The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence and survival outcomes of EMS-witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

ABSTRACT:

Aim

We sought to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence and survival outcomes of emergency medical service (EMS)-witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in Victoria, Australia.

Methods

We performed an interrupted time-series analysis of adult EMS-witnessed OHCA patients of medical aetiology. Patients treated during the COVID-19 period (1st March 2020 to 31st December 2021) were compared to a historical comparator period (1st January 2012 and 28th February 2020). Multivariable poisson and logistic regression models were used to examine changes in incidence and survival outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively.

Results

We included 5,034 patients, 3,976 (79.0%) in the comparator period and 1,058 (21.0%) in the COVID-19 period. Pat

SUBMITTER: Kennedy C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10019917 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature