Dispatcher-Assisted Bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (Telephone-CPR) and Outcomes after Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Objective: To determine the effects of the implementation of the telephone cardiopulmonary resuscitation (T-CPR) program on the outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).Methods: In this prospective study, Emergency Medical Service (EMS) dispatchers and all bystanders attending to patients with OHCA were included. The consensus sampling was carried out based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data collection tool was consisted of a demographic questionnaire for patients and bystanders accompanied by a checklist for CPR outcomes. Data were collected 6 months before and after the implementation of the T-CPR program and analyzed using SPSS version 18.Results: The results revealed that the percentages of successful and unsuccessful CPR cases before the implementation of the T-CPR program were 28.1% and 71.9%, respectively. However, in total, 32% and 67.8% of the CPR cases were successful and unsuccessful, respectively, after the implementation of the mentioned program. The survival rate increased from 56.5% in the pre-intervention phase to 72.4% in the post-intervention one. In terms of the outcomes, brain complications decreased from 40% in the pre-intervention phase to 32.1% in the post-intervention one; however, the Chi-square test showed no significant difference in terms of CPR outcomes in the two time periods (p=0.797).Conclusion: According to the results, it is recommended that T-CPR programs be developed and dispatchers be trained in the area of this research. The results could be regarded as a guide to EMS managers, healthcare professionals, and the basis for further studies on this subject.