First-response treatment after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a survey of current practices across 29 countries in Europe.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In Europe, survival rates after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) vary widely. Presence/absence and differences in implementation of systems dispatching First Responders (FR) in order to arrive before Emergency Medical Services (EMS) may contribute to this variation. A comprehensive overview of the different types of FR-systems used across Europe is lacking.

Methods

A mixed-method survey and information retrieved from national resuscitation councils and national EMS services were used as a basis for an inventory. The survey was sent to 51 OHCA experts across 29 European countries.

Results

Forty-seven (92%) OHCA experts from 29 countries responded to the survey. More than half of European countries had at least one region with a FR-system. Four categorie

SUBMITTER: Oving I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6916130 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature