Use of automated external defibrillator by first responders in out of hospital cardiac arrest: prospective controlled trial

Objective To test the hypothesis that the use of an automated external defibrillator by police and fire fighters results in higher discharge rates for out of hospital cardiac arrest.Design Controlled clinical trial with initial random allocation of automated external defibrillators to first responders in four of the eight participating regions; each region switched from control to experimental, and vice versa, every four months.Setting Amsterdam and surroundings, the Netherlands.Participants Patients with witnessed out of hospital cardiac arrests, identified by the emergency medical system between January 2000 and January 2002.Main outcomes measures Survival to hospital discharge; return of spontaneous circulation; admission to hospital.Results 243 patients (65% in ventricular fibrillation) were included in the experimental area and 226 patients (67% in ventricular fibrillation) in the control area. The median time interval between collapse and first shock was 668 seconds in the experimental area and 769 seconds in the control area (P < 0.001). 44 (18%) patients in the experimental area versus 33 (15%) patients in the control area were discharged (odds ratio 1.3 (95% confidence interval 0.8 to 2.2), P = 0.33), 139 (57%) experimental versus 108 (48%) control patients had return of spontaneous circulation (1.5 (1.0 to 2.2), P = 0.05), and 103 (42%) experimental versus 74 (33%) control patients were admitted (1.5 (1.1 to 1.6), P = 0.02). The median delay from receipt of call to dispatch of the ambulance was 120 seconds, and the delay to dispatch of the first responder was 180 seconds.Conclusions Use of automated external defibrillators by first responders did not significantly increase survival to discharge from hospital, although it did improve return of spontaneous circulation and admission to hospital. Improved dispatch procedures should increase the success of programmes of first responders using external defibrillators.     

High survival rate of 43% in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients in an optimised chain of survival

Aims

Survival to hospital discharge after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) varies widely. This study describes short-term survival after OHCA in a region with an extensive care path and a follow-up of 1 year.

Methods

Consecutive patients ≥16 years admitted to the emergency department between April 2011 and December 2012 were included. In July 2014 a follow-up took place. Socio-demographic data, characteristics of the OHCA and interventions were described and associations with survival were determined.

Results

Two hundred forty-two patients were included (73 % male, median age 65 years). In 76 % the cardiac arrest was of cardiac origin and 52 % had a shockable rhythm. In 74 % the cardiac arrest was witnessed, 76 % received bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation and in 39 % an automatic external defibrillator (AED) was used. Of the 168 hospitalised patients, 144 underwent therapeutic procedures. A total of 105 patients survived until hospital discharge. Younger age, cardiac arrest in public area, witnessed cardiac arrest, cardiac origin with a shockable rhythm, the use of an AED, shorter time until return of spontaneous circulation, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) ≥13 during transport and longer length of hospital stay were associated with survival. Of the 105 survivors 72 survived for at least 1 year after cardiac arrest and 6 patients died.

Conclusion

A survival rate of 43 % after OHCA is achievable. Witnessed cardiac arrest, cardiac cause of arrest, initial cardiac rhythm and GCS ≥13 were associated with higher survival.     

Physician Presence in an Ambulance Car Is Associated with Increased Survival in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Prospective Cohort Analysis

The presence of a physician seems to be beneficial for pre-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. However, the effectiveness of a physician''s presence during CPR before hospital arrival has not been established. We conducted a prospective, non-randomized, observational study using national data from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests between 2005 and 2010 in Japan. We performed a propensity analysis and examined the association between a physician''s presence during an ambulance car ride and short- and long-term survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Specifically, a full non-parsimonious logistic regression model was fitted with the physician presence in the ambulance as the dependent variable; the independent variables included all study variables except for endpoint variables plus dummy variables for the 47 prefectures in Japan (i.e., 46 variables). In total, 619,928 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases that met the inclusion criteria were analyzed. Among propensity-matched patients, a positive association was observed between a physician''s presence during an ambulance car ride and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) before hospital arrival, 1-month survival, and 1-month survival with minimal neurological or physical impairment (ROSC: OR = 1.84, 95% CI 1.63–2.07, p = 0.00 in adjusted for propensity and all covariates); 1-month survival: OR = 1.29, 95% CI 1.04–1.61, p = 0.02 in adjusted for propensity and all covariates); cerebral performance category (1 or 2): OR = 1.54, 95% CI 1.03–2.29, p = 0.04 in adjusted for propensity and all covariates); and overall performance category (1 or 2): OR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.01–2.24, p = 0.05 in adjusted for propensity and all covariates). A prospective observational study using national data from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests shows that a physician''s presence during an ambulance car ride was independently associated with increased short- and long-term survival.     

Survey of 3765 cardiopulmonary resuscitations in British hospitals (the BRESUS Study): methods and overall results.

OBJECTIVE--To determine the circumstances, incidence, and outcome of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in British hospitals. DESIGN--Hospitals registered all cardiopulmonary resuscitation attempts for 12 months or longer and followed survival to one year. SETTING--12 metropolitan, provincial, teaching, and non-teaching hospitals across Britain. SUBJECTS--3765 patients in whom a resuscitation attempt was performed, including 927 in whom the onset of arrest was outside the hospital. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE--Survival after initial resuscitation, at 24 hours, at discharge from hospital, and at one year, calculated by the life table method. RESULTS--There were 417 known survivors at one year, with 214 lost to follow up. By life table analysis for every eight attempted resuscitations there were three immediate survivors, two at 24 hours, 1.5 leaving hospital alive, and one alive at one year. Survival at one year was 12.5% including out of hospital cases and 15.0% not including these cases. Each hospital year averaged 30 survivors at one year: three who had an arrest outside hospital, seven who had one in the accident and emergency department, seven in the cardiac care unit, 10 in the general wards, and three in other, non-ward areas. Within the hospitals survival rates were best in those who had an arrest in the accident and emergency department, the cardiac care unit, or other specialised units. Outcome varied 12-fold in subgroups defined by age, type of arrest, and place of arrest. CONCLUSION--71% of the mortality at one year in patients undergoing attempted resuscitation occurred during the initial arrest. Hospital resuscitation is life saving and cost effective and warrants appropriate attention, training, coordination, and equipment.     

Advanced training for ambulance crews: implications from 403 consecutive patients with cardiac arrest managed by crews with simple training.

Sixty seven ambulance staff in Nottinghamshire completed a simple extended training programme in managing cardiac arrest and using a defibrillator. This enabled around one third of the ambulance emergency shifts to be manned by such a crew, with a defibrillator as part of their standard equipment. Forty four of 403 consecutive patients who suffered cardiac arrest in the community were managed by these crews and survived to leave hospital. The training programme does not include endotracheal intubation, intravenous infusion, or drug administration. The new official advanced training course for ambulance crews, which includes these skills, is inappropriate in its methods and may delay widespread introduction of emergency ambulances equipped with defibrillators.     

The shock for life: early defibrillation in first aid and by the professional paramedic]

The Automated External Defibrillation is the key link of the chain of survival for patients in cardiac arrest. A lot of case series and trials have shown the effectiveness of early defibrillation by first rescuers and trained lay persons. The earlier the defibrillation is performed, the better is the rate of survival to hospital discharge. To increase the survival rate healthcare providers, first rescuer citizens at worksites and trained lay rescuers should be authorized, equipped and encouraged to perform early defibrillation combined with effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The new generation of Automated External Defibrillators (AED) are sophisticated, computerized devices that are reliable and simple to operate, enabling also lay rescuers to administer this lifesaving intervention to victims of cardiac arrest. For the concept of recurrent adequate and qualified training in the use of the AED integrated in effective DPR is recommended.     

Impact of Rescue-Thrombolysis during Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Patients with Pulmonary Embolism

Background

Cardiac arrest in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Thrombolysis is expected to improve the outcome in these patients. However studies evaluating rescue-thrombolysis in patients with PE are missing, mainly due to the difficulties of clinical diagnosis of PE. We aimed to determine the success influencing factors of thrombolysis during resuscitation in patients with PE.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We analyzed retrospectively the outcome of 104 consecutive patients with confirmed (n = 63) or highly suspected (n = 41) PE and monitored cardiac arrest. In all patients rtPA was administrated for thrombolysis during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. In 40 of the 104 patients (38.5%) a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) could be achieved successfully. Patients with ROSC received thrombolysis significantly earlier after CPR onset compared to patients without ROSC (13.6±1.2 min versus 24.6±0.8 min; p<0.001). 19 patients (47.5%) out of the 40 patients with initially successful resuscitation survived to hospital discharge. In patients with hospital discharge thrombolysis therapy was begun with a significantly shorter delay after cardiac arrest compared to all other patients (11.0±1.3 vs. 22.5±0.9 min; p<0.001).

Conclusion

Rescue-thrombolysis should be considered and started in patients with PE and cardiac arrest, as soon as possible after cardiac arrest onset.     

The Brighton resuscitation ambulances: a continuing experiment in prehospital care by ambulance staff.

Two ambulances from the existing fleet in Brighton and one in Hove are equipped with portable defibrillator-oscilloscope units. Selected attendants have been trained not only to defibrillate patients but also to perform endotracheal intubation and administer intravenous atropine and lignocaine for carefully defined indications. In the two years up to December 1975 the ambulances responded to 2253 calls which were considered possible emergencies. Retrospective analysis showed that half of these had been for patients with myocardial infarction, coronary insufficiency, or angina. The ambulances took a median time of five minutes to reach a patient. Attempts at resuscitation were made in 207 patients with circulatory arrest, of whom 160 had ventricular fibrillation. Coordinated rhythm was restored at least transiently in 66 patients, and 27 of them survived to leave hospital. Sixteen of the survivors had been in ventricular fibrillation before the arrival of the ambulance. The delay before admission to hospital was reduced: over 50% of patients carried in the ambulances were admitted within two hours of the onset of major symptoms. No extra ambulance staff have been employed for the scheme. The increased load on hospital services has been limited by encouraging a rational admission policy and also by early discharge.     

Early emergency care study: the potential and benefits of advanced prehospital care.

Of 26358 patients taken by ambulance to the accident and emergency departments of two large hospitals, 1185 were admitted to resuscitation areas. The scope for ambulance staff to employ a range of advanced techniques at the scene of incidents was assessed by using information relating to the condition of patients when they were picked up by the ambulance and on admission, time in transit, details from hospital records, and outcome at three months. For non-survivors further assessment was made of the benefit, in terms of survival, which might have accrued had advanced techniques been used. The results of the assessment of benefit were compared with estimates of benefit from other studies. In cases of cardiopulmonary arrest the potential to save lives was less optimistic than earlier estimates, and in cases of trauma the potential to save lives was negligible.     

Cardiac arrest: comparison of paramedic and conventional ambulance services.

A prospective study conducted in the Greater Vancouver area compared survival rates in prehospital cardiac arrest managed by an advanced life support (paramedic) service with those in cardiac arrest managed by conventional ambulance service. Management by the paramedic service was associated with higher survival rates for patients found in cardiac arrest but not for patients who suffered the arrest while the ambulance was present. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation by bystanders was associated with a significant increase in survival rates when combined with paramedic services but not when only basic life support services were available.     

One thousand heart attacks in Grampian: the place of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in general practice.

The outcome of 1011 heart attacks in patients under the care of general practitioners who practised cardiopulmonary resuscitation and were equipped with defibrillators is reported. The 28 day mortality was 36% (367 patients), and 59% of deaths occurred outside hospital. The general practitioner was the first medical contact in 92% of heart attacks and was equipped with a defibrillator in 80% of such calls. Fifty six patients had a cardiac arrest in the presence of a general practitioner, and resuscitation was attempted in 47 cases, representing 5% of all calls for heart attacks. Twenty one (45%) resuscitated patients reached hospital alive, and 13 (28%) survived to leave hospital. The opportunities for cardiopulmonary resuscitation in general practice occur sufficiently often to warrant training and equipping general practitioners for advanced life support. The results of resuscitation by general practitioners working alone compare favourably with those of mobile coronary care units based in hospitals.     

Survival of 1476 patients initially resuscitated from out of hospital cardiac arrest.

OBJECTIVES--To determine the short and long term outcome of patients admitted to hospital after initially successful resuscitation from cardiac arrest out of hospital. DESIGN--Review of ambulance and hospital records. Follow up of mortality by "flagging" with the registrar general. Cox proportional hazards analysis of predictors of mortality in patients discharged alive from hospital. SETTING--Scottish Ambulance Service and acute hospitals throughout Scotland. SUBJECTS--1476 patients admitted to a hospital ward, of whom 680 (46%) were discharged alive. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Survival to hospital discharge, neurological status at discharge, time to death, and cause of death after discharge. RESULTS--The median duration of hospital stay was 10 days (interquartile range 8-15) in patients discharged alive and 1 (1-4) day in those dying in hospital. Neurological status at discharge in survivors was normal or mildly impaired in 605 (89%), moderately impaired in 58 (8.5%), and severely impaired in 13 (2%); one patient was comatose. Direct discharge to home occurred in 622 (91%) cases. The 680 discharged survivors were followed up for a median of 25 (range 0-68) months. There were 176 deaths, of which 81 were sudden cardiac deaths, 55 were non-sudden cardiac deaths, and 40 were due to other causes. The product limit estimate of 4 year survival after discharge was 68%. The independent predictors of mortality on follow up were increased age, treatment for heart failure, and cardiac arrest not due to definite myocardial infarction. CONCLUSION--About 40% of initial survivors of resuscitation out of hospital are discharged home without major neurological disability. Patients at high risk of subsequent cardiac death can be identified and may benefit from further cardiological evaluation.     

Evaluation of hospital-based cardiac resuscitation, 1973-77

The resuscitation experience of a large teaching hospital during 1973-77 was reviewed. Resuscitation was attempted on 2091 victims of cardiac arrest; 261 patients (12.5%) survived to be discharged from hospital.Coronary heart disease caused about one half of all the cardiac arrests, but was associated with a better survival rate (14.4%) than the other causes. Cardiac arrest following multiple trauma had the worst prognosis; only 3% of the patients survived to be discharged from hospital. However, the main factor influencing outcome was the site of arrest. The survival rates of patients on whom resuscitation was initiated in the emergency room or an intensive care area were triple and double the rate for patients in hospital wards, although one third of all the cardiac arrests induced by a coronary event and occurring in hospital were on the wards. Patients whose arrest occurred outside hospital, where only basic life support was available, had a survival rate of just 6.3%, whereas those whose arrest occurred in the emergency room had a survival rate of 31.9%. Since these two patient groups were similar in terms of age and diagnosis, we believe that the potential survival rate for victims of cardiac arrest outside of hospital that are optimally treated is close to 30%.These data suggest that increased survival from cardiac arrest can be expected with extension of the resuscitation services both inside and outside of hospital, but particularly with increased emphasis on emergency cardiac care outside of hospital.     

Resuscitation of patients with cardiac arrest by ambulance staff with extended training in West Yorkshire.

OBJECTIVE--To investigate the results of resuscitation of patients with cardiac arrest by ambulance staff with extended training in West Yorkshire. DESIGN--Study of all such attempts at resuscitation over 32 months, based on the standard report form for each call made by the ambulance staff and the electrocardiogram that showed the initial rhythm in each patient. SETTING--Area covered by West Yorkshire ambulance service. SUBJECTS--1196 Patients with cardiac arrests attended by 29 ambulance staff with extended training. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE--Result of resuscitation. RESULTS--The initial rhythm was asystole or electromechanical dissociation in 740 patients and ventricular fibrillation in 456 patients; overall 65 patients survived to be discharged from hospital. Sixty four of the 456 patients in whom ventricular fibrillation was the initial rhythm recorded, and 46 in whom ventricular fibrillation persisted after the ambulance staff arrived, survived. Only one of the 740 patients who initially had asystole or electromechanical dissociation survived. Factors associated with a greater chance of ventricular fibrillation occurring were: age less than 71, the arrest being witnessed by a bystander, resuscitation by a bystander, the arrest occurring in a public place, and a response time by the ambulance staff of less than six minutes. For patients found in ventricular fibrillation a shorter response time was associated with improved survival but resuscitation by a bystander was not. Additional skills learnt during extended training were used for 51 of the 65 patients who survived. CONCLUSIONS--Ambulance staff with extended training can save the lives of patients with cardiac arrest due to fibrillation, though asystole and electromechanical dissociation have a poor prognosis and should perhaps receive little attention during extended training.     

Use of the automatic external defibrillator-pacemaker by ambulance personnel: the Stockport experience.

In an attempt to reduce the number of people who die from a cardiac arrest in the Stockport area ambulances were equipped with automatic external defibrillator-pacemakers, and ambulance personnel were trained in their use. Over an 18 month period ambulance personnel attended 113 patients in cardiac arrest with these devices. One patient subsequently survived, and three patients survived for up to three days. The reasons for these poor initial results include the failure of bystanders to provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation, a delay in calling for the ambulance, and too few defibrillators being available.     

Duration of Last Attack in 998 Fatal Cases of Coronary Artery Disease and its Relation to Possible Cardiac Resuscitation

All the deaths attributed to coronary artery disease and occurring in Belfast during one year were studied.The frequency distributions of the cases by interval of time between onset of the last attack and death are given for those not admitted to hospital, for those admitted to hospital, and for those already in hospital for some other cause of illness.Sixty per cent. of all the deaths occurred outside hospital. This indicates that the problem of cardiac resuscitation in coronary artery disease is to a considerable extent an extra-hospital one.Twenty-seven per cent. of the men and 22% of the women died within 15 minutes, but the median period of survival was 3 hours 30 minutes for men and 6 hours 18 minutes for women.The median time interval from the onset of the attack to sending for medical aid was 1 hour 17 minutes for men and 1 hour 6 minutes for women, and from summoning medical aid to sending for the ambulance 59 minutes for men and 1 hour 26 minutes for women. Ninety-six per cent. of the ambulance journeys to the patient were accomplished in less than 20 minutes.It was found among men, but not among women, that the duration of survival tended to be longer in older patients and in second or subsequent attacks.Of the 596 who did not gain admission to hospital 229 (23% of all the 998 patients) were known to have survived for more than half an hour after the onset of the fatal attack; 182 (18%) survived for more than one hour; and 143 (14%) survived for more than two hours. It is among these that there would appear to be special scope for the cardiac ambulance, providing that medical aid is sought and the ambulance is summoned without delay.     

Mobile Coronary Care Provided by Ambulance Personnel

Mobile coronary care has been provided in Brighton by ambulance personnel without immediate help from physicians or nurses. No additional vehicles or staff were required. The capital cost of the experiment was therefore small and additional running costs were negligible. The results have been monitored by retrospective analysis of electrocardiograms recorded in the ambulance and stored on magnetic tape. In the first 12 months of operation to July 1972, 1,082 patients with suspected cardiac emergencies were carried in two vehicles. Subsequent analysis showed that 76% of these patients had acute symptoms from ischaemic heart disease or had circulatory arrest. Eighty-six per cent. of arrhythmias were diagnosed correctly by the ambulance attendants. Though only eight cases of primary ventricular fibrillation occurred during or shortly before transit all were successfully reversed, and five of these patients subsequently left hospital alive. Other benefits of the scheme have included an appreciable reduction in the median delay between onset of presenting symptoms in patients with acute myocardial ischaemia and their admission to hospital.     

Blood levels of macrophage migration inhibitory factor after successful resuscitation from cardiac arrest

Introduction

Ischemia-reperfusion injury following cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is associated with a systemic inflammatory response, resulting in post-resuscitation disease. In the present study we investigated the response of the pleiotropic inflammatory cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) to CPR in patients admitted to the hospital after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). To describe the magnitude of MIF release, we compared the blood levels from CPR patients with those obtained in healthy volunteers and with an aged- and gender-matched group of patients undergoing cardiac surgery with the use of extracorporeal circulation.

Methods

Blood samples of 17 patients with return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after OHCA were obtained upon admission to the intensive care unit, and 6, 12, 24, 72 and 96 h later. Arrest and treatment related data were documented according to the Utstein style.

Results

In patients after ROSC, MIF levels at admission (475.2±157.8 ng/ml) were significantly higher than in healthy volunteers (12.5±16.9 ng/ml, p<0.007) and in patients after cardiac surgery (78.2±41.6 ng/ml, p<0.007). Six hours after admission, MIF levels were decreased by more than 50% (150.5±127.2 ng/ml, p<0.007), but were not further reduced in the subsequent time course and remained significantly higher than the values observed during the ICU stay of cardiac surgical patients. In this small group of patients, MIF levels could not discriminate between survivors and non-survivors and were not affected by treatment with mild therapeutic hypothermia.

Conclusion

MIF shows a rapid and pronounced increase following CPR, hence allowing a very early assessment of the inflammatory response. Further studies are warranted in larger patient groups to determine the prognostic significance of MIF.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT01412619","term_id":"NCT01412619"}}NCT01412619     

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: the prospect of E-CPR in the Maastricht region

Aim

The current outcome of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients in the Maastricht region was analysed with the prospect of implementing extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (E-CPR).

Methods

A retrospective analysis of adult patients who were resuscitated for OHCA during a 24-month period was performed.

Results

195 patients (age 66 [57–75] years, 82 % male) were resuscitated for OHCA by the emergency medical services and survived to admission at the emergency department. Survival to hospital discharge was 46.2 %. Notable differences between non-survivors and survivors were observed and included: age (70 [58–79] years) vs. (63 [55–72] years, p = 0.01), chronic heart failure (18 vs. 7 %, p = 0.02), shockable rhythm (67 vs. 99 %, p < 0.01), and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) at departure from the site of the arrest (46 vs. 99 %, p < 0.01) and on arrival to the emergency department (43 vs. 98 %, p < 0.01), respectively. Acute coronary syndrome was diagnosed in 32 % of non-survivors vs. 59 % among survivors, p < 0.01. Therapeutic hypothermia was provided in non-survivors (20 %) vs. survivors (43 %), p < 0.01. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was performed in 14 % of non-survivors while 52 % of survivors received PCI (p < 0.01). No statistical significance was observed in terms of gender, witnessed arrest, bystander CPR, or automated external defibrillator deployed among the cohort. At hospital discharge, moderately severe neurological disability was present in six survivors.

Conclusion

These observations are compatible with the notion that a shockable rhythm, ROSC, and post-arrest care improve survival outcome. Potentially, initiating E-CPR in the resuscitation phase in patients with a shockable rhythm and no ROSC might serve as a bridge to definite treatment and improve survival outcome.