Project description:ImportanceOut-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) health care provision may be a good indicator of the recovery of the health care system involved in OHCA care following the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a lack of data regarding outcomes capable of verifying this recovery.ObjectiveTo determine whether return to spontaneous circulation, overall survival, and survival with good neurological outcome increased in patients with OHCA since the COVID-19 pandemic was brought under control in 2022 compared with prepandemic and pandemic levels.Design, setting, and participantsThis observational cohort study was conducted to examine health care response and survival with good neurological outcome at hospital discharge in patients treated following OHCA. A 3-month period, including the first wave of the pandemic (February 1 to April 30, 2020), was compared with 2 periods before (April 1, 2017, to March 31, 2018) and after (January 1 to December 31, 2022) the pandemic. Data analysis was performed in July 2023. Emergency medical services (EMS) serving a population of more than 28 million inhabitants across 10 Spanish regions participated. Patients with OHCA were included if participating EMS initiated resuscitation or continued resuscitation initiated by a first responder.ExposureThe pandemic was considered to be under control following the official declaration that infection with SARS-CoV-2 was to be considered another acute respiratory infection.Main outcome and measuresThe main outcomes were return of spontaneous circulation, overall survival, and survival at hospital discharge with good neurological outcome, expressed as unimpaired or minimally impaired cerebral performance.ResultsA total of 14 732 patients (mean [SD] age, 64.2 [17.2] years; 10 451 [71.2%] male) were included, with 6372 OHCAs occurring during the prepandemic period, 1409 OHCAs during the pandemic period, and 6951 OHCAs during the postpandemic period. There was a higher incidence of OHCAs with a resuscitation attempt in the postpandemic period compared with the pandemic period (rate ratio, 4.93; 95% CI, 4.66-5.22; P < .001), with lower incidence of futile resuscitation for OHCAs (2.1 per 100 000 person-years vs 1.3 per 100 000 person-years; rate ratio, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.71-0.92; P < .001). Recovery of spontaneous circulation at hospital admission increased from 20.5% in the pandemic period to 30.5% in the postpandemic period (relative risk [RR], 1.08; 95% CI, 1.06-1.10; P < .001). In the same way, overall survival at discharge increased from 7.6% to 11.2% (RR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.21-1.75; P < .001), with 6.6% of patients being discharged with good neurological status (Cerebral Performance Category Scale categories 1-2) in the pandemic period compared with 9.6% of patients in the postpandemic period (RR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.04-1.10; P < .001).Conclusions and relevanceIn this cohort study, survival with good neurological outcome at hospital discharge following OHCA increased significantly after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Project description:AimThe COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted Emergency Medical Services (EMS) operations throughout the country. Some studies described variation in total volume of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) during the pandemic. We aimed to describe the changes in volume and characteristics of OHCA patients and resuscitations in one urban EMS system.MethodsWe performed a retrospective cohort analysis of all recorded atraumatic OHCA in Marion County, Indiana, from January 1, 2019 to June 30, 2019 and from January 1, 2020 to June 30, 2020. We described patient, arrest, EMS response, and survival characteristics. We performed paired and unpaired t-tests to evaluate the changes in those characteristics during COVID-19 as compared to the prior year. Data were matched by month to control for seasonal variation.ResultsThe total number of arrests increased from 884 in 2019 to 1034 in 2020 (p = 0.016). Comparing 2019 to 2020, there was little difference in age [median 62 (IQR 59-73) and 60 (IQR 47-72), p = 0.086], gender (38.5% and 39.8% female, p = 0.7466, witness to arrest (44.3% and 39.6%, p = 0.092), bystander AED use (10.1% and 11.4% p = 0.379), bystander CPR (48.7% and 51.4%, p = 0.242). Patients with a shockable initial rhythm (19.2% and 15.4%, p = 0.044) both decreased in 2020, and response time increased by 18 s [6.0 min (IQR 4.5-7.7) and 6.3 min (IQR 4.7-8.0), p = 0.008]. 47.7% and 54.8% (p = 0.001) of OHCA patients died in the field, 19.7% and 19.3% (p = 0.809) died in the Emergency Department, 21.8% and 18.5% (p = 0.044) died in the hospital, 10.8% and 7.4% (p = 0.012) were discharged from the hospital, and 9.3% and 5.9% (p = 0.005) were discharged with Cerebral Performance Category score ≤ 2.ConclusionTotal OHCA increased during the COVID-19 pandemic when compared with the prior year. Although patient characteristics were similar, initial shockable rhythm, and proportion of patients who died in the hospital decreased during the pandemic. Further investigation will explore etiologies of those findings.
Project description:ObjectivesIn many communities, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival outcomes decreased after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to identify and compare the impacts of each survival chain factor on the change of survival outcomes after COVID-19.MethodsUsing a Korean out-of-hospital cardiac arrest registry, we analyzed OHCA patients whose arrest was not witnessed by emergency medical service (EMS) providers between 2017 and 2021. Because lack of hospital and survival information in 2021, the 2021 data were used only to identify the expected trend. We developed a prediction model for survival to discharge using patients from 2017 to 2019 (Pre-COVID-19 set) and validated it using patients from 2020 (post-COVID-19 set). Using Utstein elements, a stepwise logistic regression model was constructed, and discrimination and calibration were evaluated by c-statistics and scaled Brier score. Using the distribution change of predictors from one year before the pandemic (2019) to post-COVDI-19, we calculated the magnitude of survival difference according to each predictor's distribution change using the marginal standardization method.ResultsAmong 83,273 patients (mean age 67.2 years and 64.3% males), 61,180 and 22,092 patients belonged to pre-COVOD-19 and post-COVID-19 sets. Survival to discharge was 5019 (8.2%) in pre-COVID-19 set and 1457 (6.6%) in post-COVID-19 set. The proportion of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation was 59.0% in the pre-COVID-19 set and 61.0% in the post-COVID-19 set. The median (interquartile range) response time was 7 (5-9) minutes in the pre-COVID-19 set and 8 (6-10) minutes in the post-COVID-19 set. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve (95% confidence interval) was 0.907 (0.902-0.912) in the pre-COVID-19 set, and 0.924 (0.916-0.931) in the post-COVID-19 set, and scaled Brier score were 0.39 in pre-COVID-19 sets, and 0.40 in the post-COVID-19 set. Among various predictors, EMS factors showed the highest impact. Response time and on-scene management of EMS showed the highest impact on decreased survival. A similar trend was also expected in the 2021.ConclusionThe effort to create a rapid response system for OHCA patients could have priority for the recovery of survival outcomes in OHCA patients in the post-COVID-19 period. Further studies to recover survival outcomes of OHCA are warranted.
Project description:AimThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has negatively affected access to healthcare and treatment. This study aimed to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on older adults with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in Japan, a country with a super-aging society.MethodsThis secondary analysis of the All-Japan Utstein Registry included patients aged 65 years and older with bystander-witnessed OHCA between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2020. Survival outcomes were compared by time period using multivariable logistic regression analyses. The primary outcome measured was the one-month survival rate with neurologically favorable outcomes.ResultsBefore the COVID-19 pandemic, survival outcomes were steadily improving, and 32,024 patients in 2019 and 31,894 in 2020 were eligible for analysis. The proportions of conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation and shock by public-access automated external defibrillators were lower in 2020 than in 2019 (6.7% versus 5.7%, p < 0.001 and 2.5% versus 2.1%, p < 0.001, respectively). Compared to 2019, the one-month survival after OHCA and prehospital return of spontaneous circulation decreased significantly in 2020 than in 2019 (7.7% versus 6.6%, adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.88, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.83-0.94, and 16.8% versus 14.9%, AOR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.83-0.91, respectively). The proportion of neurologically favorable outcomes also decreased, but the decrease was not statistically significant (3.4% versus 2.8%, AOR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.83-1.01).ConclusionIn this population-focused, bystander-witnessed study regarding OHCA, the analysis of nationwide registry data revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with reduced survival among older adults with OHCA in Japan.
Project description:AimOut-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) during COVID-19 has been reported by countries with high case numbers and overwhelmed healthcare services. Imposed restrictions and treatment precautions may have also influenced OHCA processes-of-care. We investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic period on incidence, characteristics, and survival from OHCA in Victoria, Australia.MethodsUsing data from the Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry, we compared 380 adult OHCA patients who received resuscitation between 16th March 2020 and 12th May 2020, with 1218 cases occurring during the same dates in 2017-2019. No OHCA patients were COVID-19 positive. Arrest incidence, characteristics and survival rates were compared. Regression analysis was performed to understand the independent effect of the pandemic period on survival.ResultsIncidence of OHCA did not differ during the pandemic period. However, initiation of resuscitation by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) significantly decreased (46.9% versus 40.6%, p = 0.001). Arrests in public locations decreased in the pandemic period (20.8% versus 10.0%; p < 0.001), as did initial shocks by public access defibrillation/first-responders (p = 0.037). EMS caseload decreased during the pandemic period, however, delays to key interventions (time-to-first defibrillation, time-to-first epinephrine) significantly increased. Survival-to-discharge decreased by 50% during the pandemic period (11.7% versus 6.1%; p = 0.002). Survivors per million person-years dropped in 2020, resulting in 35 excess deaths per million person-years. On adjusted analysis, the pandemic period remained associated with a 50% reduction in survival-to-discharge.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic period did not influence OHCA incidence but appears to have disrupted the system-of-care in Australia. However, this could not completely explain reductions in survival.
Project description:Patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated during the COVID-19 pandemic might experience prolonged time to reperfusion. The delayed reperfusion may potentially aggravate the risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in those patients. Limited access to healthcare, more reluctant health-seeking behaviors, and bystander readiness to render life-saving interventions might additionally contribute to the suggested change in the risk of OHCA in STEMI. Thus, we sought to explore the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on treatment delay and clinical outcomes of patients with STEMI with OHCA. Overall, 5,501 consecutive patients with STEMI complicated by OHCA and treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention with stent implantation were enrolled. A propensity score matching was used to obviate the possible impact of non-randomized design. A total of 740 matched pairs of patients with STEMI and OHCA treated before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were compared. A similar mortality and prevalence of periprocedural complications were observed in both groups. However, patients treated during the COVID-19 outbreak experienced longer delays from first medical contact to angiography (88.8 (±61.5) vs. 101.4 (±109.8) [minutes]; p = 0.006). There was also a trend toward prolonged time from pain onset to angiography in patients admitted to the hospital in the pandemic era (207.3 (±192.8) vs. 227.9 (±231.4) [minutes]; p = 0.06). In conclusion, the periprocedural outcomes in STEMI complicated by OHCA were comparable before and during the COVID-19 era. However, treatment in the COVID-19 outbreak was associated with a longer time from first medical contact to reperfusion.
Project description:ImportanceThe relationship between post-hospital arrival factors and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) outcomes remains unclear.ObjectivesThis study assessed the impact of post-hospital arrival factors on OHCA outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic using a prediction model.Design, setting, and participantsIn this cohort study, data from the All-Japan Utstein Registry, a nationwide population-based database, between 2015 and 2021 were used. A total of 541,781 patients older than 18 years old who experienced OHCA of cardiac origin were included.Main outcomes and measuresThe primary exposure was trends in COVID-19 cases. The study compared the predicted proportion of favorable neurologic outcomes 1 month after resuscitation with the actual outcomes. Neurologic outcomes were categorized based on the Cerebral Performance Category score (1, good cerebral function; 2, moderate cerebral function).ResultsThe prediction model, which had an area under the curve of 0.96, closely matched actual outcomes in 2019. However, a significant discrepancy emerged after the pandemic began in 2020, where outcomes continued to deteriorate as the virus spread, exacerbated by both pre- and post-hospital arrival factors.Conclusions and relevancePost-hospital arrival factors were as important as pre-hospital factors in adversely affecting the prognosis of patients following OHCA during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results suggest that the overall response of the healthcare system needs to be improved during infectious disease outbreaks to improve outcomes.
Project description:AimWe 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.MethodsWe 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.ResultsWe included 5,034 patients, 3,976 (79.0%) in the comparator period and 1,058 (21.0%) in the COVID-19 period. Patients in the COVID-19 period had longer EMS response times, fewer public location arrests and were significantly more likely to receive mechanical CPR and laryngeal mask airways compared to the historical period (all p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the incidence of EMS-witnessed OHCA between the comparator and COVID-19 periods (incidence rate ratio 1.06, 95% CI: 0.97-1.17, p = 0.19). Also, there was no difference in the risk-adjusted odds of survival to hospital discharge for EMS-witnessed OHCA occurring during COVID-19 period compared to the comparator period (adjusted odd ratio 1.02, 95% CI: 0.74-1.42; p = 0.90).ConclusionUnlike the reported findings in non-EMS-witnessed OHCA populations, changes during the COVID-19 pandemic did not influence incidence or survival outcomes in EMS-witnessed OHCA. This may suggest that changes in clinical practice that sought to limit the use of aerosol generating procedures did not influence outcomes in these patients.
Project description:BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly influenced epidemiology, yet its impact on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on the incidence and case fatality rate (CFR) of OHCA. We also evaluated the impact on intermediate outcomes and clinical characteristics.MethodsPubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception to May 3, 2021. Studies were included if they compared OHCA processes and outcomes between the pandemic and historical control time periods. Meta-analyses were performed for primary outcomes [annual incidence, mortality, and case fatality rate (CFR)], secondary outcomes [field termination of resuscitation (TOR), return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), survival to hospital admission, and survival to hospital discharge], and clinical characteristics (shockable rhythm and etiologies). This study was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (CRD42021253879).ResultsThe COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a 39.5% increase in pooled annual OHCA incidence (p < 0.001). Pooled CFR was increased by 2.65% (p < 0.001), with a pooled odds ratio (OR) of 1.95 for mortality [95% confidence interval (95%CI) 1.51-2.51]. There was increased field TOR (OR = 2.46, 95%CI 1.62-3.74). There were decreased ROSC (OR = 0.65, 95%CI 0.55-0.77), survival to hospital admission (OR = 0.65, 95%CI 0.48-0.89), and survival to discharge (OR = 0.52, 95%CI 0.40-0.69). There was decreased shockable rhythm (OR = 0.73, 95%CI 0.60-0.88) and increased asphyxial etiology of OHCA (OR = 1.17, 95%CI 1.02-1.33).ConclusionCompared to the pre-pandemic period, the COVID-19 pandemic period was significantly associated with increased OHCA incidence and worse outcomes.
Project description:BackgroundIn the setting of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, data from autopsy in subjects who died at home during lockdown are scarce. We here report the first forensic autopsy series of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).MethodsBetween March and April 2020, four COVID-19-related OHCA were autopsied at the Institute of Legal Medicine of the metropolitan area of Lyon (France) according safe recommended procedures.ResultsFour Caucasian individuals (3 men/1 woman; age: 56.8±2.1 years, body mass index: 29.5±7.4 kg/m2), presenting symptomatic COVID-19 were autopsied. Autopsies of 3 individuals reported natural death by acute respiratory failure implicating SARS-CoV-2 with typical COVID-19 pulmonary aspect of gross findings and pulmonary microscopy findings, i.e., diffusely congestive edematous lungs with peripheral thrombi and diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) at different stages of inflammatory reaction. For one individual, autopsy concluded of violent death due to suicidal acute alcohol intoxication in a patient that could no longer endure COVID-19 lockdown. No significant lesions were found in the heart.ConclusionsWe report here OHCAs of non-cardiac cause directly implicating COVID-19 at various stages of SARS-CoV-2-related DAD. Thus, autopsy remain of interest during this epidemic, both legally and medically to better understand the pathogenic processes of this emerging infectious disease.