Are regional variations in activity of dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation associated with out-of-hospital cardiac arrests outcomes? A nation-wide population-based cohort study

Effect of Coaching with Repetitive Verbal Encouragements on Dispatch-Assisted Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Randomized Simulation Study

BACKGROUND

Current guidelines emphasize the assistance of the emergency dispatcher in bystander cardiopulmonary resusitation (CPR). Its quality, however, has varied across cases.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effect of repetitive coaching by dispatchers using verbal encouragement on the quality of lay-rescuer CPR.

METHODS

We conducted a dispatch-assisted CPR (DACPR) simulation study. Participants with no CPR training within the previous year were assigned randomly to 1 of 2 DACPR simulations. One was the No Coaching Group: callers were told to perform CPR and the dispatcher periodically confirmed that the caller was performing CPR. The second group was the Coaching Group: the dispatcher repetitively coached, encouraged, and counted aloud using a metronome. Participants performed CPR for 2 min under instruction from the study dispatcher. Parameters including chest compression depth, rate, and chest compression fraction were recorded by video camera and CPR manikin.

RESULTS

Forty-nine participants 20 to 50 years of age were recruited, and 48 completed the simulation (Coaching Group, n = 27; No Coaching Group, n = 21). The chest compression fraction was higher in the Coaching Group (99.4% vs. 93.0%, p = 0.005) and no participants interrupted chest compression more than 10 s in this group. When comparing the average depth of each 30-s period in each group, the depth increased over time in the Coaching Group (40.9 mm, 43.9 mm, 44.1 mm, and 42.8 mm), while it slightly decreased in the No Coaching Group (40.6 mm, 40.1 mm, 39.4 mm, and 39.8 mm).

CONCLUSIONS

Repetitive verbal encouragements augmented chest compression depth with less-hands off time. Continuous coaching by dispatchers can optimize lay-rescuer CPR. © 2022 Elsevier Inc.

Effect of large-scale disasters on bystander-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation in family-witnessed, friend-witnessed and colleague-witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected, nationwide, population-based data

IMPORTANCE

The effect of large-scale disasters on bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (BCPR) performance is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether and how large-scale earthquake and tsunami as well as subsequent nuclear pollution influenced BCPR performance for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) witnessed by family and friends/colleagues.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected, nationwide, population-based data for OHCA cases.

PARTICIPANTS

From the nationwide OHCA registry recorded between 11 March 2010 and 1 March 2013, we extracted 74 684 family-witnessed and friend/colleague-witnessed OHCA cases without prehospital physician involvement.

EXPOSURE

Earthquake and tsunamis that were followed by nuclear pollution and largely affected the social life of citizens for at least 24 weeks.

MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURE

Neurologically favourable outcome after 1 month, 1-month survival and BCPR.

METHODS

We analysed the 4-week average trend of BCPR rates in the years affected and before and after the disaster. We used univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to investigate whether these disasters affected BCPR and OHCA results.

RESULTS

Multivariable logistic regression for tsunami-affected prefectures revealed that the BCPR rate during the impact phase in 2011 was significantly lower than that in 2010/2012 (42.5% vs 48.2%; adjusted OR; 95% CI 0.82; 0.68 to 0.99). A lower level of bystander compliance with dispatcher-assisted CPR instructions (62.1% vs 69.5%, 0.72; 95% CI 0.57 to 0.92) in the presence of a preserved level of voluntary BCPR performance (23.6% vs 23.8%) was also observed. Both 1-month survival and neurologically favourable outcome rates during the impact phase in 2011 were significantly poorer than those in 2010/2012 (8.5% vs 10.7%, 0.72; 95% CI 0.52 to 0.99, 4.0% vs 5.2%, 0.62; 95% CI 0.38 to 0.98, respectively).

CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE

A large-scale disaster with nuclear pollution influences BCPR performance and clinical outcomes of OHCA witnessed by family and friends/colleagues. Basic life-support training leading to voluntary-initiated BCPR might serve as preparedness for disaster and major accidents.

Telephone CPR: Current Status, Challenges, and Future Perspectives

With each successive update of the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) guidelines, the role of dispatchers in sudden cardiac arrest (CA) has grown. Dispatchers instruct callers in how to perform CPR until the arrival of emergency medical service (EMS) professionals. This is widely known as telephone CPR (TCPR) or dispatch-assisted CPR (DACPR). Studies have shown the efficacy of TCPR in increasing the survival rate of sudden CA. The TCPR process, however, is challenging and needs to be constantly evaluated and refined in order to improve the survival rate of sudden CA victims throughout the world. In this review article, the current status, challenges, and future perspectives of TCPR are discussed with a view to providing a research foundation from which to launch further studies into the effective role of dispatchers in sudden CA.

Effectiveness of dispatcher training in increasing bystander chest compression for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients in Japan

Aim

The Japanese government has developed a standardized training program for emergency call dispatchers to improve their skills in providing oral guidance on chest compression to bystanders who have witnessed out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs). This study evaluated the effects of such a training program for emergency call dispatchers in Japan.

Methods

The analysis included all consecutive non‐traumatic OHCA patients transported to hospital by eight emergency medical services, where the program was implemented as a pilot project. We compared the provision of oral guidance and the incidence of chest compression applications by bystanders in the 1‐month period before and after the program. Data collection was undertaken from October 2014 to March 2015.

Results

The 532 non‐traumatic OHCA cases were used for analysis: these included 249 cases before and 283 after the guidance intervention. Most patients were over 75 years old and were men. After the program, provision of oral guidance to callers slightly increased from 63% of cases to 69% (P = 0.13) and implementation of chest compression on patients by bystanders significantly increased from 40% to 52% (P = 0.01). Appropriate chest compression also increased from 34% to 47% (P = 0.01). In analysis stratified by the provision of oral guidance, increased chest compressions were observed only under oral guidance.

Conclusions

We found increased provision of oral guidance by dispatchers and increased appropriate chest compressions by bystanders after the training program for dispatchers had been rolled out. Long‐term observation and further data analysis, including patient outcomes, are needed.