Prediction model for future OHCAs based on geospatial and demographic data: An observational study.

This study used demographic data in a novel prediction model to identify areas with high risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in order to target prehospital preparedness. We combined data from the nationwide Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry with geographical- and demographic data on a hectare level. Hectares were classified in a hierarchy according to characteristics and pooled to square kilometers (km2). Historical OHCA incidence of each hectare group was supplemented with a predicted annual risk of at least 1 OHCA to ensure future applicability. We recorded 19,090 valid OHCAs during 2016 to 2019. The mean annual OHCA rate was highest in residential areas with no point of public interest and 100 to 1000 residents per hectare (9.7/year/km2) followed by pedestrian streets with multiple shops (5.8/year/km2), areas with no point of public interest and 50 to 100 residents (5.5/year/km2), and malls with a mean annual incidence per km2 of 4.6. Other high incidence areas were public transport stations, schools and areas without a point of public interest and 10 to 50 residents. These areas combined constitute 1496 km2 annually corresponding to 3.4% of the total area of Denmark and account for 65% of the OHCA incidence. Our prediction model confirms these areas to be of high risk and outperforms simple previous incidence in identifying future risk-sites. Two thirds of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests were identified in only 3.4% of the area of Denmark. This area was easily identified as having multiple residents or having airports, malls, pedestrian shopping streets or schools. This result has important implications for targeted intervention such as automatic defibrillators available to the public. Further, demographic information should be considered when implementing such interventions.

Prodromal complaints and 30-day survival after emergency medical services-witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

BACKGROUND: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a frequent and lethal condition with a yearly incidence of approximately 5000 in Denmark. Thirty-day survival is associated with the patient's prodromal complaints prior to cardiac arrest. This paper examines the odds of 30-day survival dependent on the reported prodromal complaints among OHCAs witnessed by the emergency medical services (EMS). METHODS: EMS-witnessed OHCAs in the Capital Region of Denmark from 2016-2018 were included. Calls to the emergency number 1-1-2 and the medical helpline for out-of-hours were analyzed according to the Danish Index; data regarding the OHCA was collected from the Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry. We performed multiple logistic regression to calculate the odds ratio (OR) of 30-day survival with adjustment for sex and age. RESULTS: We identified 311 eligible OHCAs of which 79 (25.4%) survived. The most commonly reported complaints were dyspnea (n = 209, OR 0.79 [95% CI 0.46: 1.36]) and 'feeling generally unwell' (n = 185, OR 1.07 [95% CI 0.63: 1.81]). Chest pain (OR 9.16 [95% CI 5.09:16.9]) and heart palpitations (OR 3.15 [95% CI 1.07:9.46]) had the highest ORs, indicating favorable odds for 30-day survival, while unresponsiveness (OR 0.22 [95% CI 0.11:0.43]) and blue skin or lips (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.09, 0.81) had the lowest, indicating lesser odds of 30-day survival. CONCLUSION: Experiencing chest pain or heart palpitations prior to EMS-witnessed OHCA was associated with higher 30-day survival. Conversely, complaints of unresponsiveness or having blue skin or lips implied reduced odds of 30-day survival.

Association between mortality and phone-line waiting time for non-urgent medical care: a Danish registry-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Telephone calls are often patients' first healthcare service contact, outcomes associated with waiting times are unknown. OBJECTIVES: Examine the association between waiting time to answer for a medical helpline and 1- and 30-day mortality. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Registry-based cohort study using phone calls data (January 2014 to December 2018) to the Capital Region of Denmark's medical helpline. The service refers to hospital assessment/treatment, dispatches ambulances, or suggests self-care guidance. EXPOSURE: Waiting time was grouped into the following time intervals in accordance with political service targets for waiting time in the Capital Region: <30 s, 0:30-2:59, 3-9:59, and ≥10 min. OUTCOME MEASURES AND ANALYSIS: The association between time intervals and 1- and 30-day mortality per call was calculated using logistic regression with strata defined by age and sex. MAIN RESULTS: In total, 1 244 252 callers were included, phoning 3 956 243 times, and 78% of calls waited <10 min. Among callers, 30-day mortality was 1% (16 560 deaths). For calls by females aged 85-110 30-day mortality increased with longer waiting time, particularly within the first minute: 9.6% for waiting time <30 s, 10.8% between 30 s and 1 minute and 9.1% between 1 and 2 minutes. For calls by males aged 85-110 30-day mortality was 11.1%, 12.9% and 11.1%, respectively. Additionally, among calls with a Charlson score of 2 or higher, longer waiting times were likewise associated with increased mortality. For calls by females aged 85-110 30-day mortality was 11.6% for waiting time <30 s, 12.9% between 30 s and 1 minute and 11.2% between 1 and 2 minutes. For calls by males aged 85-110 30-day mortality was 12.7%, 14.1% and 12.6%, respectively. Fewer ambulances were dispatched with longer waiting times (4%/2%) with waiting times <30 s and >10 min. CONCLUSION: Longer waiting times for telephone contact to a medical helpline were associated with increased 1- and 30-day mortality within the first minute, especially among elderly or more comorbid callers.

Ambulance response times and 30-day mortality: a Copenhagen (Denmark) registry study.

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Ensuring prompt ambulance responses is complicated and costly. It is a general conception that short response times save lives, but the actual knowledge is limited. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between the response times of ambulances with lights and sirens and 30-day mortality. DESIGN: A registry-based cohort study using data collected from 2014-2018. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: This study included 182 895 individuals who, during 2014-2018, were dispatched 266 265 ambulances in the Capital Region of Denmark. OUTCOME MEASURES AND ANALYSIS: The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Subgroup analyses were performed on out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, ambulance response priority subtypes, and caller-reported symptoms of chest pain, dyspnoea, unconsciousness, and traffic accidents. The relation between variables and 30-day mortality was examined with logistic regression. RESULTS: Unadjusted, short response times were associated with higher 30-day mortality rates across unadjusted response time quartiles (0-6.39 min: 9%; 6.40-8.60 min: 7.5%, 8.61-11.80 min: 6.6%, >11.80 min: 5.5%). This inverse relationship was consistent across subgroups, including chest pain, dyspnoea, unconsciousness, and response priority subtypes. For traffic accidents, no significant results were found. In the case of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, longer response times of up to 10 min correlated with increased 30-day mortality rates (0-6.39 min: 84.1%; 6.40-8.60 min: 86.7%, 8.61-11.8 min: 87.7%, >11.80 min: 85.5%). Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analysis showed that age, sex, Charlson comorbidity score, and call-related symptoms were associated with 30-day mortality, but response time was not (OR: 1.00 (95% CI [0.99-1.00])). CONCLUSION: Longer ambulance response times were not associated with increased mortality, except for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.

Comparative outcomes in patients with preexisting heart failure to those without heart failure after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A nationwide registry study.

BACKGROUND: The knowledge of prognosis following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in patients with heart failure heart failure (HF) is sparse. The objective of this study was to compare the outcome after OHCA among patients with and without HF. METHODS: We studied 45,293 patients who were included for the Danish cardiac arrest registry between 2001 and 2014. Patients were stratified into two groups based on the presence of HF prior to cardiac arrest. The primary outcome was 30-day survival and secondary outcome was anoxic brain damage or permanent nursing home admission at 1-year among 30-day survivors. RESULTS: Among the final 28,955 patients included, 6675 (23%) patients had prior HF and 22,280 (77%) patients had no prior HF. At 30 days, 616 (9.2%) patients survived among the patients with HF and 1916 (8.6%) among the patients without HF. There was a significant interaction between atrial fibrillation (AF) and HF for primary outcome and therefore it was assessed separately between the two study groups stratified based on AF. Among patients without AF a significantly higher odds of 30-day survival were observed among patients with HF (OR 2.69, 95% CI 2.34-3.08, P < 0.001), but no difference was observed among the patients from two study groups with no AF. No significant difference in risk for secondary outcome was observed among the two study groups. In multivariable average treatment effect modeling, all the results largely remain unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: Outcome following OHCA among patients with and without HF is found to be similar in this large Danish OHCA registry.

Community intervention to improve defibrillation before ambulance arrival in residential neighbourhoods with a high risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: study protocol of a cluster-randomised trial (the CARAMBA trial).

INTRODUCTION: In Denmark, multiple national initiatives have been associated with improved bystander defibrillation and survival following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in public places. However, OHCAs in residential neighbourhoods continue to have poor outcomes. The Cardiac Arrest in Residential Areas with MoBile volunteer responder Activation trial aims to improve bystander defibrillation and survival following OHCA in residential neighbourhoods with a high risk of OHCA. The intervention consists of: (1) strategically deployed automated external defibrillators accessible at all hours, (2) cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training of residents and (3) recruitment of residents for a volunteer responder programme. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a prospective, pair-matched, cluster-randomised, superiority trial with clusters of 26 residential neighbourhoods, testing the effectiveness of the intervention in a real-world setting. The areas are randomised for intervention or control. Intervention and control areas will receive the standard OHCA emergency response, including volunteer responder activation. However, targeted automated external defibrillator deployment, CPR training and volunteer responder recruitment will only be provided in the intervention areas. The primary outcome is bystander defibrillation, and the secondary outcome is 30-day survival. Data on patients who had an OHCA will be collected through the Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Approval to store OHCA data has been granted from the Legal Office, Capital Region of Denmark (j.nr: 2012-58-0004, VD-2018-28, I-Suite no: 6222, and P-2021-670). In Denmark, formal approval from the ethics committee is only obtainable when the study regards testing medicine or medical equipment on humans or using genome or diagnostic imagine as data source. The Ethics Committee of the Capital Region of Denmark has evaluated the trial and waived formal approval unnecessary (H-19037170). Results will be published in peer-reviewed papers and shared with funders, stakeholders, and housing organisations through summaries and presentations. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT04446585).

Video Tutorials to Empower Caregivers of Ill Children and Reduce Health Care Utilization: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Young children often fall ill, leading to concern among their caregivers and urgent contact with health care services. Objective: To assess the effectiveness and safety of video tutorials to empower caregivers in caring for acutely ill children. Design, Setting, and Participants: Caregivers calling the out-of-hours Medical Helpline 1813 (MH1813), Emergency Medical Services Capital Region, Denmark, and their children aged 0.5 to 11.9 years were randomized to video tutorials (intervention) or telephone triage by a nurse or physician (control) from October 2020 to December 2021 and followed up for 72 hours blinded to the intervention. Data were analyzed from March to July 2022. Intervention: The intervention group had the call disconnected before telephone triage and received video tutorials on managing common symptoms in acutely ill children and when to seek medical help. Caregivers could subsequently call MH1813 for telephone triage. Main outcomes and measures: The primary outcome was caregivers' self-efficacy, reported in an electronic survey the following day. Secondary outcomes were satisfaction, child status, assessment by a general practitioner or physician at the hospital, telephone triage, and adverse events during the 72-hour follow-up period. Results: In total, 4686 caregivers and children were randomized to intervention (2307 participants) or control (2379 participants), with a median (IQR) child age of 2.3 (1.3-5.1) years and 53% male distribution in both groups (2493 participants). Significantly more caregivers in the intervention group reported high self-efficacy (80% vs 76%; crude odds ratio [OR], 1.30; 95% CI, 1.01-1.67; P = .04). The intervention group received fewer telephone triages during follow-up (887 vs 2374 in the control group). Intention-to-treat analysis showed no difference in secondary outcomes, but per-protocol subanalysis showed fewer hospital assessments when caregivers watched video tutorials (27% vs 35%; adjusted OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.55-0.82). Randomization to video tutorials did not increase adverse outcomes. Conclusions and relevance: In this randomized clinical trial, offering caregivers video tutorials significantly and safely increased self-efficacy and reduced use of telephone triage. Children had fewer hospital assessments when caregivers watched videos. This suggests a future potential of health care information to empower caregivers and reduce health care utilization. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04301206.

Geographical Association Between Basic Life Support Courses and Bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Survival from OHCA in Denmark.

Introduction: Annually, approximately 4% of the entire adult population of Denmark participate in certified basic life support (BLS) courses. It is still unknown whether increases in BLS course participation in a geographical area increase bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). The aim of the study was to examine the geographical association between BLS course participation, bystander CPR, and 30-day survival from OHCA. Methods: This nationwide register-based cohort study includes all OHCAs from the Danish Cardiac Arrest Register. Data concerning BLS course participation were supplied by the major Danish BLS course providers. A total of 704,234 individuals with BLS course certificates and 15,097 OHCA were included from the period 2016-2019. Associations were examined using logistic regression and Bayesian conditional autoregressive analyses conducted at municipality level. Results: A 5% increase in BLS course certificates at municipality level was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of bystander CPR prior to ambulance arrival with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 1.34 (credible intervals: 1.02;1.76). The same trends were observed for OHCAs in out-of-office hours (4pm-08am) with a significant OR of 1.43 (credible intervals: 1.09;1.89). Local clusters with low rate of BLS course participation and bystander CPR were identified. Conclusion: This study found a positive effect of mass education in BLS on bystander CPR rates. Even a 5% increase in BLS course participation at municipal level significantly increased the likelihood of bystander CPR. The effect was even more profound in out-of-office hours with an increase in bystander CPR rate at OHCA.

Training in Basic Life Support and Bystander-Performed Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Survival in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests in Denmark, 2005 to 2019.

Importance: Strategies to improve survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) include mass education of laypersons with no official duty to respond to OHCA. In Denmark, basic life support (BLS) course attendance has been mandated by law in October 2006 for obtaining a driver's license for all vehicles and in vocational education programs. Objectives: To examine the association between yearly BLS course participation rate and bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and 30-day survival from OHCA and to examine if bystander CPR rate acted as a mediator on the association between mass education of laypersons in BLS and survival from OHCA. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study included outcomes for all OHCA incidents from the Danish Cardiac Arrest Register between 2005 and 2019. Data concerning BLS course participation were supplied by the major Danish BLS course providers. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was 30-day survival of patients who experienced OHCA. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between BLS training rate, bystander CPR rate, and survival, and a bayesian mediation analysis was conducted to examine mediation. Results: A total of 51 057 OHCA incidents and 2 717 933 course certificates were included. The study showed that the annual 30-day survival from OHCA increased by 14% (odds ratio [OR], 1.14; 95% CI, 1.10-1.18; P < .001) when BLS course participation rate increased by 5% in analysis adjusted for initial rhythm, automatic external defibrillator use, and mean age. An average mediated proportion of 0.39 (95% QBCI, 0.049-0.818; P = .01). In other words, the last result indicated that 39% of the association between mass educating laypersons in BLS and survival was mediated through an increased bystander CPR rate. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of Danish BLS course participation and survival, a positive association was found between annual rate of mass education in BLS and 30-day survival from OHCA. The association of BLS course participation rate on 30-day survival was mediated by the bystander CPR rate; approximately 60% of the association of BLS course participation rate on 30-day survival was based on factors other than increased CPR rates.

When the machine is wrong. Characteristics of true and false predictions of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac arrests in emergency calls using a machine-learning model.

BACKGROUND: A machine-learning model trained to recognize emergency calls regarding Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) was tested in clinical practice at Copenhagen Emergency Medical Services (EMS) from September 2018 to December 2019. We aimed to investigate emergency call characteristics where the machine-learning model failed to recognize OHCA or misinterpreted a call as being OHCA. METHODS: All emergency calls were linked to the dispatch database and verified OHCAs were identified by linkage to the Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry. Calls with either false negative or false positive predictions of OHCA were evaluated by trained auditors. Descriptive analyses were performed with absolute numbers and percentages reported. RESULTS: The machine-learning model processed 169,236 calls to Copenhagen EMS and suspected 5,811 (3.4%) of the calls as OHCA, resulting in 84.5% sensitivity and 97.1% specificity. Among OHCAs not recognised by machine-learning model, a condition completely different from OHCA was presented by caller in 31% of the cases. In 28% of unrecognised calls, patient was reported breathing normally, and language barriers were identified in 23% of the cases. Among falsely suspected OHCA, the patient was reported unconscious in 28% of the cases, and in 13% of the false positive cases the machine-learning model interpreted calls regarding dead patients with irreversible signs of death as OHCA. CONCLUSION: Continuous optimization of the language model is needed to improve the prediction of OHCA and thereby improve sensitivity and specificity of the machine-learning model on recognising OHCA in emergency telephone calls.

Persistent Symptoms and Sequelae After Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection Not Requiring Hospitalization: Results From Testing Denmark, a Danish Cross-sectional Survey.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is associated with persistent symptoms ("long COVID"). We assessed the burden of long COVID among nonhospitalized adults with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: In the fall of 2020, a cross-sectional survey was performed in the adult Danish general population. This included a self-administered point-of-care test for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated symptom questions. Nonhospitalized respondents with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test ≥12 weeks before the survey (cases) were matched (1:10) to seronegative controls on age, sex, and body mass index. Propensity score-weighted odds ratios (ORs) and ORs for risk factors were estimated for each health outcome. Results: In total, 742 cases and 7420 controls were included. The attributable risk of at least 1 long-COVID symptom was 25.0 per 100 cases (95% confidence interval [CI], 22.2-27.4). Compared to controls, cases reported worse general health (OR, 5.9 [95% CI, 5.0-7.0]) and had higher odds for a broad range of symptoms, particularly loss of taste (OR, 11.8 [95% CI, 9.5-14.6]) and smell (OR, 11.2 [95% CI, 9.1-13.9]). Physical and Mental Component Summary scores were also significantly reduced with differences of -2.5 (95% CI, -3.1 to -1.8) and -2.0 (95% CI, -2.7 to -1.2), respectively. Female sex and severity of initial infection were major risk factors for long COVID. Conclusions: Nonhospitalized SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive individuals had significantly reduced physical and mental health, and 1 in 4 reported persistence of at least 1 long-COVID symptom.

A Cross-Sectional Study of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies and Risk Factors for Seropositivity in Staff in Day Care Facilities and Preschools in Denmark.

The aim of this study was to provide information about immunity against COVID-19 along with risk factors and behavior among employees in day care facilities and preschools (DCS) in Denmark. In collaboration with the Danish Union of Pedagogues, during February and March 2021, 47,810 members were offered a point-of-care rapid SARS-CoV-2 antibody test (POCT) at work and were invited to fill in an electronic questionnaire covering COVID-19 exposure. Seroprevalence data from Danish blood donors (total Ig enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]) were used as a proxy for the Danish population. A total of 21,018 (45%) DCS employees completed the questionnaire and reported their POCT result {median age, 44.3 years (interquartile range [IQR], [32.7 to 53.6]); females, 84.1%}, of which 20,267 (96.4%) were unvaccinated and included in analysis. A total of 1,857 (9.2%) participants tested seropositive, significantly higher than a seroprevalence at 7.6% (risk ratio [RR], 1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14 to 1.27) among 40,541 healthy blood donors (median age, 42 years [IQR, 28 to 53]; males, 51.3%). Exposure at work (RR, 2.9; 95% CI, 2.3 to 3.6) was less of a risk factor than exposure within the household (RR, 12.7; 95% CI, 10.2 to 15.8). Less than 25% of participants reported wearing face protection at work. Most of the participants expressed some degree of fear of contracting COVID-19 both at work and outside work. SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was slightly higher in DCS staff than in blood donors, but possible exposure at home was associated with a higher risk than at work. DCS staff expressed fear of contracting COVID-19, though there was limited use of face protection at work. IMPORTANCE Identifying at-risk groups and evaluating preventive interventions in at-risk groups is imperative for the ongoing pandemic as well as for the control of future epidemics. Although DCS staff have a much higher risk of being infected within their own household than at their workplace, most are fearful of being infected with COVID-19 or bringing COVID-19 to work. This represents an interesting dilemma and an important issue which should be addressed by public health authorities for risk communication and pandemic planning. This study design can be used in a strategy for ongoing surveillance of COVID-19 immunity or other infections in the population. The findings of this study can be used to assess the need for future preventive interventions in DCS, such as the use of personal protective equipment.

Smartphone-activated volunteer responders and bystander defibrillation for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in private homes and public locations.

AIMS: To investigate the association between the arrival of smartphone-activated volunteer responders before the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and bystander defibrillation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) at home and public locations. METHODS AND RESULTS: This is a retrospective study (1 September 2017-14 May 2019) from the Stockholm Region of Sweden and the Capital Region of Denmark. We included 1271 OHCAs, of which 1029 (81.0%) occurred in private homes and 242 (19.0%) in public locations. The main outcome was bystander defibrillation. At least one volunteer responder arrived before EMS in 381 (37.0%) of OHCAs at home and 84 (34.7%) in public. More patients received bystander defibrillation when a volunteer responder arrived before EMS at home (15.5 vs. 2.2%, P < 0.001) and in public locations (32.1 vs. 19.6%, P = 0.030). Similar results were found among the 361 patients with an initial shockable heart rhythm (52.7 vs. 11.5%, P < 0.001 at home and 60.0 vs. 37.8%, P = 0.025 in public). The standardized probability of receiving bystander defibrillation increased with longer EMS response times in private homes. The 30-day survival was not significantly higher when volunteer responders arrived before EMS (9.2 vs. 7.7% in private homes, P = 0.41; and 40.5 vs. 35.4% in public locations, P = 0.44). CONCLUSION: Bystander defibrillation was significantly more common in private homes and public locations when a volunteer responder arrived before the EMS. The standardized probability of bystander defibrillation increased with longer EMS response times in private homes. Our findings support the activation of volunteer responders and suggest that volunteer responders could increase bystander defibrillation, particularly in private homes.

Hypothetical interventions on emergency ambulance and prehospital acetylsalicylic acid administration in myocardial infarction patients presenting without chest pain.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial infarction (MI) patients presenting without chest pain are a diagnostic challenge. They receive suboptimal prehospital management and have high mortality. To elucidate potential benefits of improved management, we analysed expected outcome among non-chest pain MI patients if hypothetically they (1) received emergency ambulances/acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) as often as observed for chest pain patients, and (2) all received emergency ambulance/ASA. METHODS: We sampled calls to emergency and non-emergency medical services for patients hospitalized with MI within 24 h and categorized calls as chest pain/non-chest pain. Outcomes were 30-day mortality and a 1-year combined outcome of re-infarction, heart failure admission, and mortality. Targeted minimum loss-based estimation was used for all statistical analyses. RESULTS: Among 5418 calls regarding MI patients, 24% (1309) were recorded with non-chest pain. In total, 90% (3689/4109) of chest pain and 40% (525/1309) of non-chest pain patients received an emergency ambulance, and 73% (2668/3632) and 37% (192/518) of chest pain and non-chest pain patients received prehospital ASA. Providing ambulances to all non-chest pain patients was not associated with improved survival. Prehospital administration of ASA to all emergency ambulance transports of non-chest pain MI patients was expected to reduce 30-day mortality by 5.3% (CI 95%: [1.7%;9%]) from 12.8% to 7.4%. No significant reduction was found for the 1-year combined outcome (2.6% CI 95% [- 2.9%;8.1%]). In comparison, the observed 30-day mortality was 3% among ambulance-transported chest pain MI patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our study found large differences in the prehospital management of MI patients with and without chest pain. Improved prehospital ASA administration to non-chest pain MI patients could possibly reduce 30-day mortality, but long-term effects appear limited. Non-chest pain MI patients are difficult to identify prehospital and possible unintended effects of ASA might outweigh the potential benefits of improving the prehospital management. Future research should investigate ways to improve the prehospital recognition of MI in the absence of chest pain.

Characteristics of low acuity prehospital emergency patients with 48-h mortality, an observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Every year an emergency medical technician or paramedic treats and transports up to several hundred patients. Only some patients are acutely seriously ill, and a few of these show only discrete signs and symptoms of their condition. This study aims to describe patients who died within 48 h of being admitted non-emergently to hospital by ambulance, examine the extent to which critically ill patients are recognized prehospitally, and identify clinical warning signs that might be frequently overlooked. METHOD: Registry based follow-up study on patients receiving an ambulance from the Copenhagen EMS in 2018. Data was included regarding the dispatch of the ambulance from the emergency services disposition system, ICD-10 hospital admission diagnoses from the National Patient Register, 48-h mortality from the Central Person Register and assessment and treatment in the ambulance by reviewing the electronic pre-hospital patient record. RESULTS: In 2018 2279 patients died within 48 h after contact with the EMS, 435 cases met inclusion criteria. The patients' median age was 83 years (IQR 75-90), and 374 (86.0%) had one or more underlying serious medical conditions. A triage category based on vitals and presentation was not assigned by the EMS in 286 (68.9%) cases, of which 38 (13.3%) would meet red and 126 (44.1%) orange criteria. For 409 (94.0%) patients, it was estimated that death within 48 h could not have been avoided prehospitally, and for 26 (6.0%) patients it was uncertain. We found 27 patients with acute aortic syndrome as admission diagnosis, of these nine (33.3%) had not been admitted urgently to a hospital with vascular surgery specialty. CONCLUSIONS: It was estimated that death within 48 h could generally not be avoided prehospitally. The patients' median age was 83 years, and they often had serious comorbidity. Patients whose vital parameters met red or orange triage criteria were to a lesser degree triaged prehospitally, compared to patients in the yellow or green categories. Patients with acute aortic syndrome were not recognized by EMS 33.3% of the time.

Improving survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

During the past 20 years the survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has almost quadrupled from 4% in 2001 to 14% in 2020. There has been a huge focus on layman education in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and use of automated external defibrillators (AED), implementation of healthcare staff at 1-1-2 dispatch centers, early recognition of OHCA, establishment of a national AED register with publicly available AEDs, and dispatch of volunteer responders in case of nearby OHCA. This review describes implemented initiatives with the purpose of improving survival from OHCA in Denmark.

Pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Denmark.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (POHCA) has received limited attention. All causes of POHCA and outcomes were examined during a 4-year period in a Danish nationwide register and prehospital medical records. The aim was to describe the incidence, reversible causes, and survival rates for POHCA in Denmark. METHODS: This is a registry-based follow-up cohort study. All POHCA for a 4-year period (2016-2019) in Denmark were included. All prehospital medical records for the included subjects were reviewed manually by five independent raters establishing whether a presumed reversible cause could be assigned. RESULTS: We identified 173 cases within the study period. The median incidence of POHCA in the population below 17 years of age was 4.2 per 100,000 persons at risk. We found a presumed reversible cause in 48.6% of cases, with hypoxia being the predominant cause of POHCA (42.2%). The thirty-day survival was 40%. Variations were seen across age groups, with the lowest survival rate in cases below 1 year of age. Defibrillators were used more frequently among survivors, with 16% of survivors defibrillated bystanders as opposed to 1.9% in non-survivors and 24% by EMS personnel as opposed to 7.8% in non-survivors. The differences in initial rhythm being shockable was 34% for survivors and 16% for non-survivors. CONCLUSION: We found pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrests was a rare event, with higher incidence and mortality in infants compared to other age groups of children. Use of defibrillators was disproportionally higher among survivors. Hypoxia was the most common presumed cause among all age groups.

Symptoms reported in calls to emergency medical services within 24 hours prior to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

AIM: There is limited evidence regarding prodromal symptoms of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). We aimed to describe patient characteristics, prodromal symptoms, and prognosis of patients contacting emergency medical services (EMS) within 24 hours before OHCA. METHODS: We identified all OHCA treated by Copenhagen EMS from 2016 through 2018 using the Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry and linked them to emergency calls. We included all pre-arrest calls by patients or bystanders if they were performed 1) within 24 hours before the OHCA call or 2) during the OHCA event for EMS-witnessed OHCA. Calls were reviewed by healthcare professionals using a survey guide. RESULTS: Among 4,071 patients, 481 patients (12 %) had 539 calls within 24 hours prior to OHCA (60 % male, median age 74 years of age). The patient spoke on the phone in 25 % of calls. The most common symptoms were breathing problems (59 %), confusion (23 %), unconsciousness (20 %), chest pain (20 %), and paleness (19 %). Patients with breathing problems compared to chest pain were more likely to be ≤ 75 years of age (55 % versus 35 %), less likely to be male (52 % versus 73 %), have shockable rhythm (10 % versus 38 %), receive bystander defibrillation (6 % versus 19 %) or EMS defibrillation (15 % versus 65 %), achieve return of spontaneous circulation (37 % versus 68 %) and survive 30 days following OHCA (10 % versus 50 %). CONCLUSION: More than 10% of patients with OHCA had a call to EMS within 24 hours before OHCA. The most common symptom was breathing problems which compared to chest pain had lower 30-day survival.

The National Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest - A Registry in Transformation.

Aim of the Database: The aim of the Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry is to monitor the quality of prehospital cardiac arrest treatment, evaluate initiatives regarding prehospital treatment of cardiac arrest, and facilitate research. Study Population: All patients with prehospital cardiac arrest in Denmark treated by the emergency medical services in whom resuscitation or defibrillation has been attempted. Main Variables: The Danish Cardiac Arrest Register records descriptive and qualitative variables as outlined in the "Utstein" template for reporting out-of-hospital-cardiac arrest. Main variables include whether the case was witnessed, whether the cardiac arrest was electrocardiographically monitored, the timing of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the timing of the first analysis of the cardiac rhythm. The outcome measures are the status of the patient at handover to the hospital, return of spontaneous circulation, and 30-day survival after event. Database Status: The Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry was established in June 2001, and all Danish emergency medical services are reporting to the database. Conclusion: The Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry is among the oldest Danish national clinical registries, with a high quality of clinical data and coverage. This registry provides the prerequisite for all research on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest research in Denmark and is essential for monitoring and improving the quality of care for patients suffering from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Impact of integrating out-of-hours services into Emergency Medical Services Copenhagen: a descriptive study of transformational years.

BACKGROUND: Many emergency medical services and out-of-hours systems are facing an increasing demand for primary, ambulance, and secondary care services caused by population aging and a higher prevalence of long-term and complex conditions. In order to ensure safety and efficiency for future demands, many systems are changing their dispersed healthcare services towards a more integrated care system. Therefore, an evaluation of the production and performance over time of such a unified system is desirable. METHODS: This retrospective quantitative study was performed with dispatch and financial accounting data of Copenhagen Emergency Medical Services for the period 2010-2019. Copenhagen Emergency Medical Services operates both an emergency number and a medical helpline for out-of-hours services. The number of calls to the emergency number, the centralized out-of-hours medical helpline, the number of dispatches, and the annual expenditure of the system are described for both the periods before and after the major reforms. Production of the emergency number and the centralized medical helpline were analyzed separately. RESULTS: The average number of dispatches increased from 328 per 10,000 inhabitants in 2010 to 361 per 10,000 inhabitants in 2019. The newly initiated medical helpline received 533 calls per 10,000 inhabitants in its first year and 5 years later 548 calls per 10,000 inhabitants. A cost increase of 10% was observed in the first year after the reforms, but it decreased again to 8% in the following year. CONCLUSIONS: There is a population demand for a centralized telephone access point for (semi-)emergency medical services. A more integrated EMS system is promising for a sustainable healthcare provision for a growing population with complex healthcare demands and multi-morbidities.