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Objective: We evaluated the effect of chest compression fraction (CCF) on survival to hospital discharge and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients with non-shockable rhythms., Methods: This is a retrospective analysis (completed in 2016) of a prospective cohort study which included OHCA patients from ten U.S. and Canadian sites (Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium Epistry and PRIMED study (2007-2011)). We included all OHCA victims of presumed cardiac aetiology, not witnessed by emergency medical services (EMS), without automated external defibrillator shock prior to EMS arrival, receiving > 1 min of CPR with CPR process measures available, and initial non-shockable rhythm. We measured CCF using the first 5 min of electronic CPR records., Results: Demographics of 12,928 adult patients were: mean age 68; male 59.9%; public location 8.5%; bystander witnessed 35.2%; bystander CPR 39.3%; median interval from 911 to defibrillator turned on 10 min:04 s; initial rhythm asystole 64.8%, PEA 26.0%, other non-shockable 9.2%; compression rate 80-120/min (69.1%); median CCF 74%; ROSC 25.6%; survival to hospital discharge 2.4%. Adjusted odds ratio (OR); 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) of survival for each CCF category were: 0-40% (2.00; 1.16, 3.32); 41-60% (0.83; 0.54, 1.24); 61-80% (1.02; 0.77, 1.35); and 81-100% (reference group). Adjusted (OR; 95%CI) of ROSC for each CCF category were: 0-40% (1.02; 0.79, 1.30); 41-60% (0.83; 0.72, 0.95); 61-80% (0.85; 0.77, 0.94); and 81-100% (reference group)., Conclusions: We observed an incremental benefit from higher CCF on the incidence of ROSC, but not survival, among non-shockable OHCA patients with CCF higher than 40%., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Little is known regarding the quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performed by bystanders in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). We sought to determine quality of bystander CPR provided during OHCA using CPR quality data stored by Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)., Methods: We used the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium database to identify OHCA cases of presumed cardiac etiology where an AED was utilized. We then matched AED data to each case identified. AED data was analyzed using manufacturer software in order to determine overall measures of bystander CPR quality, changes in bystander CPR quality over time, and adherence to existing 2010 Resuscitation Quality Guidelines., Results: 100 cases of OHCA of presumed cardiac etiology involving bystander CPR and with corresponding AED data. Mean age was 62.3 years, and 75% were male. Bystanders demonstrated high-quality CPR over all minutes of resuscitation, with a chest compression fraction of 76%, a compression depth of 5.3 cm, and a compression rate of 111.2 compressions/min. Mean perishock pause was 26.8 s. Adherence rates to 2010 Resuscitation Guidelines for compression rate and depth were found to be 66% and 55%, respectively. CPR quality was lowest in the first minute, resulting from increased delay to rhythm analysis (mean 40.7 s). In cases involving shock delivery, latency from initiation of AED to shock delivery was 59.2 s., Conclusions: We found that bystanders perform high-quality CPR, with strong adherence rates to existing Resuscitation Guidelines. High-quality CPR is maintained over the first five minutes of resuscitation, but was lowest in the first minute., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The role of Troponin (Tn) levels in the management of patients post out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is unclear., Methods: All OHCA patients enrolled in the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium Prehospital Resuscitation using an IMpedance valve and Early versus Delayed analysis trial and admitted to hospital with a Tn level and a 12-lead electrocardiogram were stratified by ST elevation (STE) or no STE in a regression model for survival to discharge adjusted for Utstein predictors and site., Results: Of the 15,617 enrolled OHCA patients, 4118 (26%) survived to admission to hospital; 17% (693) were STE and 77% (3188) were no STE with 6% unknown; 83% (3460) had at least one Tn level. Reperfusion rates were higher when Tn level >2ng/ml (p>0.1ng/ml) improved with a diagnostic cardiac catheterization (p<0.001)., Conclusions: Elevated Tn levels >2ng/ml were associated with improved survival to discharge in patients post OHCA with STE. Survival in patients with no STE and Tn values >0.1ng/ml was higher when associated with diagnostic cardiac catheterization or treated with reperfusion or revascularization., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Importance: Assessment of morbidity is an important component of evaluating interventions for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA)., Objective: We evaluated among survivors of OHCA cognition, functional status, health-related quality of life and depression as functions of patient and emergency medical services (EMS) factors., Design: Prospective cohort sub-study of a randomized trial., Setting: The parent trial studied two comparisons in persons with non-traumatic OHCA treated by EMS personnel participating in the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium., Participants: Consenting survivors to discharge., Main Outcome Measures: Telephone assessments up to 6 months after discharge included neurologic function (modified Rankin score, MRS), cognitive impairment (Adult Lifestyle and Function Mini Mental Status Examination, ALFI-MMSE), health-related quality of life (Health Utilities Index Mark 3, HUI3) and depression (Telephone Geriatric Depression Scale, T-GDS)., Results: Of 15,794 patients enrolled in the parent trial, 729 (56% of survivors) consented. About 644 respondents (88% of consented) completed ≥ 1 assessment. Likelihood of assessment was associated with baseline characteristics and study site. Most respondents had MRS ≤ 3 (82.7%), no cognitive impairment (82.7% ALFI-MMSE ≥ 17), no severe impairment in health (71.6%, HUI3 ≥ 0.7) and no depression (90.1% T-GDS≤10). Outcomes did not differ by trial intervention or time from hospital discharge., Conclusions and Relevance: The majority of patients in this large cohort who survived cardiac arrest and were interviewed had no, mild or moderate health impairment. Concern about poor quality of life is not a valid reason to abandon efforts to improve an EMS system's response to cardiac arrest., (Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.)

Introduction: We sought to determine the ability of 9-1-1 dispatchers to accurately determine the presence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OOHCA) over the telephone, and to determine the frequency with which CPR instructions are initiated and chest compressions delivered in patients not in cardiac arrest., Methods: We conducted a multi-center, prospective cohort study of adult OOHCA patients not witnessed by EMS for which resuscitation was attempted. Dispatchers were not health care professionals and received 6 weeks of training followed by a 6-month preceptorship. We reviewed 9-1-1 call digital recordings for all unconscious patients for which the possibility of cardiac arrest was considered using a piloted standardized data collection sheet., Results: We reviewed 2260 recordings occurring between January 2008 and October 2009. Among those, 1536 were confirmed OOHCA, and 724 were not. Among the 1536 confirmed OOHCA cases, 1012 were recognized by dispatchers and 524 were not. Among the 724 cases not in cardiac arrest, dispatchers suspected cardiac arrest was present in 490 and absent in 234. OOHCA diagnostic accuracy characteristics were: sensitivity 65.9% (95% CI 63.5-68.2%), specificity 32.3% (95% CI 29.0-35.9%), PPV 67.4%, and NPV 30.9%. Dispatchers believed that OOHCA was present in 490/2260 (21.7%) cases when it was not, resulting in 54/490 (11.0%) patients inappropriately receiving chest compressions, or 54/2260 (2.4%) of the whole cohort., Conclusions: Dispatchers had a fair sensitivity and modest specificity for the recognition of OOHCA. We found a very small number of patients receiving CPR when not in cardiac arrest, supporting the current use of dispatch-assisted CPR instructions., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The rate and effect of coronary interventions and induced hypothermia after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) are unknown. We measured the association of early (≤24h after arrival) coronary angiography, reperfusion, and induced hypothermia with favorable outcome after OHCA., Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of a multicenter clinical trial (NCT00394706) conducted between 2007 and 2009 in 10 North American regions. Subjects were adults (≥18 years) hospitalized after OHCA with pulses sustained ≥60min. We measured the association of early coronary catheterization, percutaneous coronary intervention, fibrinolysis, and induced hypothermia with survival to hospital discharge with favorable functional status (modified Rankin Score≤3)., Results: From 16,875 OHCA subjects, 3981 (23.6%) arrived at 151 hospitals with sustained pulses. 1317 (33.1%) survived to hospital discharge, with 1006 (25.3%) favorable outcomes. Rates of early coronary catheterization (19.2%), coronary reperfusion (17.7%) or induced hypothermia (39.3%) varied among hospitals, and were higher in hospitals treating more subjects per year. Odds of survival and favorable outcome increased with hospital volume (per 5 subjects/year OR 1.06; 95%CI: 1.04-1.08 and OR 1.06; 95%CI: 1.04, 1.08, respectively). Survival and favorable outcome were independently associated with early coronary angiography (OR 1.69; 95%CI 1.06-2.70 and OR 1.87; 95%CI 1.15-3.04), coronary reperfusion (OR 1.94; 95%CI 1.34-2.82 and OR 2.14; 95%CI 1.46-3.14), and induced hypothermia (OR 1.36; 95%CI 1.01-1.83 and OR 1.42; 95%CI 1.04-1.94)., Interpretation: Early coronary intervention and induced hypothermia are associated with favorable outcome and are more frequent in hospitals that treat higher numbers of OHCA subjects per year., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Bystander CPR rates are lowest at home, where 85% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur. We sought to identify barriers and facilitators to CPR training and performing CPR among older individuals most likely to witness cardiac arrest., Methods: We selected independent-living Canadians aged ≥55 using random-digit-dial telephone calls. Respondents were randomly assigned to answer 1 of 2 surveys eliciting barriers and facilitators potentially influencing either CPR training or performance. We developed survey instruments using the Theory of Planned Behavior, measuring salient attitudes, social influences, and control beliefs., Results: Demographics for the 412 respondents (76.4% national response rate): Mean age 66, 58.7% female, 54.9% married, 58.0% CPR trained (half >10 years ago). Mean intentions to take CPR training in the next 6 months or to perform CPR on a victim were relatively high (3.6 and 4.1 out of 5). Attitudinal beliefs were most predictive of respondents' intentions to receive training or perform CPR (Adjusted OR; 95%CI were 1.81; 1.41-2.32 and 1.63; 1.26-2.04 respectively). Respondents who believed CPR could save a life, were employed, and had seen CPR advertised had the highest intention to receive CPR training. Those who believed CPR should be initiated before EMS arrival, were proactive in a group, and felt confident in their CPR skills had the highest intention to perform CPR., Interpretation: Attitudinal beliefs were most predictive of respondents' intention to complete CPR training or perform CPR on a real victim. Behavioral change techniques targeting these specific beliefs are most likely to make an impact., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Greater chest compression fraction (CCF, or proportion of CPR time spent providing compressions) is associated with better survival for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OOHCA) patients in ventricular fibrillation (VF). We evaluated the effect of CCF on return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in OOHCA patients with non-VF ECG rhythms in the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium Epistry., Methods: This prospective cohort study included OOHCA patients if: not witnessed by EMS, no automated external defibrillator (AED) shock prior to EMS arrival, received >1 min of CPR with CPR process measures available, and initial non-VF rhythm. We reviewed the first 5 min of electronic CPR records following defibrillator application, measuring the proportion of compressions/min during the resuscitation., Results: Demographics of 2103 adult patients from 10 U.S. and Canadian centers were: mean age 67.8; male 61.2%; public location 10.6%; bystander witnessed 32.9%; bystander CPR 35.4%; median interval from 911 to defibrillator turned on 8 min:27 s; initial rhythm asystole 64.0%, PEA 28.0%, other non-shockable 8.0%; median compression rate 110/min; median CCF 71%; ROSC 24.2%; survival to hospital discharge 2.0%. The estimated linear effect on adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (OR; 95%CI) of ROSC for each 10% increase in CCF was (1.05; 0.99, 1.12). Adjusted (OR; 95%CI) of ROSC for each CCF category were: 0-40% (reference group); 41-60% (1.14; 0.72, 1.81); 61-80% (1.42; 0.92, 2.20); and 81-100% (1.48; 0.94, 2.32)., Conclusions: This is the first study to demonstrate that increased CCF among non-VF OOHCA patients is associated with a trend toward increased likelihood of ROSC., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is common and lethal. It has been suggested that OHCA witnessed by EMS providers is a predictor of survival because advanced help is immediately available. We examined EMS witnessed OHCA from the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (ROC) to determine the effect of EMS witnessed vs. bystander witnessed and unwitnessed OHCA., Methods: Data were analyzed from a prospective, population-based cohort study in 10 U.S. and Canadian ROC sites. Individuals with non-traumatic OHCA treated 04/01/06-03/31/07 by EMS providers with defibrillation or chest compressions were included. Cases were grouped into EMS-witnessed, bystander witnessed, and unwitnessed and further stratified for bystander CPR. Multiple logistic regressions evaluated the odds ratio (OR) for survival to discharge relative to the EMS-witnessed group after adjusting for age, sex, public/private location of collapse, ROC site, and initial ECG rhythm. Of 9991 OHCA, 1022 (10.2%) of EMS-witnessed, 3369 (33.7%) bystander witnessed, and 5600 (56.1%) unwitnessed., Results: The most common initial rhythm in the EMS-witnessed group was PEA which was higher than in the bystander- and unwitnessed groups (p<0.001). The adjusted OR (95% CI) of survival compared to the EMS-witnessed group was 0.41, (0.36, 0.46) in bystander witnessed with bystander CPR, 0.37 (0.33, 0.43) in bystander witnessed without bystander CPR, 0.17 (0.14, 0.20) in unwitnessed with bystander CPR and 0.21 (0.18, 0.24) in unwitnessed cases without bystander CPR., Conclusions: Immediate application of prehospital care for OHCA may improve survival. Efforts should be made to educate patients to access 9-1-1 for prodromal symptoms.

Background: Immediate defibrillation is the traditional approach to resuscitation of cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia (VF/VT). Delaying defibrillation to provide chest compressions may improve survival. We examined the effect of the duration of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) prior to first defibrillation on survival in patients with out-of-hospital VF/VT., Materials and Methods: From a prospective multi-center observational registry of EMS-treated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, we identified 1638 EMS-treated cardiac arrests with first recorded rhythm VF/VT or "shockable" and complete data for analysis. Survival to hospital discharge was determined as a function of EMS CPR duration prior to first shock., Results: Compared to the reference group of first EMS CPR duration < or =45 s, the odds of survival was greater among patients who received between 46 and 195 s of EMS CPR before first shock (46-75 s odds ratio [OR] 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.71-1.87; 76-105 s, OR 1.37, 95% CI 0.80-2.35; 106-135 s, OR 1.53, 95% CI 0.96-2.45; 136-165 s, OR 1.24, 95% CI 0.71-2.15; 166-195 s, OR 1.47, 95% CI 0.85-2.52). The benefit of EMS CPR before defibrillation was reduced when the duration of CPR exceeded 195 s (196-225 s, OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.47-1.81; 226-255 s, OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.46-1.79; 256-285 s, OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.17-1.29; 286-315 s, OR 1.29, 95% CI 0.59-2.85). An optimal EMS CPR duration was not identified and no duration achieved statistical significance., Conclusion: In this observational analysis of VF/VT arrest, between 46 and 195 s of EMS CPR prior to defibrillation was weakly associated with improved survival compared to < or =45 s. Randomized trials are needed to confirm the optimal duration of EMS CPR prior to defibrillation and to assess the impact of first CPR duration on all initial rhythms., (Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: While lower socioeconomic status is associated with lower level of education and increased incidence of cardiovascular diseases, the impact of socioeconomic status on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes is unclear. We used residential property values as a proxy for socioeconomic status to determine if there was an association with: (1) bystander CPR rates and (2) survival to hospital discharge for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest., Methods: We performed a secondary data analysis of cardiac arrest cases prospectively collected as part of the Ontario Prehospital Advanced Life Support study, conducted in 20 cities with ALS and BLS-D paramedics. We measured patient and system characteristics for cardiac arrests of cardiac origin, not witnessed by EMS, occurring in a single residential dwelling. We obtained property values from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation. Analyses included descriptive statistics with 95% CIs and stepwise logistic regression., Results: Three thousand six hundred cardiac arrest cases met our inclusion criteria between 1 January 1995 and 31 December 1999. Patient characteristics were: mean age 69.2, male 67.8%, witnessed 44.7%, bystander CPR 13.2%, VF/VT 33.8%, time to vehicle stop 5:36min:s, return of spontaneous circulation 12.7%, and survival 2.7%. Median property value was $184,000 (range $25,500-2,494,000). For each $100,000 increment in property value, the likelihood of receiving bystander CPR increased (OR=1.07; 95% CI 1.01-1.14; p=0.03) and survival decreased (OR=0.77; 95% CI 0.61-0.97; p=0.03)., Conclusions: This is the largest study showing an association between socioeconomic status and survival, and the first study showing an association with bystander CPR. Our findings suggest targeting CPR training among lower socioeconomic groups.

Objective: No evidence supports vasopressin over epinephrine in cardiac arrest; however animal and some clinical studies support their concurrent use. This systematic review compares the efficacy of vasopressin and epinephrine used together versus repeated doses of epinephrine alone in cardiac arrest., Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) where vasopressin and epinephrine were administered concurrently to cardiac arrest patients within the half-life of vasopressin. Two reviewers assessed studies for eligibility, data extraction and quality. Appropriateness of studies for meta-analysis was assessed. The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge and the secondary outcome was return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC)., Results: From 235 titles identified, we reviewed 29 abstracts. Three cardiac arrest studies were included (N=1226). Study 1 randomized vasopressin versus epinephrine then subsequent epinephrine. Study 2 randomized two doses of vasopressin versus epinephrine. Study 3 randomized vasopressin versus placebo, administered following initial epinephrine. All studies favored combination treatment for ROSC, but only study 2 was statistically significant (RR 1.42, 95% CI 1.14-1.77). Studies 1 and 2 reported survival to discharge, only study 2 was significant (RR 3.69, 95% CI 1.52-8.95). The methods for the three studies were too dissimilar to allow pooling of results., Conclusion: This systematic review of the combination of vasopressin and epinephrine found trends towards better ROSC but equivocal effects on survival. At the present time, there is inadequate evidence to advocate the sequential use of vasopressin and epinephrine for cardiac arrest.

Injury is a major public health problem generating substantial morbidity, mortality, and economic burden on society. The majority of seriously injured persons are initially evaluated and cared for by prehospital providers, however the effect of emergency medical services (EMS) systems, EMS clinical care, and EMS interventions on trauma patient outcomes is largely unknown. Outcome-based information to guide future EMS care has been hampered by the lack of comprehensive, standardized, multi-center prehospital data resources that include meaningful patient outcomes. In this paper, we describe the background, design, development, implementation, content, and potential uses of the first North American comprehensive epidemiologic prehospital data registry for injured persons. This data registry samples patients from 264 EMS agencies transporting to 287 acute care hospitals in both the United States and Canada.

Aim: The primary aim of this study is to compare survival to hospital discharge with a modified Rankin score (MRS)< or =3 between standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) plus an active impedance threshold device (ITD) versus standard CPR plus a sham ITD in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Secondary aims are to compare functional status and depression at discharge and at 3 and 6 months post-discharge in survivors., Design: Prospective, double-blind, randomized, controlled, clinical trial., Population: Patients with non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest treated by emergency medical services (EMS) providers., Setting: EMS systems participating in the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium., Sample Size: Based on a one-sided significance level of 0.025, power=0.90, a survival with MRS< or =3 to discharge rate of 5.33% with standard CPR and sham ITD, and two interim analyses, a maximum of 14,742 evaluable patients are needed to detect a 6.69% survival with MRS< or =3 to discharge with standard CPR and active ITD (1.36% absolute survival difference)., Conclusion: If the ITD demonstrates the hypothesized improvement in survival, it is estimated that 2700 deaths from cardiac arrest per year would be averted in North America alone.

Objective: The primary objective of the trial is to compare survival to hospital discharge with modified Rankin score (MRS) < or =3 between a strategy that prioritizes a specified period of CPR before rhythm analysis (Analyze Later) versus a strategy of minimal CPR followed by early rhythm analysis (Analyze Early) in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest., Methods: Design-Cluster randomized trial with cluster units defined by geographic region, or monitor/defibrillator machine. Population-Adults treated by emergency medical service (EMS) providers for non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest not witnessed by EMS. Setting-EMS systems participating in the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium and agreeing to cluster randomization to the Analyze Later versus Analyze Early intervention in a crossover fashion. Sample size-Based on a two-sided significance level of 0.05, a maximum of 13,239 evaluable patients will allow statistical power of 0.996 to detect a hypothesized improvement in the probability of survival to discharge with MRS < or =3 rate from 5.41% after Analyze Early to 7.45% after Analyze Later (2.04% absolute increase in primary outcome)., Conclusion: If this trial demonstrates a significant improvement in survival with a strategy of Analyze Later, it is estimated that 4000 premature deaths from cardiac arrest would be averted annually in North America alone.

Active compression decompression resuscitation (ACD-CPR) has been developed as an alternative to standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation (S-CPR). To determine the effect of ACD-CPR on survival and neurologic outcome in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, this combined analysis involved individual patient data from 2866 patients from seven separate randomized prospective prehospital studies who had received ACD-CPR or S-CPR after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in seven international sites. Significant improvement in 1-h survival (odds ratio (OR) = 0.83; confidence interval (CI): 0.695-0.99; P < 0.05) was found with ACD-CPR (n = 1410) versus S-CPR (n = 1456). The odds ratio for hospital discharge after ACD-CPR was similar (OR = 0.82; CI: 0.609-1.107, P = NS), but this finding was not statistically significant. Using the chi2-test for trend, there was a significant improvement in overall survival with ACD-CPR (P < 0.05) versus S-CPR. This improvement was largely due to the influence of results from one study site. Neurological outcome and complication rates were comparable between groups. Further study is needed to determine which emergency medical services systems may benefit from out-of-hospital use of ACD-CPR.