Dispatch-Assisted CPR

Early recognition of cardiac arrest, early effective CPR and early defibrillation are the most effective treatments yielding favorable neurological outcome from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). If CPR is started prior to the arrival of EMS, the patient’s chances for survival dramatically increase. The data supporting this axiom is extensive but is exemplified by a recent large review. CPR provided by bystanders prior to EMS arrival was studied in a retrospective Swedish cohort of over 31,000 patients spanning a period from 1990–2011, and researchers found that 30-day survival improved from 4% to 10.9%.1 Bystander CPR dramatically improves a number of important OHCA benchmarks for survival. In the United States, current cardiac arrest registry data is readily available through sites participating in the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES). The 2017 CARES Annual Report includes 76,215 worked OHCAs from 1,156 participating U.S. sites and 1,304 participating hospitals providing information on events from dispatch to hospital discharge with outcomes. Further review provides a current view into the outcomes associated with CPR provided prior to EMS arrival compared to first responder or EMS-initiated CPR. When one looks at benchmarks of potential resuscitation success of v fib or other shockable rhythms, including sustained return of spontaneous circulation, survival to admission and survival to discharge all strongly favor the provision of bystander CPR (...
Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Cardiac & Resuscitation Exclusive Articles Patient Care Operations Heart of America Top Story Communications Dispatch Source Type: news