Ambulance Density and Outcomes After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest.

BACKGROUND: In out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), geographic disparities in outcomes may reflect baseline variations in patients' characteristics but may also result from differences in the number of ambulances providing basic life support (BLS) and advanced life support (ALS). We aimed at assessing the association between allocated ambulance resources and outcomes in OHCA patients in a large urban community. METHODS: From May 2011 to January 2016, we analyzed a prospectively collected Utstein database for all OHCA adults. Cases were geocoded according to 19 neighborhoods and the number of BLS (firefighters performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation and applying automated external defibrillator) and ALS ambulances (medicalized team providing advanced care such as drugs and endotracheal intubation) was collected. We assessed the respective associations of Utstein parameters, socioeconomic characteristics, and ambulance resources of these neighborhoods using a mixed-effect model with successful return of spontaneous circulation as the primary end point and survival at hospital discharge as a secondary end point. RESULTS: During the study period, 8754 nontraumatic OHCA occurred in the Greater Paris area. Overall return of spontaneous circulation rate was 3675 of 8754 (41.9%) and survival rate at hospital discharge was 788 of 8754 (9%), ranging from 33% to 51.1% and from 4.4% to 14.5% respectively, according to neighborhoods ( P<0.001). Patient and socio-demographic characteristics significantly differed between neighborhoods ( P for trend <0.001). After adjustment, a higher density of ambulances was associated with successful return of spontaneous circulation (respectively adjusted odds-ratio [aOR], 1.31 [1.14-1.51]; P<0.001 for ALS ambulances >1.5 per neighborhood and aOR, 1.21 [1.04-1.41]; P=0.01 for BLS ambulances >4 per neighborhood). Regarding survival at discharge, only the number of ALS ambulances >1.5 per neighborhood was significant (aOR, 1.30 [1.06-1.59] P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In this large urban population-based study of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests patients, we observed that allocated resources of emergency medical service are associated with outcome, suggesting that improving healthcare organization may attenuate disparities in prognosis.

Age and benefit of early coronary angiography after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in patients presenting with shockable rhythm: Insights from the Sudden Death Expertise Center registry.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the association between provision of post-resuscitation care and prognosis of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in elderly patients. Previous studies have suggested futility after 65 years of age. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the association of early coronary angiogram (CAG) followed if necessary by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), with favorable outcome after OHCA among elderly patients, compared to younger patients. METHODS: Using a large French registry, we included all OHCA patients with an initial shockable rhythm, transported to hospital from 2011 to 2015. Favorable outcome was defined as hospital discharge with Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) 1 or 2. and were evaluated by multivariate logistic regression. Subgroup analyses were performed according to age groups: <65, 65-75 and >75 years. RESULTS: Among 1502 included patients, 31% were older than 65 and 12% older than 75 years. An early CAG was performed in 79%, 88% and 76% of patients below 65, between 65 and 75 and above 75, respectively (P = 0.002). The rate of patients discharged with CPC1 or 2 was 42% below 65, 38% between 65 and 75 and 24% above 75 (P < 0.001). Among the whole population, early CAG (OR = 6.4, 95% CI = 3.9-10.5, P < 0.001) was associated with favorable outcome. In subgroups analysis, CAG was associated with favorable outcome among patients <65 and 65-75. In patients >75, there was a trend towards a favorable outcome (OR2.9, 95CI = 0.9-9.1). CONCLUSIONS: In a large registry of OHCA survivors, the early CAG use was associated with a better prognosis. This benefit was persistent up to 75 years of age, suggesting that age alone should not guide the decision for early invasive strategy.