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Background This review is the latest in a series of regular annual reviews undertaken by the editors and aims to highlight some of the key papers published in Resuscitation during 2020. The number of papers submitted to the Journal in 2020 increased by 25% on the previous year.MethodsHand-searching by the editors of all papers published in Resuscitation during 2020. Papers were selected based on then general interest and novelty and were categorised into general themes.ResultsA total of 103 papers were selected for brief mention in this review.ConclusionsResuscitation science continues to evolve rapidly and incorporate all links in the chain of survival.

Introduction Public access defibrillation is a key component of the early links in the chain of survival. Despite growing numbers of PADs in the community, actual use remains poor, partly because of the difficulties in locating the nearest PAD. We aimed to establish the cover that would be provided if PADs were located in any given building type, which would enable the public to know where the nearest PAD was located. Methods Mapping software was used to classify each and every building type in the South Central Ambulance Service region. The 52 commonest building types were then mapped to all cardiac arrest calls in the same geographical area from Jan 2014 - July 2018. The walking distance from each cardiac arrest to each nearest building type was calculated. Results A total of 22,382 cardiac arrests were mapped to a total of 24,155 buildings considered suitable for potential PAD location. Post boxes ranked first in both urban and rural areas, covering 11.7% of cardiac arrests at 100 m and 85.6% of cardiac arrests at 500 m. In urban areas, bus shelters and telephone boxes also provided good coverage (9.7%, 9.5% @ 100 m; 69.2%, 71.9% @ 500 m respectively). In rural areas, good coverage was provided by nursing/care homes and pubs/bars (4.9%, 4.6% @ 100 m; 15.2%, 31.8% @ 500 m respectively). Conclusion Locating PADs at all post boxes would provide the most effective geographical coverage in both urban and rural areas according to building type. This may be an effective strategy to improve rapid PAD locating.

Background:\ud Early defibrillation is an essential element of the chain of survival for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Public access defibrillation (PAD) programmes aim to place automated external defibrillators (AED) in areas with high OHCA incidence, but there is sometimes a mismatch between AED density and OHCA incidence.\ud Objectives\ud \ud This study aimed to assess whether there were any disparities in the characteristics of areas that have an AED and those that do not in England.\ud \ud Methods:\ud Details of the location of AEDs registered with English Ambulance Services were obtained from individual services or internet sources. Neighbourhood characteristics of lower layer super output areas (LSOA) were obtained from the Office for National Statistics. Comparisons were made between LSOAs with and without a registered AED.\ud \ud Results:\ud AEDs were statistically more likely to be in LSOAs with a lower residential but higher workplace population density, with people predominantly from a white ethnic background and working in higher socio-economically classified occupations (p < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between AED coverage and the LSOA Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) (r = 0.79, p = 0.007), with only 27.4% in the lowest IMD decile compared to about 45% in highest. AED density varied significantly across the country from 0.82/km2 in the north east to 2.97/km2 in London.\ud \ud Conclusions:\ud In England, AEDs were disproportionately placed in more affluent areas, with a lower residential population density. This contrasts with locations where OHCAs have previously occurred. Future PAD programmes should give preference to areas of higher deprivation and be tailored to the local community.

Background Using a mobile virtual reality (VR) platform to heighten realism for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training has the potential to improve bystander response. Objectives We examined whether using a VR mobile application (mApp) for CPR training would improve bystander response compared with a standard mApp CPR training. Methods We randomized lay bystanders to either our intervention arm (VR mApp) or our control arm (mApp). During a post-intervention skills test, we collected bystander response data (call 911, perform CPR, ask for an automated external defibrillator (AED)), along with CPR quality (chest compression (CC) rate and depth). Wilcox rank sum was used to analyze CC rate and CC depth as they were not normally distributed; Pearson’s Chi-square was used to analyze Chain of Survival variables. Results Between 3/2018 and 9/2018, 105 subjects were enrolled: 52 VR mApp and 53 mApp. Mean age was 46 ± 16 years, 34% were female, 59% were Black, and 17% were currently CPR trained (≤2 years). Bystander response was significantly higher in the VR mApp arm: called 911 (82% vs 58%, p = 0.007) and asked for an AED (57% vs 28%, p = 0.003). However there was no difference in CPR performed (98% vs 98%, p = NS) and the application of the AED (90% vs 93%, p = NS). When comparing the VR mApp to the mApp, mean CC rate was 104 ± 42 cpm vs 112 ± 30 cpm (p = NS), and mean CC depth was 38 ± 15 mm vs 44 ± 13 mm (p = 0.05). Conclusion The use of the VR mApp significantly increased the likelihood of calling 911 and asking for an AED, however, CC depth was decreased.

Advances in resuscitation following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) provide an opportunity to improve public health. This review reflects on past developments, present status, and future possibilities using the science-education-implementation framework of the Utstein Formula and the clinical framework of the links in the chain of survival. With the discovery of CPR and defibrillation in the mid 20th century, resuscitation developed a scientific construct for progress. Systems of emergency community response provided operational efficiency to treat OHCA. Contemporary resuscitation involves integrated interventions in the chain of survival: early recognition, early CPR, early defibrillation, expert and timely advanced life support and hospital care, and multidimensional rehabilitation. Implementation of scientific advances is especially challenging given the unexpected nature of OHCA, the need for time-sensitive interventions, and the substantial collective of stakeholders involved in the chain of survival. Systematic measurement provides the foundation to evaluate performance and guide implementation initiatives. For many systems, telecommunicator CPR and high-performance CPR by emergency professionals are accessible, near-term programs to improve OHCA outcome. Smart technologies that activate, coordinate, and/or coach community "volunteers" to accelerate early CPR and defibrillation have conceptual promise, though robust implementation has been achieved by only a handful of systems. Longer-term strategies may leverage technology to develop a high-fidelity "life-detector" or engineer and disseminate a specialized consumer defibrillator designed to bridge care until arrival of professional response.

The European Resuscitation Council (ERC) has produced these Systems Saving Lives guidelines, which are based on the 2020 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Science with Treatment Recommendations. The topics covered include chain of survival, measuring performance of resuscitation, social media and smartphones apps for engaging community, European Restart a Heart Day, World Restart a Heart, KIDS SAVE LIVES campaign, lower-resource setting, European Resuscitation Academy and Global Resuscitation Alliance, early warning scores, rapid response systems, and medical emergency team, cardiac arrest centres and role of dispatcher.

A decrease in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) bystander response was observed worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. 1. Therefore, the importance of first responders (FRs) in initiating cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automatic external defibrillator (AED) use has increased. FRs are police officers, firefighters (named as “professional FRs”), or off-duty medical personnel and trained laypersons (named “citizen FRs”); they are alerted if a patient experiences OHCA within close vicinity. 2. During pandemic, scientific societies stressed the importance of donning personal protective equipment (PPE) before intervening 3. ; furthermore some FRs system were temporarily suspended or limited to “professional FRs”. 2. Also in Swiss Canton Ticino only the activation “professional FRs” activity was maintained. This situation provides the unique opportunity to quantitatively assess the contribution of “citizen FRs” in OHCA resuscitation including AED use before EMS arrival.

Aim Resuscitation from out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) requires success across the entire chain of survival. Using a large state-wide registry, we characterized variation in clinical outcomes at hospital discharge in Michigan hospitals. Methods We utilized the Michigan Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES) and included adult OHCA subjects with return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) from 2014 - 2017 that survived to hospital admission. 39 Michigan hospitals were included which managed >30 cases during the study period. Multilevel logistic regression, controlling for both subject characteristics and clustering of subjects within hospitals, assessed variation across hospitals in survival to hospital discharge and survival with cerebral performance category (CPC 1-2). Results There were 5,486 CARES subjects that survived to hospital admission, and 4,690 met inclusion for analysis. Of 39 included hospitals, median survival to discharge was 31.3% (range 12.5%-46.7%) and median survival to discharge with CPC 1-2 was 25.0% (range 5.2%-42.2%). We identified 12-fold variation in the utilization of TTM by hospital (median 47.9%, range 6.7%-80.0%) for all admitted subjects. Similarly, there was nearly an eight-fold variation in LHC for all post-arrest subjects (median 22.1%, range 5.4%-42.2%). In multivariable analyses, median adjusted survival to discharge was 26.9% (range 18.1%-42.1%) and median adjusted survival to discharge with CPC 1-2 was 21.3% (range 9.6%-32.1%). Conclusion We observed substantial variation in clinical outcomes at discharge between Michigan hospitals, including a four-fold range of survival and eight-fold range of survival with CPC 1-2. This variation was ameliorated but still persisted in adjusted modeling. Variation in post arrest survival by hospital was not fully explained by available covariates, which suggests the possibility of improving post-arrest clinical outcomes at some hospitals via quality improvement activities.

Introduction The Global Resuscitation Alliance (GRA) was established in 2015 to improve survival for Out- of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) using the best practices developed by the Seattle Resuscitation Academy. However, these 10 programs were recommended in the context of developed Emergency Care Systems (ECS). Implementing these programs can be challenging for ECS at earlier stages of development. We aimed to explore barriers faced by developing ECS and to establish pre-requisites needed. We also developed a framework by which developing ECS may use to build their emergency response capability. Method A consensus meeting was held in Singapore on 1st–2nd August 2017. The 74 participants were key stakeholders from 26 countries, including Emergency Medical Services (EMS) directors, physicians and academics, and two Physicians who sit on the World Health Organisation (WHO) panel for development of Emergency Care Systems. Five discussion groups examined the chain of survival: community, dispatch, ambulance and hospital; a separate group considered perinatal resuscitation. Discussion points were voted upon to reach a consensus. Results The answers and discussion points from each groupwere classified into a table adapted from WHO’s framework of development for Emergency Services. After which, it was used to construct the modified survival framework with the chain of survival as the backbone. Eleven key statements were then derived to describe the pre-requisites for achieving the GRA 10 programs. The participants eventually voted on the importance and feasibility of these 11 statements as well as the GRA 10 programs using a matrix that is used by organisations to prioritise their action steps. Conclusion In this paper, we propose a modified framework of survival for developing ECS systems. There are barriers for developing ECS systems to improve OHCA survival rates. These barriers may be overcome by systematic prioritisation and cost-effective innovative solutions.

Background Early defibrillation is a critical link in the chain of survival. Public access defibrillation (PAD) programmes utilising automated external defibrillators (AEDs) aim to decrease the time-to-first-shock, and improve survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Effective use of PADs requires rapid location of the device, facilitated by adequate signage. We aimed to therefore assess the quality of signage for PADs in the community. Method From April 2017 to January 2018 we surveyed community PADs available for public use on the ‘Save a Life’ AED locator mobile application in and around Southampton, UK. Location and signage characteristics were collected, and the distance from the furthest sign to the AED was measured. Results Researchers evaluated 201 separate PADs. All devices visited were included in the final analysis. No signage at all was present for 135 (67.2%) devices. Only 15/201 (7.5%) AEDs had signage at a distance from AED itself. In only 5 of these cases (2.5%) was signage mounted more than 5.0 m from the AED. When signage was present, 46 used 2008 ILCOR signage and 15 used 2006 Resuscitation Council (UK) signage. Signage visibility was partially or severely obstructed at 27/66 (40.9%) sites. None of the 45 GP surgeries surveyed used exterior signage or an exterior 24/7 access box. Conclusions Current signage of PADs is poor and limits the device effectiveness by impeding public awareness and location of AEDs. Recommendations should promote visible signage within the operational radius of each AED.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate regional variation in the characteristics, incidence and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in Australia and New Zealand. Methods: This was a population-based cohort study of OHCA using data from the Aus-ROC Australian and New Zealand OHCA Epistry over the period of 01 January 2015–31 December 2015. Seven ambulance services contributed data to the Epistry with a capture population of 19.8 million people. All OHCA attended by ambulance, regardless of aetiology or patient age, were included. Results: In 2015, there were 19,722 OHCA cases recorded in the Aus-ROC Epistry with an overall crude incidence of 102.5 cases per 100,000 population (range: 51.0–107.7 per 100,000 population). Of all OHCA cases attended by EMS (excluding EMS-witnessed cases), bystander CPR was performed in 41% of cases (range: 36%–50%). Resuscitation was attempted (by EMS) in 48% of cases (range: 40%–68%). The crude incidence for attempted resuscitation cases was 47.6 per 100,000 population (range: 34.7–54.1 per 100,000 population). Of cases with attempted resuscitation, 28% survived the event (range: 21%–36%) and 12% survived to hospital discharge or 30 days (range: 9%–17%; data provided by five ambulance services). Conclusion: In the first results of the Aus-ROC Australian and New Zealand OHCA Epistry, significant regional variation in the incidence, characteristics and outcomes was observed. Understanding the system-level and public health drivers of this variation will assist in optimisation of the chain of survival provided to OHCA patients with the aim of improving outcomes. © 2018 The Authors

The chain of survival aims to demonstrate the interrelationship between key stages of resuscitation and emphasises the need for all links to be effective in order to optimise the chances of survival. The contribution of each of the four links diminishes rapidly as patients succumb at each stage and the actual attrition rate results in rapidly decreasing numbers of patients progressing along the chain. This revised representation adjusts the area of each link in order to graphically represent the flow of patients through the chain. Greatest benefit in improving outcome will be achieved by focussing on improving care at links in the chain where there is the greatest number of patients.

Each minute is crucial in the treatment of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (CA). Immediate chest compressions and early defibrillation are keys to good outcomes. We hypothesized that a coordinated effort of alerting trained local neighborhood volunteers (vols) simultaneously with 911 activation of professional EMS providers would result in substantial decreases in call-to-arrival times, leading to earlier CPR and defibrillation.We developed a program of simultaneously alerting CPR- and AED-trained neighborhood vols and the local EMS system for CA events in a retirement residential neighborhood in Southern Arizona, encompassing approximately 440 homes. The closest EMS station is 3.3 miles from this neighborhood. Within this neighborhood, 15 vols and the closest EMS station were involved in multiple days of mock CA notifications and responses.The two groups differed significantly in distance to the mock CA event and in response times. The volunteers averaged 0.3 ± 0.2 miles from the mock CA incidences while the closest EMS station averaged 3.4 ± 0.1 miles away (p 0.0001). Response times (time from call to arrival) also differed. Two volunteers, one bringing an AED, averaged 1 min 38 s ± 53 s in Phase 1, while it took the EMS service an average of 7 min 20 s ± 1 min 13 s to arrive on scene; p 0.0001.Local neighborhood volunteers were geographically closer and arrived significantly sooner at the mock CA scene than did the EMS service. The approximate time savings from call to arrival with the volunteers was 4-6 min.

Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are critical in the chain of survival following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), yet few studies have reported on AED use and outcomes among pediatric OHCA. This study describes the association between bystander AED use, neighborhood characteristics and survival outcomes following public pediatric OHCA.Non-traumatic OHCAs among children less than18 years of age in a public setting between from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2017 were identified in the CARES database. A neighborhood characteristic index was created from the addition of dichotomous values of 4 American Community Survey neighborhood characteristics at the Census tract level: median household income, percent high school graduates, percent unemployment, and percent African American. Multivariable logistic regression models assessed the association of OHCA characteristics, the neighborhood characteristic index and outcomes.Of 971 pediatric OHCA, AEDs were used by bystanders in 10.3% of OHCAs. AEDs were used on 2.3% of children ≤1 year (infants), 8.3% of 2-5 year-olds, 12.4% of 6-11 year-olds, and 18.2% of 12-18 year-olds (p 0.001). AED use was more common in neighborhoods with a median household income of$50,000 per year (12.3%; p = 0.016),10% unemployment (12.1%; p = 0.002), and80% high school education (11.8%; p = 0.002). Greater survival to hospital discharge and neurologically favorable survival were among arrests with bystander AED use, varying by neighborhood characteristics.Bystander AED use is uncommon in pediatric OHCA, particularly in high-risk neighborhoods, but improves survival. Further study is needed to understand disparities in AED use and outcomes.

Introduction Early use of automated external defibrillators (AED) increases survival in cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Dispatchers play important roles in identifying OHCA, dispatching ambulances and providing callers with telephone-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Guidelines recommend that AED registries be linked to dispatch centres as tools to refer callers to nearby AED. Aim The aim of this study was to investigate to what extent dispatchers, when provided with a tool to display AED locations and accessibility, referred callers to nearby AED. Methods An application providing real-time visualization of AED locations and accessibility was implemented at four dispatch centres in Sweden. Dispatchers were instructed to refer callers to nearby AED when OHCA was suspected. Such cases were prospectively collected, and geographic information systems were used to identify those located ≤100 m from an AED. Audio recordings of emergency calls were assessed to evaluate the AED referral rate. Results Between February and August 2014, 3009 suspected OHCA calls were received. In 6.6% of those calls (200/3009), an AED was ≤100 m from the suspected OHCA. The AED was accessible and the caller was not alone on scene in 24% (47/200) of these cases. In two of those 47 cases (4.3%), the dispatcher referred the caller to the AED. Conclusion Despite a tool for dispatchers to refer callers to a nearby AED, referral was rare. Only a minority of the suspected OHCA cases occurred ≤100 m from an AED. We identified AED accessibility and callers being alone on scene as obstacles for AED referral.

Background System-based improvements to the chain of survival have yielded increases in survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in adults. Comparatively little is known about the long-term trends in incidence and survival following paediatric OHCA. Methods Between 2000 and 2016, we included children aged ≤16 years who suffered a non-traumatic OHCA in the state of Victoria, Australia. Trends in incidence and unadjusted outcomes were assessed using linear regression and a non-parametric test for trend. Multivariable logistic regression with multiple imputation was used to identify arrest factors associated with event survival and survival to hospital discharge. Results Of the 1301 paediatric OHCA events attended by emergency medical services (EMS), 948 (72.9%) received an attempted resuscitation. The overall incidence of EMS-attended and EMS-treated events was 6.7 and 4.9 cases per 100,000 person-years, with no significant changes in trend. Although the proportion of cases with OHCA identified in the call and receiving bystander CPR increased over time, EMS response times also increased. Unadjusted event survival rose from 23.3% in 2000 to 33.3% in 2016 (p trend = .007), and survival to hospital discharge rose from 9.4% to 17.7% over the same period (p trend = .04). Increases in survival to hospital discharge were largely driven by initial shockable arrests, which rose from 33.3% in 2000 to 60.0% in 2016 (p trend = .005). Survival after initial shockable arrests was higher if the first shock was delivered by either first responder or public AED compared with paramedics (83.3% vs. 40.0%, p = .04). After adjustment, the odds of event survival and survival to hospital discharge increased independent of baseline characteristics, by 7% (OR 1.07, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.11; p = .001) and 8% (OR 1.08, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.15; p = .02) per study year, respectively. Conclusions Survival following paediatric OHCA increased in our region over a 17 year period. This was driven, in part, by improving outcomes for initial shockable arrests.

International data severely underestimates actual drowning numbers. Almost all victims are able to help themselves or are rescued in time. This study aims to report the occurrence of Drowning Chain of Survival actions and resuscitations needed in a fully operational lifeguard service. Methodology Data was collected from Dec-2009 to Mar-2015 by lifeguards at a 6km-long beach in Brazil. The Drowning Chain of Survival links were summarized into 3 main action-response sections: Prevention; rescue; and provide care. Rescues were classified by severity. Results Lifeguards reported 1,565,699 actions during the study period. Preventative actions comprised 1,563,300(99.8%) and 2044 (0.1%) involved recognizing a person in stress/distress and rescuing them. Of those requiring rescue, 355(0.02%) needed medical assistance due to respiratory symptoms, isolated respiratory arrest, or cardiopulmonary arrest. Those cases were classified by severity as: Grade 1 = 234(65.9%), grade 2 = 78(22%), grade 3 = 22(6.2%), grade 4 = 7(2%), grade 5 = 4(1.1%), and Grade 6 = 10(2.8%). From all 2044 rescues, 14(0.7%) were grade 5 and 6 and needed respiratory or cardiorespiratory resuscitation. An estimative incident rate for each day at a lifeguarded beach revealed: 1 rescue for every 4.227 beach attendances, 1 drowning for every 24,338 beach attendances, and 1 instance of CPR being performed for every 617,142 beach attendances. The prevalent misconception that majority of drowning require resuscitation is perpetuated by the media and publishers. We are only just seeing the tip of the iceberg and urgently need to look at the problem in its entirety. Considering all the intervention undertaken by lifeguards in a fully operational system, the incidence of resuscitation being performed is only one in every 112,000 lifeguarding actions (0.0009%).

Aim To characterize defibrillation and cardiac arrest survival outcomes in movies. Methods Movies from 2003 to 2012 with defibrillation scenes were reviewed for patient and rescuer characteristics, scene characteristics, defibrillation characteristics, additional interventions, and cardiac arrest survival outcomes. Resuscitation actions were compared with chain of survival actions and the American Heart Association (AHA) Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) 2020 Impact Goals. Cardiac arrest survival outcomes were compared with survival rates reported in the literature and targeted by the AHA ECC 2020 Impact Goals. Results Thirty-five scenes were identified in 32 movies. Twenty-five (71%) patients were male, and 29 (83%) rescuers were male. Intent of defibrillation was resuscitation in 29 (83%) scenes and harm in 6 (17%) scenes. Cardiac arrest was the indication for use in 23 (66%) scenes, and the heart rhythm was made known in 18 scenes (51%). When the heart rhythm was known, defibrillation was appropriately used for ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation in 5 (28%) scenes and inappropriately used for asystole in 7 (39%) scenes. In 8 scenes with in-hospital cardiac arrest, 7 (88%) patients survived, compared to survival rates of 23.9% reported in the literature and 38% targeted by an AHA ECC 2020 Impact Goal. In 12 movie scenes with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, 8 (67%) patients survived, compared to survival rates of 7.9–9.5% reported in peer-reviewed literature and 15.8% targeted by an AHA ECC 2020 Impact Goal. Conclusion In movies, defibrillation and cardiac arrest survival outcomes are often portrayed inaccurately, representing missed opportunities for public health education.

Intense physical activity, cold and altitude make mountain sports a cause of increased risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). The difficulties of pre-hospital management related to this challenging environment could be mitigated by the presence of ski-patrollers in ski areas and use of helicopters for medical rescue. We assess whether this particular situation positively impacts the chain of survival compared to the general population.Analysis of prospectively collected data from the cardiac arrest registry of the Northern French Alps Emergency Network (RENAU) from 2004 to 2014.19,341 OHCAs were recorded during the period, including 136 on-slope events. Compared to other OHCAs, on-slope patients were younger (56 [40-65] vs. 66 [52-79] years, p0.001) and more often in shockable initial rhythm (41.2% vs 20.1%, p0.001). Resuscitation was more frequently started by a witness (43.4% vs 26.8%, p0.001) and the time to the first electric shock was shorter (7.5min vs 14min, p0.001), whereas time to the advanced life support (ALS) rescue arrival did not differ. The 30-day survival rate was higher for on-slope arrests (21.3% vs 5.9%, p0.001, RR=3.61). In multivariate analysis, on-slope CA remained a positive 30-day survival factor with a 2.6 odds ratio (95% confidence interval, 1.42-4.81, p=0.002).Despite difficult access and management conditions, patients undergoing OHCAs on ski slopes presented a higher survival rate, possibly explained by a healthier population, the efficiency of resuscitation by ski-patrols and similar time to ALS facilities compared to other cardiac arrests.

Aim The purpose of this study was to assess the outcome of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) in Beijing, China. Methods In this prospective study, data were collected according to the Utstein style on all cases of OHCA that occurred between January and December 2012 in urban areas covered by Beijing Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The cases were followed-up for 1 year. Results Out of the 9897 OHCAs recorded, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was initiated in 2421 patients (24.4%). Among the CPR-receivers ( n =2421), 1804 patients (74.5%) had collapsed at home, while 375 patients (15.5%) at a public place. The average time interval from call to EMS arrival at the collapse location was 16min (range, 4–43min). Of the 1693 OHCA cases with cardiac aetiology, 1246 cases (73.6%) were witnessed, and basic CPR was performed by bystanders before arrival of the EMS personnel in 193 patients (11.4%). Of the OHCAs with cardiac aetiology, 1054 patients (62.3%) had asystole, 131 patients (7.7%) had shockable rhythms, restoration of spontaneous circulation was achieved in 85 patients (5.0%), 71 patients (4.2%) were admitted to the hospital alive, and of the 22 patients (1.3%) who were discharged alive, 17 patients (1%) had good neurological outcomes. At 1 year post-OHCA, 17 patients were alive. Conclusion In the urban areas of Beijing with EMS services, survival rate after OHCA was unsatisfactory. Improvements are required in every link of the ‘chain of survival'.

All nations would benefit from a simple, clear Drowning Chain of Survival. In high income nations this tool will refine prevention and the call for action. In low and middle income nations this tool is a guide for policy making, resource allocation and priority setting in drowning prevention. A best evidence approach was utilized to create a universal Drowning Chain of Survival. Education on how to prevent drowning and to how react when a drowning incident occurs has not always been guided by good levels of evidence, or high levels of specialized training in drowning process recognition and management. The Drowning Chain of Survival refers to a series of steps that when enacted, attempts to reduce mortality associated with drowning and attempted aquatic rescue. The term "chain of survival" has provided a useful metaphor for the elements of the emergency cardiac care system for sudden cardiac arrest, however interventions and patient management in drowning involves principles and actions that are specific to these situations. The result is a unique and universal Drowning Chain of Survival comprised of five links guiding the important life-saving steps for lay and professional rescuers. This may significantly improve chances of prevention, survival and recovery from drowning. The steps of the chain are: Prevent drowning, Recognize distress, Provide flotation, Remove from water, and Provide care as needed.

Background Survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is dependent on the chain of survival. Early recognition of cardiac arrest and provision of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) are key determinants of OHCA survival. Emergency medical dispatchers play a key role in cardiac arrest recognition and giving telephone CPR advice. The interaction between caller and dispatcher can influence the time to bystander CPR and quality of resuscitation. We sought to pilot the use of emergency call transcription to audit and evaluate the holdups in performing dispatch-assisted CPR. Methods A retrospective case selection of 50 consecutive suspected OHCA was performed. Audio recordings of calls were downloaded from the emergency medical dispatch centre computer database. All calls were transcribed using proprietary software and voice dialogue was compared with the corresponding stage on the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS). Time to progress through each stage and number of caller–dispatcher interactions were calculated. Results Of the 50 downloaded calls, 47 were confirmed cases of OHCA. Call transcription was successfully completed for all OHCA calls. Bystander CPR was performed in 39 (83%) of these. In the remaining cases, the caller decided the patient was beyond help ( n =7) or the caller said that they were physically unable to perform CPR ( n =1). MPDS stages varied substantially in time to completion. Stage 9 (determining if the patient is breathing through airway instructions) took the longest time to complete (median=59s, IQR 22–82s). Stage 11 (giving CPR instructions) also took a relatively longer time to complete compared to the other stages (median=46s, IQR 37–75s). Stage 5 (establishing the patient's age) took the shortest time to complete (median=5.5s, IQR 3–9s). Conclusion Transcription of OHCA emergency calls and caller–dispatcher interaction compared to MPDS stage is feasible. Confirming whether a patient is breathing and completing CPR instructions required the longest time and most interactions between caller and dispatcher. Use of call transcription has the potential to identify key factors in caller–dispatcher interaction that could improve time to CPR and further research is warranted in this area.

Background Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a vital link in the chain of survival for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA); however, there are racial/ethnic disparities in the provision of bystander CPR. Approximately 32% of Hispanics perform CPR when confronted with cardiac arrest, whereas approximately 41% of non-Hispanics perform CPR. Public education, via the Internet, may be critical in improving the performance of bystander CPR among Hispanics. The objective of this study was to evaluate the availability and quality of CPR-related literature for primary Spanish-speaking individuals on the Internet. Methods Two search engines (Google and Yahoo!) and a video-site (YouTube) were searched using the following terms: “resucitacion cardiopulmonar” and “reanimacion cardiopulmonar.” Inclusion criteria were: education of CPR technique. Exclusion criteria were: instruction on pediatric CPR technique, failure to provide any instruction on CPR technique, or duplicated website. Data elements were collected on the content and quality of the websites and videos, such as assessing scene safety, verifying responsiveness, activating EMS, properly positioning hands on chest, performing accurate rate and depth of compressions. Results Of the 515 websites or videos screened, 116 met criteria for inclusion. The majority of websites (86%; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 79–92%) educated viewers on traditional bystander CPR (primarily, 30:2 CPR), while only 14% (95% CI 9–21%) taught hands-only CPR. Of websites that used video (N = 62), 84% were conducted in Spanish and 16% in English. The quality of CPR education was generally poor (median score of 3/6, IQR of 3.0). Only half of websites properly educated on how to check responsiveness, activate EMS and position hands on chest. Eighty-eight percent of websites failed to educate viewers on assessing scene safety. The majority of websites had improper or no education on both rate and depth of compressions (59% and 63%, respectively). Only 16% of websites included 5 or more quality markers for proper bystander CPR. Conclusions A small proportion of internet resources have high quality CPR education for a Spanish-speaking population. More emphasis should be placed on improving the quality of educational resources available on the Internet for Spanish-speaking populations, and with particular emphasis on current basic life support recommendations.

Aim This study explores why resuscitation is withheld when emergency medical staff arrive at the scene of a cardiac arrest and identifies modifiable factors associated with this decision. Methods This is a secondary analysis of unselected patients who sustained an out of hospital cardiac arrest attended by ambulance vehicles participating in a randomized controlled trial of a mechanical chest compression device (PARAMEDIC trial). Patients were categorized as ‘non-resuscitation’ patients if there was a do-not-attempt-cardiopulmonary-resuscitation (DNACPR) order, signs unequivocally associated with death or resuscitation was deemed futile (15 min had elapsed since collapse with no bystander-CPR and asystole recorded on EMS arrival). Results Emergency Medical Services attended 11,451 cardiac arrests. Resuscitation was attempted or continued by Emergency Medical Service staff in 4805 (42%) of cases. Resuscitation was withheld in 6646 cases (58%). 711 (6.2%) had a do not attempt resuscitation decision, 4439 (38.8%) had signs unequivocally associated with death and in 1496 cases (13.1%) CPR was considered futile. Those where resuscitation was withheld due to futility were characterised by low bystander CPR rates (7.2%) and by being female. Conclusions Resuscitation was withheld by ambulance staff in over one in ten (13.1%) victims of out of hospital cardiac arrest on the basis of futility. These cases were associated with a very low rate of bystander CPR. Future studies should explore strengthening the ‘Chain of Survival’ to increase the community bystander CPR response and evaluate the effect on the numbers of survivors from out of hospital cardiac arrest.

OBJECTIVES: As a part of the chain of survival, the emergency medical communication centre (EMCC) and the emergency medical dispatcher (EMD) has an important role in early identification of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA). The EMD may provide instructions to the caller and thereby initiate cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a substantial number of subjects and thus contribute to increased survival. The EMCC provides a response with first responders, ambulances, physician manned units and potentially other health care providers. EMCC in many cases initiates the communication with experts in the referral hospital and provide added value to the post resuscitation care by providing advanced transport, logistics and follow up. In research there is a growing focus on the EMCC/EMDs impact on survival in OHCA. The lack of standards in reporting results from medical dispatching is an obstacle for thorough evaluation of results in this area and comparison of data. The objective for this paper is to introduce a framework for uniform reporting of the dispatching process for quality improvement, collecting and reporting data and exchanging information regarding OHCA.

Each day, approximately 750 Europeans suffer from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, which presents a large public health problem. In such circumstances, rapid activation of the Chain of Survival with effective and continuous realisation of its four links can have a large impact on survival. Mobile phones, which have become the most ubiquitous piece of modern technology, possess a strong potential to strengthen each link of the chain. Initially, they can be used to educate rescuers about appropriate actions performed in each step of the resuscitation process. However, mobile phones can also assume a more active role of helping the rescuer in a real medical emergency. They have a potential to allow for a faster and superior emergency medical services contact, assure a higher quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and quicker retrieval of an automated external defibrillator and facilitate a finer post-resuscitation care through telemedical and clinical decision support systems. Smartphones, mobile phones with advanced computing abilities and connectivity, should be considered as medical devices, and their use, among lay rescuers and medical professionals in cardiovascular emergencies, further investigated and strongly encouraged.

Review: The interval between collapse and emergency call influences the prognosis of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). To reduce the interval, it is essential to identify the causes of delay. Methods: Basal data were collected prospectively by fire departments from 3746 OHCAs witnessed or recognised by citizens and in which resuscitation was attempted by emergency medical technicians (EMTs) between 1 April 2003 and 31 March 2008. EMTs identified the reasons for call delay by interview. Results: The delay, defined as an interval exceeding 2 min (median value), was less frequent in the urban region, public places and for witnessed OHCAs. Delay was more frequent in care facilities and for elderly patients and OHCAs with longer response times. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that urban regions, care facilities and arrest witnesses are independent factors associated with delay. The ratio of correctable causes (human factors) was high at care facilities and at home, compared with other places. Calling others was a major reason for delay in all places. Performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and other treatments was another major reason at care facilities. Large delay, defined as an interval exceeding 5 min (upper-quartile value), was an independent factor associated with a low 1-year survival rate. Conclusion: The incidence of correctable causes of delay is high in the community. Correction of emergency call manuals in care facilities and public relation efforts to facilitate an early emergency call may be necessary. Basic life support (BLS) education should be modified to minimise delays related to making an emergency call. © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Cardiac arrest occurs in a wide variety of settings, from the unanticipated event in the out-of-hospital setting to anticipated arrests in the intensive care unit. Outcome from cardiac arrest is a function of many factors including the willingness of bystanders to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the ability of rescuers to integrate knowledge and psychomotor skills, the quality of performance delivered by individual rescuers and teams, and the efficiency and effectiveness of post–cardiac arrest care. The Chain of Survival is a metaphor used to organize and describe the integrated set of time-sensitive, coordinated actions necessary to maximize survival from cardiac arrest. The use of evidence-based education and implementation strategies can optimize the links of that chain. Strengthening the Chain of Survival in the prehospital setting requires focus on prevention and immediate recognition of cardiac arrest, increasing the likelihood of high-quality bystander CPR and early defibrillation, and improving regional systems of care. In the hospital setting, organized efforts targeting early identification and prevention of deterioration in patients at risk can decrease the incidence of cardiac arrest. The challenge for resuscitation programs is twofold: to ensure that providers acquire and maintain the necessary knowledge, skills, and team behavior to maximize resuscitation outcome; and to assist response systems in developing, implementing, and sustaining an evidence-based Chain of Survival. Maximizing survival from cardiac arrest requires improvement in resuscitation education and the implementation of systems that support the delivery of high-quality resuscitation and postarrest care, including mechanisms to systematically evaluate resuscitation performance. Well-designed resuscitation education can encourage the delivery of high-quality CPR. In addition continuous quality improvement processes should close the feedback loop and narrow the gap between ideal and actual performance. Community- and hospital-based resuscitation programs should systematically monitor cardiac arrests, the level of resuscitation care provided, and outcomes. The cycle of measurement, benchmarking, feedback, …

Background: There is no study regarding the influence of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) guideline renewal on citizen's attitude towards all basic life support (BLS) actions. Methods and results: We conducted a questionnaire survey to new driver licence applicants who participated in the BLS course at driving schools either before (January 2007 to April 2007) or after (October 2007 to April 2008) the revision of the textbook. Upon completion of the course, participants were given a questionnaire concerning willingness to participate in CPR, early emergency call, telephone-assisted chest compression and use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). After the revision, the proportions of positive respondents to use of AED as well as to all the four scenarios significantly increased from 2331/3564 to 3693/5156 (odds ratio (OR)=1.34) and from 1889/3443 to 3028/5126 (OR=1.18), respectively. However, the new guideline slightly but significantly augmented the unwillingness to make an early call (236/3568 vs. 416/5283, OR = 0.83). Approximately 95% of respondents were willing to follow the telephone-assisted instruction of chest compression, while approximately 85% were eager to perform CPR on their own initiative. Multiple logistic regression analysis confirmed the results of mono-variate analysis, and identified previous CPR training, sex, rural area and student as other significant factors relating to attitude. Conclusions: Future guidelines should emphasise the significance and benefit of early call in relation to telephone-assisted instruction of CPR or chest compression. The course instructors should be aware of the backgrounds of participants as to how this may relate to their willingness to participate. © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

The quality of education, CPR guidelines and the chain of survival all contribute to patient outcome following cardiac arrest. Increasing concerns about patient safety have focused attention on the methods used to train and prepare doctors for clinical practice. Reductions in clinical exposure at both undergraduate and postgraduate level have been implicated in junior doctors inability to recognise and manage critically ill patients. Simulation is used as a central training tool in contemporary advanced life support teaching. Simulation provides a learning opportunity for controlled clinical practice without putting patients or others at risk. This review examines the history and rationale for simulation training in resuscitation and provides some background to the learning theories that underpin it. The role of task trainers, high and low fidelity patient simulators and computer assisted simulation as teaching tools are discussed.