Received Bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Research Articles

Out of hospital cardiac arrest: when to resuscitate.

IntroductionThis study explores why resuscitation is withheld when mobile emergency medical team arrive at the scene of a cardiac arrest.MethodsWe conducted a prospective, observational study in pre hospital emergency services. We included adults' patients, with a suspicion of non-traumatic cardiac arrest (CA) in an out of hospital environment, who received or not cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by our mobile emergency medical service teams. An analytic study was conducted in order to identify independent factors that could influence the decision to resuscitate OHCA.ResultsDuring study, 228 patients were enrolled, the mean age was 64 +/- 14 years and 59% were men. Eighteen patients (8%) received bystander CPR by witnesses. The median time elapsed to arrive at the scene was 13 [8-25] min. The median “noflow” was 22 [10-34] min. The resuscitation decision was taken by the mobile EMS staff for 106 patients (46.5%). For other patients, the decision not to resuscitate was motivated solely by the finding of a confirmed state of death in an elderly patient (p = 0.045). The predictive decision factor for resuscitation was the no flow time less than 18.5 min, Odds Ratio adjusted with 95% confidence interval to: 1.38 (1.24 - 3.55) (p <0.001). Overall out of hospital survival rate was 17% of resuscitated patients.ConclusionThe decision to resuscitate a cardiac arrest outside of the hospital depends more on the “no flow” time than on the presumed etiologies.

Abstract 113: Signs of Perfusion During Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation as Noted by First Responders is Predictive of Good Neurologic Outcome in Cardiac Arrest

Background: Rates of neurologically intact survival after cardiac arrest remain abysmal. Neuro-prognostication intra-arrest is challenging, with few real-time factors that can be used to determine patient prognosis. During the implementation of a new cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) protocol in a large urban pre-hospital system, first responders prospectively recorded the presence of signs of perfusion during CPR. Hypothesis: Positive signs of perfusion would be a predictor of a good neurologic outcome in this observational study, as defined by Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) Score of 1 or 2. Methods: Basic life support first responders (n = 420) and paramedics (n = 207) underwent training including didactic and hands-on sessions to learn the new protocol, which included active compression-decompression CPR with an impedance threshold device. In addition to patient demographics and circumstances of cardiac arrest, signs of perfusion during CPR were prospectively recorded and included improved color, pulse during CPR, gasping, and movement during CPR. Chart review was performed to determine CPC score at discharge. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and calculation of unadjusted odds ratios. Results: The new protocol began May 1, 2017. Cases from May 2017-November 2017 (n= 102) were reviewed, with complete data available for 96 patients (94%). The median age was 56 (range 25-97), 54/91 (59%) male, 43/102 (42%) witnessed, 31/90 (34%) shockable rhythm, and 51/102 (50%) receiving bystander CPR. Improved color during CPR was seen in 23/102 (23%), pulse during CPR in 17/102 (17%), gasping in 18/102 (18%), and movement during CPR in 5/102 (5%). Any sign of perfusion during CPR was seen in 47/102 (46%), and 13/96 (13.5%) had a CPC score of 1 or 2 at discharge. The unadjusted OR for any sign of perfusion during CPR for a CPC score of 1 or 2 was 26 (95% CI 3 - 213) and for any sign of perfusion during CPR for ROSC was 9 (95% CI 3 - 24). Conclusions: Positive signs of perfusion during CPR noted by first responders strongly predicted ROSC and neurologically intact survival in this small sample. This suggests the importance of prospectively recording signs of perfusion during resuscitation, and communicating these observations during transfer of care.

Abstract 194: Public Perception Towards Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Victims: Potential Reasons Influencing the Decision to Perform Bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Background: Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) improves survival and neurological outcomes. Unfortunately many OHCA victims do not receive bystander CPR during a witnessed arrest. It is known that gender disparities play a role with lower rates of bystander CPR in women suffering OHCA in public places. Our aim was to identify potential factors influencing the decision to perform bystander CPR. Methods: Participants at CPR training events were surveyed prior to training. Using different scenarios, subjects were asked about their comfort level performing CPR on female, geriatric, and pediatric victims. Anonymous responses were collected and transformed into categorical variables by a psychometrist. Results: Of the 677 participants, 585 (86.4%) responded the survey, with 87.5% between 18-29 years of age, 58.8% without prior CPR training and 93.3% without prior CPR experience. Reasons to hesitate starting bystander CPR in women included concern about exposing the victim (12.9%), being accused of sexual assault (6.1%), and possible pregnancy (6.5%). In participants with prior CPR training, 61.1% reported concerns about performing CPR on women, with 18.9% having concerns about performing chest compressions in relation to breast location. In participants without prior CPR training, 73.2% reported having concerns about performing CPR on women. Causing injury and exposing the patient were top concerns to perform CPR in women amongst participants who were uncomfortable (30.5% and 17.5% respectively) and comfortable (14.5% and 9.8% respectively) performing CPR in public. Causing injury was the top concern in performing CPR on geriatric (45.4%) and pediatric patients (41.7%), followed by fragility (18.1% and 10.2% respectively). Lack of skills to perform CPR on children was reported in 22% of CPR-trained participants. Conclusion: Public perception of OHCA victims influences willingness to perform bystander CPR. Factors such as age, gender, fear of injury, pregnancy status and sexual assault concerns can negatively impact this life saving intervention. Awareness of the importance of bystander CPR on any cardiac arrest victim must be improved.

Abstract 300: Long-Term Survival, Quality of Life and Health Care Costs in the Survivors of Pre-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Background: Understanding the prognosis of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients is vital to informing resuscitation and advanced care planning decisions. However, short-term outcomes such as survival to hospital discharge do not account for post-arrest quality of life and medical costs. Objective: To investigate the survival time, long-term health-related quality of life, and health care costs of OHCA survivors. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of all adult OHCA survivors of cardiac origin between 1 August 2016 and 31 December 2017 in a tertiary medical center in Taiwan. Chinese version of EuroQol-5D-5L (EQ-5D-5L) was used for measuring health-related quality of life at 1 month, 6 month and 1 year post-discharge. Survival and health care costs data were collected. Descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks Test were used for data analysis. Results: During the study period, 30 of 163 (18.4%) OHCA of presumed cardiac origin survived to hospital discharge. The mean age for the survivors was 59 years. Most survivors were male (83.3%), and received bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (73.3%) and defibrillation (86.7%) in the prehospital settings. Of 30 survivors, 23 patients were cerebral performance category score (CPC) of 1 or 2 and 7 were CPC of 3 or 4. The median hospital stay and estimated median survival time for CPC 1-2 and CPC 3-4 were 17 days, 8.8 years and 34 days, 0.4 years, respectively. The mean EQ-5D-5L visual analogue scale score and index score (utility) for 13 CPC 1-2 survivors followed at 6 month post discharge were 75.58 ± 13.31 and 0.856 ± 0.125, respectively, and were significantly higher than the scores (65.38 ± 15.47, 0.689 ± 0.114) at 1 month. The median health care costs of the index admission and 6 month post-discharge for CPC 1-2 survivors were NT$ 655,866 and NT$ 46,550, respectively. Conclusion: The survival time and health related quality of life for OHCA survivors with good neurologic outcome is good and improves over time. It pays to save those lives.

Abstract 22: When Laws Save Lives: Impact of Legislation Requiring Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Education in High Schools on Survival After Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Introduction: Thirty eight states have laws requiring education of high school students on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of automated external defibrillators (AED). No study has measured the association of these laws and outcomes. Hypothesis: Out of hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) occurring in states with CPR high school education laws will have higher bystander CPR, survival, and favorable neurological survival than states without such laws. Methods: We conducted an analysis of the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival database and included all nontraumatic OHCAs with at least 50% population catchment from 1/2013-12/2017 in all ages. We excluded OHCAs witnessed by 911 responders, in healthcare facilities, or nursing homes. Outcomes were bystander CPR, survival to hospital discharge and neurologically favorable survival (Cerebral Performance Category score of 1 or 2 at hospital discharge). Chi-square tests were used to assess associations. Results: The 110,902 subjects with OHCA included Male, 64.0%; &lt;18 yrs., 3.2%; &lt;35 yrs., 10.7%; &lt;50 yrs., 23.9%; White, 49.3%; Black, 19.1%; Hispanic, 2.3%; Other, 2.9%; Unknown, 26.5%. Most OHCAs occurred at home, 81.4%. 44.4% were witnessed by bystanders. 75.5% occurred in states with CPR high school education laws. A higher percent of OHCAs received bystander CPR prior to emergency medical services (EMS) arrival in states with CPR high school education laws (40.1%) compared to states without laws (37.0%) (p&lt;0.001). Bystander CPR was less common in males (40.3% vs. 37.7% for females), those &gt;50 yrs. (38.9% vs. 40.7% for ≤50 yrs.), Black and Hispanic subjects (25.7% and 34.9%, respectively, vs. 42.4% for Whites) (p&lt;0.001 for all). Overall survival to hospital discharge was 10.4%; 8.8% had a favorable neurological outcome. A higher percent survived to hospital discharge in states with CPR high school education laws (11.0%) compared to states without laws (8.7%) (p&lt;0.001). Neurologically favorable survival was more likely in states with CPR high school education laws, (9.3%) compared to states without laws (7.5%) (p&lt;0.001). Conclusions: Bystander CPR, survival to hospital discharge, and neurologically favorable survival was higher in states that had CPR high school education laws.

Abstract 181: An Analysis of Worldwide Public Access Defibrillator Usage Since October 2012. Does CPR Prior to Defibrillation Improve Survival Outcomes?

Introduction: As outlined by the Chain of Survival, effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and rapid defibrillation are vital to improve survival from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Placement of public access defibrillators (PADs) is becoming more common in public spaces, and they are more frequently used by untrained lay-users. The objective of this analysis was to assess the effect of CPR prior to defibrillation, and the success of PAD usage in terms of first shock success and survival to hospital admission. Methods: This dataset was composed of voluntarily submitted demographic information and electronic PAD files collected from October 2012 - June 2018. Summary statistics were calculated, and proportions were determined with 95% confidence intervals (CI) where appropriate. The association between CPR prior to defibrillation and survival was investigated by fitting a logistical model with survival as the dependent variable and CPR as covariate. Results: A total of 2812 PAD events were analyzed. Mean (SD) patient age was 61 (19) years and males comprised 72.5% (1922 of 2650 events where gender was known) of the events reported. The most common locations of SCA were the home (1039, 36.9%), public (719, 25.6%) and medical facility (328, 11.7%). Median (IQR) time to PAD delivery was 5 (3, 11) minutes. Ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia was present in 1010 (35.9%) patients, and 979 received a shock, with 87.2% (95%CI [85.0%, 89.3%]) achieving first shock success. Of the 849 shockable patients for whom survival was known, 565 (66.5%, (95%CI [63.3%, 69.7%]) survived to hospital admission. Survival outcome was known for 2150 patients, and 681 (31.7%, 95%CI [29.7%, 33.69%]) survived to hospital admission. A total of 1649 (58.6%) SCAs were witnessed and 1293 (78.4%) patients received bystander CPR prior to defibrillation. Bystander CPR prior to defibrillation was significantly associated with survival to hospital admission (OR = 2.17, 95%CI [1.69, 2.81], p&lt;0.001). Conclusion: These results suggest that CPR application prior to application of a PAD significantly increases a patient’s chances of surviving to hospital admission. This study did not assess CPR quality, but it is intuitive that good quality CPR would align with higher survival outcomes.

Abstract 306: Combining Clinical Utstein-Variables With Ventricular Fibrillation (VF) Waveform Characteristics to Discriminate Between Survivors and Non-Survivors of VF Cardiac Arrest

Introduction: During ventricular fibrillation (VF) cardiac arrest, identification of potential survivors and non-survivors could aid treatment related decision making. Several studies have shown the association between clinical Utstein-variables and survival. More recently, VF-waveform characteristics were shown to be associated with survival as well. We aim to assess the discriminative ability for survival of a model combining these approaches. Methods: We studied non EMS-witnessed VF cardiac arrest patients (2008-2011), who had an analyzable ECG-tracing and were not treated with an AED. We compared Utstein-variables and the amplitude spectrum area (AMSA, a marker of VF-coarseness) between survivors and non-survivors to hospital discharge. Age was assessed as categorical variable (&lt;65, 65-80, &gt;80). Variables associated with survival (p&lt;0.1) were combined using a binary logistic regression model. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) was used as measure of model discrimination. Results: We studied 115 patients: 70% (81/115) male, median age 64 years (interquartile range 54-72). In total, 24% (27/115) survived to discharge. Among survivors, the proportion male patients was lower and the proportion receiving bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was higher. Survival decreased across increasing age categories. There was no difference regarding arrest location, witnessed status and EMS response times. AMSA was higher in survivors vs. non-survivors (15 [12-24] mV·Hz vs. 8 [6-11] mV·Hz, p&lt;0.001). The model including age category, gender, bystander CPR and AMSA resulted in an AUC of 0.88 (0.80-0.96, p&lt;0.001), figure 1. Conclusion: We found a good discriminative ability for survival after VF cardiac arrest of a model combining VF-waveform characteristics with clinical Utstein-variables. If confirmed in larger cohorts, this approach may be used to aid treatment related decision making during cardiac arrest.

The influence of excluding patients with bystander return of spontaneous circulation in the current OHCA database

BackgroundThe effect of bystander interventions has been extensively evaluated by cerebral function after 1 month post-resuscitation. However, patients who received bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (BCPR) and achieved the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) before the arrival of the emergency medical system (EMS) are routinely defined with an unknown electrocardiogram (ECG) and are usually excluded before analysis. The aim is to determine the influence of excluding patients with unknown first monitored rhythm, which includes cases of bystander ROSC, from the out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) database.MethodsThis nationwide population-based observational study was conducted in Japan using Utstein data from 2011 to 2014. In total, 91,995 patients with bystander-witnessed cardiogenic OHCA received resuscitation attempts in the pre-hospital setting. These patients were divided into three groups by the first monitored rhythm upon EMS arrival. We analysed the differences of datasets that included and excluded the unknown group and determined the effect on outcomes by multivariate logistic regression and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs).ResultsWhen the unknown group was excluded from the data, the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to favourable cerebral performance category (CPC) 1 or 2 was decreased (conventional CPR: AOR, 1.90 to 1.58; chest-compression-only CPR: AOR, 2.08 to 1.69) compared to the unknown group’s inclusion. Conversely, the AOR of public-access defibrillation (PAD) was increased (AOR, 4.51 to 6.13).ConclusionsThe exclusion of unknown ECGs from a dataset may lose ROSC patients by bystander CPR, causing selection bias to affect outcomes.

Use of renal replacement therapy after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Denmark 2005–2013

Objectives: Renal replacement therapy (RRT) is used to treat acute kidney injury as part of multi organ failure. Use and prognostic implications after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is not well known.This study aims to assess incidence and use of RRT and whether RRT post-arrest was associated with 30-day mortality in Denmark in the years 2005–2013. Methods: The Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry holds information on all OHCA patients in Denmark from 2005 to 2013. We identified 3,012 one-day survivors of OHCA ≥18 years, with presumed cardiac aetiology of arrest, admitted to ICU without previous RRT. Change in use of RRT during the study period was assessed using competing risk analysis. Mortality was assessed with Cox regression. Results: On average, RRT was performed in 6% of the patient population with an average annual 1% increase, HR: 1.01, CI: 0.95–1.07, p = .69. Hazard of RRT was lower in patients receiving bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) (p < .001), patients with a shockable primary rhythm (p = .009) and elderly patients (p = .03). Socioeconomic factors did not influence hazard of RRT, but patients admitted to tertiary centres had higher hazard of RRT (p = .009).Use of RRT was associated with increased mortality in multivariate Cox regression (HR: 1.28, CI: 1.06–1.55, p = .01). Conclusion: Use of RRT as part of post resuscitation care following OHCA did not increase from 2005 to 2013; use was more common in tertiary centres and in patients with negative prehospital predictors (no bystander CPR, non-shockable rhythm). RRT was associated with increased mortality.

Recognition of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest during emergency calls and public awareness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in communities: A multilevel analysis

BackgroundFor an effective dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) program, recognition of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) by a dispatcher is the first step in initiating bystander CPR. This study evaluated whether CPR awareness in the community is associated with recognition of arrest, dispatcher-provided CPR instructions, and bystander CPR. MethodsAll emergency medical services (EMS)-treated adult OHCAs with cardiac etiology were enrolled between 2013 and 2015, excluding cases witnessed by EMS providers. Exposure was CPR awareness in the community where the OHCA occurred. Endpoints were recognition of arrest, dispatcher-provided CPR instructions, and bystander CPR. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was performed to calculate adjusted odds ratios (AORs) per 10% increment in community CPR awareness adjusting for potential confounders. ResultsOf 44,185 eligible OHCAs, 20,255 (45.8%) cases were recognized by a dispatcher, 17,858 (40.4%) received dispatcher-provided CPR instructions, and 22,255 (50.4%) received bystander CPR (39.8% with dispatcher assistance and 10.6% without dispatcher assistance). Compared with OHCAs that occurred in the communities with low awareness, dispatchers were more likely to provide CPR instructions to the caller, and bystanders were more likely to perform CPR for OHCAs that occurred in the communities with high CPR awareness. AORs (95% CIs) per 10% increment in public awareness of CPR in the community were 1.05 (1.01–1.10) for recognition of arrest, 1.11 (1.06–1.16) for dispatcher-provided CPR instructions, and 1.07 (1.03–1.11) for bystander CPR. ConclusionsPublic CPR awareness of the communities where OHCAs occurred was associated with recognition of arrest during an emergency call, dispatcher-provided CPR instructions, and bystander CPR.

Does Non-Targeted Community CPR Training Increase Bystander CPR Frequency?

Objective: Only 37% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) receive bystander Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in Kent County, MI. In May 2014, prehospital providers offered one-time, point-of-contact compression-only CPR training to 2,253 passersby at 7 public locations in Grand Rapids, Michigan. To assess the impact of this intervention, we compared bystander CPR frequency and clinical outcomes in regions surrounding training sites before and after the intervention, adjusting for prehospital covariates. We aimed to assess the effect of this broad, non-targeted intervention on bystander CPR frequency, type of CPR utilized, and clinical outcomes. We also tested for differences in geospatial variation of bystander CPR and clinical outcomes clustered around training sites. Methods: Retrospective, observational, before-after study of adult, EMS-treated OHCA in Kent County from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2015. We generated a 5-kilometer radius surrounding each training site to estimate any geospatial influence that training sites might have on bystander CPR frequency in nearby OHCA cases. Chi-squared, Fisher's exact, and t-tests assessed differences in subject features. Difference-in-differences analysis with generalized estimating equation (GEE) modeling assessed bystander CPR frequency, adjusting for training site, covariates (age, sex, witnessed, shockable rhythm, public location), and clustering around training sites. Similar modeling tested for changes in bystander CPR type, return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), survival to hospital discharge, and cerebral performance category (CPC) of 1–2 at hospital discharge. Results: We included 899 cases before and 587 cases post-intervention. Overall, we observed no increase in the frequency of bystander CPR or favorable clinical outcomes. We did observe an increase in compression-only CPR, but this was paradoxically restricted to OHCA cases falling outside radii around training sites. In adjusted modeling, the bystander CPR training intervention was not associated with bystander CPR frequency (β −0.002; 95% CI −0.16, 0.15), compression-only CPR (β −0.06; 95% CI −0.15, 0.02), ROSC (β −0.06; 95% CI −0.21, 0.25), survival (β −0.02; 95% CI −0.11, 0.06), or favorable neurologic outcome (β −0.01; 95% CI −0.07, 0.09). Conclusions: We observed no impact in bystander CPR performance or outcomes from a blanket, non-targeted approach to community CPR education. The effect of targeted CPR education in locales with known low bystander CPR rates should be tested in this region.

Effects of modifiable prehospital factors on survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in rural versus urban areas

BackgroundThe modifiable prehospital system factors, bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), emergency medical services (EMS), response time, and EMS physician attendance, may affect short- and long-term survival for both rural and urban out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients. We studied how such factors influenced OHCA survival in a mixed urban/rural region with a high survival rate after OHCA.MethodsWe analyzed the association between modifiable prehospital factors and survival to different stages of care in 1138 medical OHCA patients from an Utstein template-based cardiac arrest registry, using Kaplan-Meier type survival curves, univariable and multivariable logistic regression and mortality hazard plots.ResultsWe found a significantly higher probability for survival to hospital admission (OR: 1.84, 95% CI 1.43–2.36, p < 0.001), to hospital discharge (OR: 1.51, 95% CI 1.08–2.11, p = 0.017), and at 1 year (OR: 1.58, 95% CI 1.11–2.26, p = 0.012) in the urban group versus the rural group. In patients receiving bystander CPR before EMS arrival, the odds of survival to hospital discharge increased more than threefold (OR: 3.05, 95% CI 2.00–4.65, p < 0.001). However, bystander CPR was associated with increased patient survival to discharge only in urban areas (survival probability 0.26 with CPR vs. 0.08 without CPR, p < 0.001). EMS response time ≥ 10 min was associated with decreased survival (OR: 0.61, 95% CI 0.45–0.83, p = 0.002), however, only in urban areas (survival probability 0.15 ≥ 10 min vs. 0.25 < 10 min, p < 0.001). In patients with prehospital EMS physician attendance, no significant differences were found in survival to hospital discharge (OR: 1.37, 95% CI 0.87–2.16, p = 0.17). In rural areas, patients with EMS physician attendance had an overall better survival to hospital discharge (survival probability 0.17 with EMS physician vs. 0.05 without EMS physician, p = 0.019). Adjusted for modifiable factors, the survival differences remained.ConclusionsOverall, OHCA survival was higher in urban compared to rural areas, and the effect of bystander CPR, EMS response time and EMS physician attendance on survival differ between urban and rural areas. The effect of modifiable factors on survival was highest in the prehospital stage of care. In patients surviving to hospital admission, there was no significant difference in in-hospital mortality or in 1 year mortality between OHCA in rural versus urban areas.

Effect of a first responder on survival outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest occurs during a period of exercise in a public place.

IntroductionThe deployment of first responders in a public place is one of the interventions that is used for increasing bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA). We studied the association between the presence of a first responder and the survival of OHCA that occurred during a period of exercise in a public place.MethodsAll of the adult OHCAs of a presumed cardiac etiology that occurred during a period of exercise in a public place and that were witnessed by a bystander between 2013 and 2015 were analyzed. The main exposure of interest was the characteristics of the bystander (first responder vs. layperson). The endpoints were the provision of bystander CPR and good neurological recovery. Multivariable logistic regression analysis, adjusting for patient-environment and prehospital factors, was performed.ResultsA total of 870 patients had a cardiac arrest during a period of exercise in a public place, and 58 (6.7%) patients were witnessed by the first responder. The OHCAs witnessed by first responders were more likely to result in bystander CPR than those witnessed by laypersons (89.7% vs. 75.4%, p = 0.01, adjusted OR (95% CI): 3.51 (1.44–8.55)). In terms of good neurological recovery, the OHCAs witnessed by first responders had a higher likelihood than the patients witnessed by laypersons (37.9% vs, 24.0%, p = 0.02, adjusted OR (95% CI): 2.92 (1.33–6.40)).ConclusionThe OHCAs occurred during a period of exercise in a public place and whom first responders witnessed were more likely to receive bystander CPR and to have a neurologically intact survival.

Australian's Awareness of Cardiac Arrest and Rates of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training: Results From the Heart Foundation's Heart Watch Survey

Introduction: Current data suggest that 41% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Australia receive bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This survey provides the first Australian-wide data on CPR awareness and rates of training.

Association of Public Health Initiatives With Outcomes for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest at Home and in Public Locations

Little is known about the influence of comprehensive public health initiatives according to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) location, particularly at home, where resuscitation efforts and outcomes have historically been poor. To describe temporal trends in bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first-responder defibrillation for OHCAs stratified by home vs public location and their association with survival and neurological outcomes. This observational study reviewed 8269 patients with OHCAs (5602 [67.7%] at home and 2667 [32.3%] in public) for whom resuscitation was attempted using data from the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES) from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2014. The setting was 16 counties in North Carolina. Patients were stratified by home vs public OHCA. Public health initiatives to improve bystander and first-responder interventions included training members of the general population in CPR and in the use of automated external defibrillators, teaching first responders about team-based CPR (eg, automated external defibrillator use and high-performance CPR), and instructing dispatch centers on recognition of cardiac arrest. Association of resuscitation efforts with survival and neurological outcomes from 2010 through 2014. Among home OHCA patients (n = 5602), the median age was 64 years, and 62.2% were male; among public OHCA patients (n = 2667), the median age was 68 years, and 61.5% were male. After comprehensive public health initiatives, the proportion of patients receiving bystander CPR increased at home (from 28.3% [275 of 973] to 41.3% [498 of 1206], P < .001) and in public (from 61.0% [275 of 451] to 70.5% [424 of 601], P = .01), while first-responder defibrillation increased at home (from 42.2% [132 of 313] to 50.8% [212 of 417], P = .02) but not significantly in public (from 33.1% [58 of 175] to 37.8% [93 of 246], P = .17). Survival to discharge improved for arrests at home (from 5.7% [60 of 1057] to 8.1% [100 of 1238], P = .047) and in public (from 10.8% [50 of 464] to 16.2% [98 of 604], P = .04). Compared with emergency medical services-initiated CPR and resuscitation, patients with home OHCA were significantly more likely to survive to hospital discharge if they received bystander-initiated CPR and first-responder defibrillation (odds ratio, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.01-2.38). Patients with arrests in public were most likely to survive if they received both bystander-initiated CPR and defibrillation (odds ratio, 4.33; 95% CI, 2.11-8.87). After coordinated and comprehensive public health initiatives, more patients received bystander CPR and first-responder defibrillation at home and in public, which was associated with improved survival.

Association of Neighborhood Demographics With Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Treatment and Outcomes

We examined whether resuscitation care and outcomes vary by the racial composition of the neighborhood where out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) occur. To evaluate the association between bystander treatments (cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automatic external defibrillation) and timing of emergency medical services personnel on OHCA outcomes according to the racial composition of the neighborhood where the OHCA event occurred. This retrospective observational cohort study examined patients with OHCA from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2011, using data from the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium. Neighborhoods where OHCA occurred were classified by census tract, based on percentage of black residents: less than 25%, 25% to 50%, 51% to 75%, or more than 75%. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression modeling examined the association between racial composition of neighborhoods and OHCA survival, adjusting for patient, neighborhood, and treatment characteristics. Survival to discharge, return of spontaneous circulation on emergency department arrival, and favorable neurologic status at discharge. We examined 22 816 adult patients with nontraumatic OHCA at Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium sites in the United States. The median age of patients with OHCA was 64 years (interquartile range [IQR], 51-78). Compared with patients who experienced OHCA in neighborhoods with a lower proportion of black residents, those in neighborhoods with more than 75% black residents were slightly younger, were more frequently women, had lower rates of initial shockable rhythm, and less frequently experienced OHCA in a public location. The percentage of patients with OHCA receiving bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation or a lay automatic external defibrillation was inversely associated with the percentage of black residents in neighborhoods. Compared with OHCA in predominantly white neighborhoods (<25% black), those with OHCA in mixed to majority black neighborhoods had lower adjusted survival rates to hospital discharge (25%-50% black: odds ratio, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.61-0.93; 51%-75% black: odds ratio, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.49-0.90; >75% black: odds ratio, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.50-0.79; P < .001). There was similar mortality risk for black and white patients with OHCA in each neighborhood racial quantile. When the primary model included geographic site, there was an attenuated nonsignificant association between racial composition in a neighborhood and survival. Those with OHCA in predominantly black neighborhoods had the lowest rates of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automatic external defibrillation use and significantly lower likelihood for survival compared with predominantly white neighborhoods. Improving bystander treatments in these neighborhoods may improve cardiac arrest survival.

Impact of early coronary angiography on the survival to discharge after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

ObjectiveAcute myocardial infarction is a major cause of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Coronary angiography (CAG) enables diagnostic confirmation of coronary artery disease and subsequent revascularization, which might improve the prognosis of OHCA survivors. Non-randomized data has shown a favorable impact of CAG on prognosis for this population. However, the optimal timing of CAG has been debated.MethodsThe clinical outcomes of 607 OHCA patients registered in CAPTURES (Cardiac Arrest Pursuit Trial with Unique Registration and Epidemiologic Surveillance), a nationwide multicenter registry performed in 27 hospitals, were analyzed. Early CAG was defined as CAG performed within 24 hours of emergency department admission. The primary outcome was survival to discharge, with neurologically favorable status defined by cerebral performance category scores ≤2.ResultsCompared to patients without CAG (n=469), patients who underwent early CAG (n=138) were younger, more likely to be male, and more likely to have received bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, pre-hospital defibrillation, and revascularization (P<0.01 for all). Analysis of 115 propensity score-matched pairs showed that early CAG is associated with a 2.3-fold increase in survival to discharge with neurologically favorable status (P<0.001, all). Survival to discharge increased consistently according to the time interval between emergency department visit and CAG (P<0.05).ConclusionEarly CAG of OHCA patients was associated with better survival and favorable neurologic outcomes at discharge. However, there was no clear time threshold for CAG that predicted survival to discharge.

Magnesium Levels and Neurologic Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Therapeutic Hypothermia After Cardiac Arrest.

Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) improves neurological outcomes after cardiac arrest by mitigating cerebral reperfusion injury. Serum magnesium (Mg) inhibits glutamate release, restores blood-brain barrier integrity, and decreases brain edema. The neuroprotective role of Mg in cardiac arrest patients undergoing TH is not well established. We analyzed 438 survivors of cardiac arrest who completed a TH protocol from 2008 through 2016. Multivariate and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses examined the association between Mg supplementation and Mg levels before, during, and after TH with neurologic outcomes. Participants were 65.5 ± 15.9 years old, 47% received bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and time to target temperature was 286 ± 196 minutes. Patients with favorable neurologic outcomes had lower Mg levels at presentation (2.1 mg/dL vs. 2.2 mg/dL, p = 0.010; OR [95% CI] = 0.531 [0.329-0.857]) and more frequently received Mg supplementation (39% vs. 25%, p = 0.009; OR [95% CI] = 1.936 [1.171-3.202]). Mg levels on presentation inversely correlated with favorable neurologic outcomes (r = -0.134, p = 0.036). Stratification of patients based on Mg levels demonstrated trends toward worse neurological outcomes at the extremes of the range, though sample sizes were small and the point estimate was not significant. ROC analysis showed no significant Mg level determining favorable outcomes. Mg levels at presentation inversely correlated with neurologic outcomes in cardiac arrest survivors undergoing TH. Intracellular shift and increased renal excretion of Mg may be responsible for the low Mg levels seen in some patients undergoing TH. Whether Mg supplementation could potentiate the beneficial effects of TH remains unclear and deserves further investigation.

Exercise-Related Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Among the General Population in the Era of Public-Access Defibrillation: A Population-Based Observation in Japan.

BackgroundExercise can trigger sudden cardiac arrest. Early initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator use by laypersons could maximize the survival rate following exercise‐related out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).Methods and Results OHCA data between 2005 and 2012 were obtained from a prospective population‐based OHCA registry in Osaka Prefecture. Patients with OHCA of presumed cardiac origin and occurring before emergency medical service personnel arrival were included. The incidence trends of exercise‐related OHCA over the 8‐year study period were assessed. Among patients with bystander‐witnessed, exercise‐related OHCA, the trends in the initiation of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, public‐access defibrillation, and outcome were evaluated. The primary outcome was 1‐month survival with favorable neurological outcome, defined as cerebral performance category 1 or 2. During the study period, 0.7% of OHCAs of cardiac origin (222/31 030) were exercise related. The incidence of exercise‐related OHCA increased from 1.8 (per million population per year) in 2005 to 4.3 in 2012. Of these, 83.8% (186/222) were witnessed by bystanders. Among the patients with bystander‐witnessed, exercise‐related OHCA, the proportion that received bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (50.0% in 2005 and 86.2% in 2012) and public‐access defibrillation (7.1% in 2005 and 62.1% in 2012) significantly increased during the study period. Furthermore, the rate of 1‐month survival with favorable neurological outcome among these patients significantly improved (from 28.6% in 2005 to 58.6% in 2012).ConclusionsThe incidence rate of exercise‐related OHCA was low in the study population. The increase in bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation and public‐access defibrillation rates were associated with improved outcome among patients with bystander‐witnessed, exercise‐related OHCA.

Effect of known history of heart disease on survival outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.

We aimed to investigate the effect of known heart disease on post-out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival outcomes, and its association with factors influencing survival. This was an observational, retrospective study involving an OHCA database from seven Asian countries in 2009-2012. Heart disease was defined as a documented diagnosis of coronary artery disease or congenital heart disease. Patients with non-traumatic arrests for whom resuscitation was attempted and with known medical histories were included. Differences in demographics, arrest characteristics and survival between patients with and without known heart disease were analysed. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify factors influencing survival to discharge. Of 19 044 eligible patients, 5687 had known heart disease. They were older (77 vs 72 years) and had more comorbidities like diabetes (40.9 vs 21.8%), hypertension (60.6 vs 36.0%) and previous stroke (15.2 vs 10.1%). However, they were not more likely to receive bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (P = 0.205) or automated external defibrillation (P = 0.980). On univariate analysis, known heart disease was associated with increased survival (unadjusted odds ratio 1.16, 95% confidence interval 1.03-1.30). However, on multivariate analysis, heart disease predicted poorer survival (adjusted odds ratio 0.76, 95% confidence interval 0.58-1.00). Other factors influencing survival corresponded with previous reports. Known heart disease independently predicted poorer post-OHCA survival. This study may provide information to guide future prospective studies specifically looking at family education for patients with heart disease and the effect on OHCA outcomes.