Researcher Groups Program of Shandong University, the Clinical Research Center of Shandong University, the ECCM Program of Clinical Research Center of Shandong University, and the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in children: an epidemiological study based on the German Resuscitation Registry identifying modifiable factors for return of spontaneous circulation

AimThis work provides an epidemiological overview of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in children in Germany between 2007 and 2021. We wanted to identify modifiable factors associated with survival.MethodsData from the German Resuscitation Registry (GRR) were used, and we included patients registered between 1st January 2007 and 31st December 2021. We included children aged between > 7 days and 17 years, where cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was started, and treatment was continued by emergency medical services (EMS). Incidences and descriptive analyses are presented for the overall cohort and each age group. Multivariate binary logistic regression was performed on the whole cohort to determine the influence of (1) CPR with/without ventilation started by bystander, (2) OHCA witnessed status and (3) night-time on the outcome hospital admission with return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC).ResultsOHCA in children aged < 1 year had the highest incidence of the same age group, with 23.42 per 100 000. Overall, hypoxia was the leading presumed cause of OHCA, whereas trauma and drowning accounted for a high proportion in children aged > 1 year. Bystander-witnessed OHCA and bystander CPR rate were highest in children aged 1–4 years, with 43.9% and 62.3%, respectively. In reference to EMS-started CPR, bystander CPR with ventilation were associated with an increased odds ratio for ROSC at hospital admission after adjusting for age, sex, year of OHCA and location of OHCA.ConclusionThis study provides an epidemiological overview of OHCA in children in Germany and identifies bystander CPR with ventilation as one primary factor for survival.Trial registrations German Clinical Trial Register: DRKS00030989, December 28th 2022.Graphical

Sex- and Age-Based Disparities in Public Access Defibrillation, Bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, and Neurological Outcome in Cardiac Arrest

ImportanceYounger females with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in public locations have less likelihood to receive public access defibrillation and bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). However, the association between age- and sex-based disparities and neurological outcomes remains underexamined.ObjectiveTo investigate the association between sex and age and the rate of receiving bystander CPR, automated external defibrillator defibrillation, and neurological outcomes in patients with OHCA.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis cohort study used the All-Japan Utstein Registry, a prospective, population-based, nationwide database in Japan containing data on 1 930 273 patients with OHCA between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2020. The cohort comprised patients with OHCA of cardiac origin that was witnessed by citizens and treated by emergency medical service personnel. The data were analyzed from September 3, 2022, to May 5, 2023.ExposureSex and age.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe primary outcome was favorable neurological outcome at 30 days after an OHCA. Favorable neurological outcome was defined as a Cerebral Performance Category score of 1 (indicating good cerebral performance) or 2 (indicating moderate cerebral disability). The secondary outcomes were the rates of receiving public access defibrillation and bystander CPR.ResultsThe 354 409 included patients who experienced bystander-witnessed OHCA of cardiac origin had a median (IQR) age of 78 (67-86) years and 136 520 were females (38.5%). The rate of receiving public access defibrillation was higher in males than females (3.2% vs 1.5%; P &amp;amp;lt; .001). Stratified by age, age- and sex-based disparities in prehospital lifesaving interventions by bystanders and in neurological outcomes were observed. Although younger females had a lower rate of receiving public access defibrillation and bystander CPR than males, younger females had a higher favorable neurological outcome compared with males of the same age (odds ratio [OR], 1.19; 95% CI, 1.08-1.31). In younger females with OHCA that was witnessed by nonfamily bystanders, receiving public access defibrillation (OR, 3.51; 95% CI, 2.34-5.27) or bystander CPR (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.20-2.22) was associated with a favorable neurological outcome.Conclusions and RelevanceResults of this study suggest a pattern of significant sex- and age-based differences in bystander CPR, public access defibrillation, and neurological outcomes in Japan. Improvement in neurological outcomes in patients with OHCA, especially younger females, was associated with increased use of public access defibrillation and bystander CPR.

Interaction between bystander sex and patient sex in bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation for Out-of-Hospital cardiac arrests

BackgroundBystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a critical factor in improving out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival. The aim of this study was to investigate the interaction effect of bystander sex and patient sex on the provision of bystander CPR. MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study using national OHCA registry in Korea. The inclusion criteria were adult bystander-witnessed OHCA patients with presumed cardiac etiology from January 2016 to December 2020. The primary outcome was the provision of bystander CPR. Multivariable logistic regression and interaction analysis were conducted to evaluate the impact of bystander sex on bystander CPR provision based on patient sex. ResultsThe study included 24,919 patients with OHCA, 58.2% with male-bystanders and 41.8% with female-bystanders. Female bystanders were less likely to perform bystander CPR than male bystanders (68.0% vs. 78.8%, adjusted OR (95% CI): 0.62 (0.58–0.66)). Among patients with CPR-trained bystanders, female bystanders had lower odds of bystander CPR (0.85 (0.73–0.97)).In the interaction analysis between bystander and patient sex, a significant difference was observed in the likelihood of bystander CPR according to the patient sex. Female bystanders had lower odds of bystander CPR than male bystanders for male patients (0.47 (0.43–0.50)). However, there were no significant differences between male and female bystanders for female patients (0.91 (0.88–1.07)). ConclusionFemale bystanders have a lower likelihood of providing bystander CPR than male bystanders. Additionally, an interaction was observed between bystander sex and patient sex in the providing bystander CPR, with the association being more pronounced in male OHCA patients.

Clinical outcomes following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: The minute-by-minute impact of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation

AimsThe time-dependent prognostic role of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients has not been described with great precision, especially for neurologic outcomes. Our objective was to assess the association between bystander CPR, emergency medical service (EMS) response time, and OHCA patients’ outcomes. MethodsThis cohort study used the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium Cardiac Epidemiologic Registries. Bystander-witnessed adult OHCA treated by EMS were included. The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge and secondary outcome was survival with a good neurologic outcome (modified Rankin scale 0–2). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the associations and interactions between bystander CPR, EMS response time and clinical outcomes. ResultsOut of 229,637 patients, 41,012 were included (18,867 [46.0%] without bystander CPR and 22,145 [54.0%] with bystander CPR). Bystander CPR was independently associated with higher survival (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.70 [95%CI 1.61–1.80]) and survival with a good neurologic outcome (AOR = 1.87 [95%CI 1.70–2.06]), while longer EMS response times were independently associated with lower survival to hospital discharge (each additional minute of EMS response time: AOR = 0.92 [95%CI 0.91–0.93], p < 0.001) and lower survival with a good neurologic outcome (AOR = 0.88 [95%CI 0.86–0.89], p < 0.001). There was no interaction between bystander CPR and EMS response time’s association with survival (p = 0.12) and neurologic outcomes (p = 0.65). ConclusionsAlthough bystander CPR is associated with an immediate increase in odds of survival and of good neurologic outcome for OHCA patients, it does not influence the negative association between longer EMS response time and survival and good neurologic outcome.

Abstract 266: Impact Of Bystander-patient Relationship On Neurological Outcome In Witnessed Elderly Patients With Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest According To Age: A Nationwide Population-based Observational Study

Introduction: Elderly patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) witnessed by a family member were associated with worse neurological outcome than those witnessed by a non-family bystander. Hypothesis: Impact of bystander-patient relationship (family member or non-family bystander) on neurological outcome in witnessed elderly OHCA patients could differ based on age. Methods: We evaluated 13,773 bystander-witnessed elderly OHCA patients (age ≥ 65 years) of cardiac origin who achieved prehospital return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Data were obtained from the prospectively recorded All-Japan Utstein-style Registry between 2011 and 2016. The primary outcome was 1-month neurologically intact survival, defined as a cerebral performance category (CPC) score of 1 or 2. Patients were divided into three groups by age (65-74, 75-89, and ≥ 90 years). Results: The rates of 1-month CPC 1-2 and the frequencies of bystander-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (BCPR) were significantly higher in patients witnessed by a non-family bystander [27.4% (1,360/4,971) and 68.5% (3,407/4,971)] than in those witnessed by a family member [19.7% (1,736/8,802) and 44.8% (3,942/8,802)] (p &lt; 0.001, respectively). The rates of 1-month CPC 1-2 in patients aged 65-74, 75-89, and ≥ 90 years decreased with advancing age, 36.2% (1,733/4,788), 16.9% (1,264/7,469), and 6.5% (99/1,516), respectively (p for trend &lt; 0.001). The rates of 1-month CPC 1-2 were significantly higher in patients witnessed by a non-family bystander than in those witnessed by a family member in those aged 65-74 years (45.0% and 30.9%) and 75-89 years (20.2% and 15.3%) (p &lt; 0.001, respectively), but not in those aged ≥ 90 years (6.4% and 6.7%, p = 0.83). In multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for sex, initial rhythm, and time from call receipt to ROSC, witness by a non-family bystander and BCPR were significantly associated with 1-month CPC 1-2 for patients aged 65-74 years (adjusted odds ratio: 1.37 and 1.44, respectively; 95% confidence interval: 1.19-1.58 and 1.26-1.66, respectively), but not in those aged 75-89 and ≥ 90 years. Conclusions: Impact of bystander-patient relationship on neurological outcome in witnessed elderly OHCA patients varied with age.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes in older adults in Japan

AimThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has negatively affected access to healthcare and treatment. This study aimed to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on older adults with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in Japan, a country with a super-aging society. MethodsThis secondary analysis of the All-Japan Utstein Registry included patients aged 65 years and older with bystander-witnessed OHCA between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2020. Survival outcomes were compared by time period using multivariable logistic regression analyses. The primary outcome measured was the one-month survival rate with neurologically favorable outcomes. ResultsBefore the COVID-19 pandemic, survival outcomes were steadily improving, and 32,024 patients in 2019 and 31,894 in 2020 were eligible for analysis. The proportions of conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation and shock by public-access automated external defibrillators were lower in 2020 than in 2019 (6.7% versus 5.7%, p < 0.001 and 2.5% versus 2.1%, p < 0.001, respectively). Compared to 2019, the one-month survival after OHCA and prehospital return of spontaneous circulation decreased significantly in 2020 than in 2019 (7.7% versus 6.6%, adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.88, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.83–0.94, and 16.8% versus 14.9%, AOR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.83–0.91, respectively). The proportion of neurologically favorable outcomes also decreased, but the decrease was not statistically significant (3.4% versus 2.8%, AOR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.83–1.01). ConclusionIn this population-focused, bystander-witnessed study regarding OHCA, the analysis of nationwide registry data revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with reduced survival among older adults with OHCA in Japan.

Accuracy of the Initial Rhythm to Predict a Short No-Flow Time in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest.

The no-flow time (NFT) can help establish prognosis in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients. It is often used as a selection criterion for extracorporeal resuscitation. In patients with an unwitnessed OHCA for whom the NFT is unknown, the initial rhythm has been proposed to identify those more likely to have had a short NFT. Our objective was to determine the predictive accuracy of an initial shockable rhythm for an NFT of 5 minutes or less (NFT ≤ 5). Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. Prehospital OHCA in eight U.S. and three Canadian sites. A total of 28,139 adult patients with a witnessed nontraumatic OHCA were included, of whom 11,228 (39.9%) experienced an emergency medical service-witnessed OHCA (NFT = 0), 695 (2.7%) had a bystander-witnessed OHCA, and an NFT less than or equal to 5, and 16,216 (57.6%) with a bystander-witnessed OHCA and an NFT greater than 5. Sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios of an initial shockable rhythm to identify patients with an NFT less than or equal to 5 minutes. The sensitivity of an initial shockable rhythm to identify patients with an NFT less than or equal to 5 was poor (25% [95% CI, 25-26]), but specificity was moderate (70% [95% CI, 69-71]). The positive and likelihood ratios were inverted (negative accuracy) (positive likelihood ratio, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.74-0.79]; negative likelihood ratio, 1.12 [95% CI, 1.10-1.12]). Including only patients with a bystander-witnessed OHCA improved the sensitivity to 48% (95% CI, 45-52), the positive likelihood ratio to 1.45 (95% CI, 1.33-1.58), and the negative likelihood ratio to 0.77 (95% CI, 0.72-0.83), while slightly lowering the specificity to 67% (95% CI, 66-67). Our analysis demonstrated that the presence of a shockable rhythm at the time of initial assessment was poorly sensitive and only moderately specific for OHCA patients with a short NFT. The initial rhythm, therefore, should not be used as a surrogate for NFT in clinical decision-making.

Dispatcher Assistance Worsened Outcomes of Unwitnessed Out-of Hospital Cardiac Arrest: An Observational Study with Component Analysis of Rescue Breath Combination and Dispatcher Assistance

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the effects of combinations of rescue breathing and chest compression in CPR performed by a bystander (BCPR) on the outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) events. Particular attention was paid to unwitnessed case by bystander. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed the prospectively collected data of 212,003 unwitnessed and 117,920 bystander-witnessed OHCA cases between 2014 and 2016 in Japan. BCPR classification was based on two clinical components: whether or not DA was provided, and whether standard CPR (with breaths) or compression-only CPR was performed. Main Outcome Measures: A neurologically favorable outcome at one month. Results: Univariate analysis showed that, in unwitnessed cases, there was no significant association between the provision of BCPR and a neurologically favorable outcome (BCPR vs. no-BCPR: 0.65% (686/106,152) vs. 0.66% (694/105,851)). In bystander-witnessed cases, the rates were 5.6% (3,538/62,814) vs. 3.5% (1,911/55,106). After classifying BCPR according to the two clinical components, the outcomes of unwitnessed cases were improved for standard BCPR with DA and compression-only, for standard BCPR without DA, but not for compression-only BCPR with DA. Multivariate logistic regression analysis focusing on the two clinical components in unwitnessed BCPR cases showed worse neurologically favorable outcomes with DA provision but better outcomes for standard BCPR, without significant interaction. In bystanderwitnessed cases, DA provision was associated with better outcomes, with significant interaction. Conclusions: Compared with no-BCPR, compression-only BCPR with DA does not improve neurologically favorable outcomes. Standard BCPR without DA resulted in the best outcomes in unwitnessed OHCA cases.

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

BackgroundThe 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.MethodsWe 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).ResultsThe 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).ConclusionWithin 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.

Association of a simple SACAF score with bystander witnessed sudden death due to ventricular tachyarrhythmias in a multicenter cohort

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains a major threat to public health worldwide. OHCA patients presenting initial shockable ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF) rhythm have a better survival rate. We sought to develop a simple SACAF score to discriminate VT/VF from non-VT/VF OHCAs based on the Taiwan multicenter hospital-based registry database. We analyzed the in- and pre-hospital data, including demographics, baseline comorbidities, response times, automated external defibrillator information, and the 12-lead ECG recording closest to the OHCA event in bystander-witnessed OHCA patients. Among the 461 study patients, male sex (OR 2.54, 95% CI = 1.32–4.88, P = 0.005), age ≤ 65 years (OR 2.78, 95% CI = 1.64–4.70, P < 0.001), cardiovascular diseases (OR 2.97, 95% CI = 1.73–5.11, P < 0.001), and atrial fibrillation (AF) (OR 2.36, 95% CI = 1.17–4.76, P = 0.017) were independent risk factors for VT/VF OHCA (n = 81) compared with non-VT/VF OHCA (n = 380). A composite SACAF score was developed (male Sex, Age ≤ 65 years, Cardiovascular diseases, and AF) and compared with the performance of a modified CHA2DS2-VASc score (Cardiovascular diseases, Hypertension, Age ≥ 75 years, Diabetes, previous Stroke, Vascular disease, Age 65–74 years, female Sex category). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the SACAF was 0.739 (95% CI = 0.681–0.797, P < 0.001), whereas the AUC of the modified CHA2DS2-VASc was 0.474 (95% CI = 0.408–0.541, P = 0.464). A SACAF score of ≥ 2 was useful in discriminating VT/VF from non-VT/VF OHCAs with a sensitivity of 0.75 and a specificity of 0.60. In conclusion, the simple SACAF score appears to be useful in discriminating VT/VF from non-VT/VF bystander-witnessed OHCAs and the findings may also shed light on future mechanistic evaluation.

Administration of epinephrine by advanced emergency medical technicians for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in a rural emergency medical services system.

ObjectiveEpinephrine in out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains controversial and understudied in rural emergency medical services (EMS) systems. We evaluated the effects of allowing advanced emergency medical technicians (AEMTs) to administer epinephrine during OHCA in a rural EMS system.MethodsAn interrupted time series study was conducted using statewide EMS electronic records. Patients with OHCA before (phase I) and after (phase II) a protocol change expanding the AEMT scope of practice to include epinephrine for OHCA were identified. Number and timing of initial epinephrine administration, return of spontaneous circulation, and 30‐day survival rates were compared using descriptive statistics, logistic regression, regression discontinuity, and propensity score matching.ResultsA total of 1037 OHCAs met the inclusion criteria. In phase 1 compared with phase 2, 275 (56.12%) patients received epinephrine versus 624 (83.53%; P < 0.001). The mean time to first administration of epinephrine for unwitnessed and bystander‐witnessed OHCA were 11.73 minutes versus 8.17 minutes (P < 0.001) and 11.59 minutes versus 8.85 minutes (P < 0.01), respectively. Unadjusted analysis showed a decrease in 30‐day survival rates among patients receiving epinephrine from 18.01% to 12.66% (P < 0.05). Adjusted analysis showed an increase in 30‐day survival with decreased time to first epinephrine dose(OR 0.960, 1.005; 95% confidence interval, 0.929, 0.992).ConclusionAdding epinephrine for OHCA to the AEMT scope of practice was associated with an increased percentage of patients receiving epinephrine and decreased time to first administration of epinephrine for patients with unwitnessed OHCA. Unadjusted analysis showed a decrease in 30‐day survival rates among patients receiving epinephrine. Adjusted analysis found that earlier administrationof epinephrine was associated with increased ROSC and 30‐day survival.

Simultaneous external validation of various cardiac arrest prognostic scores: a single-center retrospective study

BackgroundThis study aimed to compare and validate the out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA); cardiac arrest hospital prognosis (CAHP); non-shockable rhythm, unwitnessed arrest, long no-flow or long low-flow period, blood pH < 7.2, lactate > 7.0 mmol/L, end-stage chronic kidney disease, age ≥ 85 years, still resuscitation, and extracardiac cause (NULL-PLEASE) clinical; post-cardiac arrest syndrome for therapeutic hypothermia (CAST); and revised CAST (rCAST) scores in OHCA patients treated with recent cardiopulmonary resuscitation strategies.MethodsWe retrospectively collected data on adult OHCA patients admitted to our emergency department between February 2015 and July 2018. OHCA, CAHP, NULL-PLEASE clinical, CAST, and rCAST scores were calculated based on the data collected. The predictive abilities of each score were tested using the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.ResultsWe identified 236 OHCA patients from computer-based medical records and analyzed 189 without missing data. In OHCA patients without bystander witnesses, CAHP and OHCA scores were not calculated. Although the predictive abilities of the scores were not significantly different, the NULL-PLEASE score had a large AUC of ROC curve in various OHCA patients. Furthermore, in patients with bystander-witnessed OHCA, the NULL-PLEASE score had large partial AUCs of ROC from sensitivity 0.8–1.0 and specificity 0.8–1.0.ConclusionsThe NULL-PLEASE score had a high, comprehensive predictive ability in various OHCA patients. Furthermore, the NULL-PLEASE score had a high predictive ability for good and poor neurological outcomes in patients with bystander-witnessed OHCA.

The effect of video-instructed versus audio-instructed dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation on patient outcomes following out of hospital cardiac arrest in Seoul

We aimed to investigate whether video-instructed dispatcher-assisted (DA)-cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) improved neurologic recovery and survival to discharge compared to audio-instructed DA-CPR in adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients in a metropolitan city with sufficient experience and facilities. A retrospective cohort study was conducted for adult bystander-witnessed OHCA patients administered DA-CPR due to presumed cardiac etiology between January 1, 2018 and October 31, 2019 in Seoul, Korea. The primary and secondary outcomes were the differences in favorable neurologic outcome and survival to discharge rates in adult OHCA patients in the two instruction groups. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the outcome predictors after DA-CPR. A total of 2109 adult OHCA patients with DA-CPR were enrolled. Numbers of elderly patients in audio instruction and video instruction were 1260 (73.2%) and 214 (55.3%), respectively. Elderly patients and those outside the home or medical facility were more likely to receive video instruction. Favorable neurologic outcome was observed more in patients who received video-instructed DA-CPR (n = 75, 19.4%) than in patients who received audio-instructed DA-CPR (n = 117, 6.8%). The survival to discharge rate was also higher in video-instructed DA-CPR (n = 105, 27.1%) than in audio-instructed DA-CPR (n = 211, 12.3%). Video-instructed DA-CPR was significantly associated with neurologic recovery (aOR = 2.11, 95% CI 1.48–3.01) and survival to discharge (aOR = 1.81, 95% CI 1.33–2.46) compared to audio-instructed DA-CPR in adult OHCA patients after adjusting for age, gender, underlying diseases and CPR location. Video-instructed DA-CPR was associated with favorable outcomes in adult patients with OHCA in a metropolitan city equipped with sufficient experience and facilities.

Comparison of clinical outcomes between patients with pulseless-ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

AimWhile previous studies have shown that the initial documented rhythm is associated with clinical outcomes in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), little is known about the difference in clinical outcomes between pulseless ventricular tachycardia (p-VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF). MethodsFrom a nationwide, prospective population-based database of OHCA from 2011 to 2015, we selected bystander-witnessed adult patients who were not treated with a public automated external defibrillator. The outcomes examined were favorable 30-day neurological survival rates, 30-day survival rates, and prehospital return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) rates. To determine the association of the initial documented rhythm with outcome, we used a logistic regression model while adjusting for patient factors and prehospital care-related factors. ResultsA total of 19,594 bystander-witnessed OHCA patients who had a shockable rhythm were included: 454 (2.3%) were p-VT and 19,140 (97.7%) were VF. Compared to VF patients, p-VT patients were older, less likely to have a cardiogenic cause, and had shorter resuscitation-related time intervals (collapse to bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, collapse to emergency medical services contact, collapse to first ROSC, and first defibrillation to first ROSC). After adjustment for covariates, p-VT was associated with high favorable 30-day neurological survival rates (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30−2.64, p = 0.001), 30-day survival rates (adjusted OR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.03−1.95, p = 0.037), and prehospital ROSC rates (adjusted OR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.42−2.55, p < 0.001). ConclusionIn this study, patients with p-VT as the initial documented rhythm had significantly better outcomes than those with VF.

Temporal trends in neurologically intact survival after paediatric bystander-witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A nationwide population-based observational study

AimTrends in neurologically intact survival after paediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remain unclear. In the present study, we aimed to determine trends in 1-month neurologically intact survival after paediatric OHCA over time. MethodsWe reviewed the data of 5461 children (aged < 18 years) who experienced bystander-witnessed OHCA and were included in the nationwide Japanese registry from 2005 to 2017. Patients were divided into three groups according to study period: 2005–2010, 2011–2015, and 2016–2017. We analysed the trends in 1-month neurologically intact survival rates over time. ResultsThe risk-adjusted odds of 1-month neurologically intact survival (odds ratio, 1.86; 95% confidence interval, 1.41–2.44) were significantly improved by 2016–2017 compared with baseline. Similar improvements in 1-month neurologically intact survival rates were observed with both standard bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with rescue breaths and chest compression-only bystander CPR (P for trend < 0.05 and < 0.001, respectively). In the subgroup analyses by aetiology, the 1-month neurologically intact survival rate in patients with OHCA of non-traumatic origin significantly increased from 11.8%–15.1% to 19.7% (P for trend < 0.001) but not in those with OHCA of traumatic origin (from 4.9% to 3.4% to 4.1%; P for trend = 0.29). ConclusionThe 1-month neurologically intact survival rate significantly increased from 2005 to 2017 in Japanese children with bystander-witnessed OHCA, regardless of bystander CPR type; This increase was noted in patients with OHCA of non-traumatic origin but not in those with OHCA of traumatic origin.