OBJECTIVES: Bystanders cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) increases survival in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Emergency medical dispatchers (EMDs) can provide even totally inexperienced bystanders with instructions by telephone on how to resuscitate victims (T-CPR) until the emergency medical services (EMS) arrive. Agonal respiration makes it difficult for EMDs to identify cardiac arrests (CAs) which will prevent or delay initiation of T-CPR. The aim of this investigation was to study if tuition of EMDs can improve their ability to identify agonal respiration in OHCA to allow for more frequent offers of T-CPR. METHODS: An observational study was made in 2004 and subsequently, a repeat study was made in 2006. All OHCA (n=315 in 2004, n=255 in 2006) in the Stockholm region reported to the Swedish Cardiac Arrest Register were included and all corresponding EMS reports were reviewed. Emergency calls were recorded during the event. Witnessed cases of OHCA (n=76 in both 2004 and 2006) were analyzed using a structured data collection tool. RESULTS: The frequency of offered T-CPR to all bystanders of OHCA in 2004 was 47%. After special tuition on agonal respiration in OHCA it rose to 68% in 2006 (p=0.01). An even more marked rise was observed in OHCA cases with agonal respiration. In 2004 T-CPR was offered in 23% of these situations whereas the corresponding figures in 2006 had risen to 56% (p=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Teaching EMDs to understand and recognize bystander descriptions of agonal respiration in patients with OHCA has resulted in a significant increase in offers of T-CPR in these situations.
OBJECTIVES: Bystanders cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) increases survival in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Emergency medical dispatchers (EMDs) can provide even totally inexperienced bystanders with instructions by telephone on how to resuscitate victims (T-CPR) until the emergency medical services (EMS) arrive. Agonal respiration makes it difficult for EMDs to identify cardiac arrests (CAs) which will prevent or delay initiation of T-CPR. The aim of this investigation was to study if tuition of EMDs can improve their ability to identify agonal respiration in OHCA to allow for more frequent offers of T-CPR. METHODS: An observational study was made in 2004 and subsequently, a repeat study was made in 2006. All OHCA (n=315 in 2004, n=255 in 2006) in the Stockholm region reported to the Swedish Cardiac Arrest Register were included and all corresponding EMS reports were reviewed. Emergency calls were recorded during the event. Witnessed cases of OHCA (n=76 in both 2004 and 2006) were analyzed using a structured data collection tool. RESULTS: The frequency of offered T-CPR to all bystanders of OHCA in 2004 was 47%. After special tuition on agonal respiration in OHCA it rose to 68% in 2006 (p=0.01). An even more marked rise was observed in OHCA cases with agonal respiration. In 2004 T-CPR was offered in 23% of these situations whereas the corresponding figures in 2006 had risen to 56% (p=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Teaching EMDs to understand and recognize bystander descriptions of agonal respiration in patients with OHCA has resulted in a significant increase in offers of T-CPR in these situations.
Authors: Marine Riou; Stephen Ball; Teresa A Williams; Austin Whiteside; Kay L O'Halloran; Janet Bray; Gavin D Perkins; Peter Cameron; Daniel M Fatovich; Madoka Inoue; Paul Bailey; Deon Brink; Karen Smith; Phillip Della; Judith Finn Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2017-07-09 Impact factor: 2.692
Authors: Theresa M Olasveengen; Federico Semeraro; Giuseppe Ristagno; Maaret Castren; Anthony Handley; Artem Kuzovlev; Koenraad G Monsieurs; Violetta Raffay; Michael Smyth; Jasmeet Soar; Hildigunnur Svavarsdóttir; Gavin D Perkins Journal: Notf Rett Med Date: 2021-06-02 Impact factor: 0.826
Authors: Theresa M Olasveengen; Mary E Mancini; Gavin D Perkins; Suzanne Avis; Steven Brooks; Maaret Castrén; Sung Phil Chung; Julie Considine; Keith Couper; Raffo Escalante; Tetsuo Hatanaka; Kevin K C Hung; Peter Kudenchuk; Swee Han Lim; Chika Nishiyama; Giuseppe Ristagno; Federico Semeraro; Christopher M Smith; Michael A Smyth; Christian Vaillancourt; Jerry P Nolan; Mary Fran Hazinski; Peter T Morley Journal: Resuscitation Date: 2020-10-21 Impact factor: 5.262
Authors: Sung Oh Hwang; Sung Phil Chung; Keun Jeong Song; Hyun Kim; Tae Ho Rho; Kyu Nam Park; Young-Min Kim; June Dong Park; Ai-Rhan Ellen Kim; Hyuk Jun Yang Journal: Clin Exp Emerg Med Date: 2016-07-05