Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes when law enforcement arrives before emergency medical services.

BACKGROUND: Law enforcement (LE) professionals are often dispatched to out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) to provide early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) application with mixed evidence of a survival benefit. Our objective was to comprehensively evaluate LE care in OHCA. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of adults with non-traumatic OHCA not witnessed by EMS and without bystander AED use from 2018-2021. Our primary outcome was survival with Cerebral Perfusion Category score ≤ 2 (functional survival). Our exposures included: LE On-scene Only (without providing care); LE CPR Only (without applying an AED); LE Ideal Care (ensuring CPR and AED application). Our control group had no LE arrival before EMS. We performed multivariable logistic regression analyses adjusting for confounders and stratified our analyses by patients with and without bystander CPR. RESULTS: There were 2569 adult, non-traumatic OHCAs from 2018-2021 meeting inclusion criteria. There were no differences in the odds of functional survival for LE On-scene Only (adjusted odds ratio [95% CI]: 1.28 [0.47-3.45]), LE CPR Only (1.26 [0.80-1.99]), or LE Ideal Care (1.36 [0.79-2.33]). In patients without bystander CPR, LE Ideal Care had significantly higher odds of functional survival (2.01 [1.06-3.81]) compared to no LE on-scene, with no significant associations for LE On-scene Only or LE CPR Only. There were no significant differences by LE care in patients already receiving bystander CPR. CONCLUSIONS: LE arrival before EMS and ensuring both CPR and AED application is associated with significantly improved functional survival in OHCA patients not already receiving bystander CPR.

Effects of intra-resuscitation antiarrhythmic administration on rearrest occurrence and intra-resuscitation ECG characteristics in the ROC ALPS trial.

BACKGROUND: Intra-resuscitation antiarrhythmic drugs may improve resuscitation outcomes, in part by avoiding rearrest, a condition associated with poor out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) outcomes. However, antiarrhythmics may also alter defibrillation threshold. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between rearrest and intra-resuscitation antiarrhythmic drugs in the context of the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (ROC) amiodarone, lidocaine, and placebo (ALPS) trial. HYPOTHESIS: Rearrest rates would be lower in cases treated with amiodarone or lidocaine, versus saline placebo, prior to first return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). We also hypothesized antiarrhythmic effects would be quantifiable through analysis of the prehospital electrocardiogram. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of the ROC ALPS trial. Cases that first achieved prehospital ROSC after randomized administration of study drug were included in the analysis. Rearrest, defined as loss of pulses following ROSC, was ascertained from emergency medical services records. Rearrest rate was calculated overall, as well as by ALPS treatment group. Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to assess the association between treatment group and rearrest, as well as rearrest and both survival to hospital discharge and survival with neurologic function. Amplitude spectrum area, median slope, and centroid frequency of the ventricular fibrillation (VF) ECG were calculated and compared across treatment groups. RESULTS: A total of 1144 (40.4%) cases with study drug prior to first ROSC were included. Rearrest rate was 44.0% overall; 42.9% for placebo, 45.7% for lidocaine, and 43.0% for amiodarone. In multivariable logistic regression models, ALPS treatment group was not associated with rearrest, though rearrest was associated with poor survival and neurologic outcomes. AMSA and median slope measures of the first available VF were associated with rearrest case status, while median slope and centroid frequency were associated with ALPS treatment group. CONCLUSION: Rearrest rates did not differ between antiarrhythmic and placebo treatment groups. ECG waveform characteristics were correlated with treatment group and rearrest. Rearrest was inversely associated with survival and neurologic outcomes.

Association of Neighborhood Demographics With Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Treatment and Outcomes: Where You Live May Matter.

Importance: We examined whether resuscitation care and outcomes vary by the racial composition of the neighborhood where out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) occur. Objective: To evaluate the association between bystander treatments (cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automatic external defibrillation) and timing of emergency medical services personnel on OHCA outcomes according to the racial composition of the neighborhood where the OHCA event occurred. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective observational cohort study examined patients with OHCA from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2011, using data from the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium. Neighborhoods where OHCA occurred were classified by census tract, based on percentage of black residents: less than 25%, 25% to 50%, 51% to 75%, or more than 75%. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression modeling examined the association between racial composition of neighborhoods and OHCA survival, adjusting for patient, neighborhood, and treatment characteristics. Main Outcomes and Measures: Survival to discharge, return of spontaneous circulation on emergency department arrival, and favorable neurologic status at discharge. Results: We examined 22 816 adult patients with nontraumatic OHCA at Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium sites in the United States. The median age of patients with OHCA was 64 years (interquartile range [IQR], 51-78). Compared with patients who experienced OHCA in neighborhoods with a lower proportion of black residents, those in neighborhoods with more than 75% black residents were slightly younger, were more frequently women, had lower rates of initial shockable rhythm, and less frequently experienced OHCA in a public location. The percentage of patients with OHCA receiving bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation or a lay automatic external defibrillation was inversely associated with the percentage of black residents in neighborhoods. Compared with OHCA in predominantly white neighborhoods (<25% black), those with OHCA in mixed to majority black neighborhoods had lower adjusted survival rates to hospital discharge (25%-50% black: odds ratio, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.61-0.93; 51%-75% black: odds ratio, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.49-0.90; >75% black: odds ratio, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.50-0.79; P < .001). There was similar mortality risk for black and white patients with OHCA in each neighborhood racial quantile. When the primary model included geographic site, there was an attenuated nonsignificant association between racial composition in a neighborhood and survival. Conclusions and Relevance: Those with OHCA in predominantly black neighborhoods had the lowest rates of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automatic external defibrillation use and significantly lower likelihood for survival compared with predominantly white neighborhoods. Improving bystander treatments in these neighborhoods may improve cardiac arrest survival.

Compression-to-ventilation ratio and incidence of rearrest-A secondary analysis of the ROC CCC trial.

BACKGROUND: Previous work has demonstrated that when out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients achieve return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), but subsequently have another cardiac arrest prior to hospital arrival (rearrest), the probability of survival to hospital discharge is significantly decreased. Additionally, few modifiable factors for rearrest are known. We sought to examine the association between rearrest and compression-to-ventilation ratio during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and to confirm the association between rearrest and outcomes. HYPOTHESIS: Rearrest incidence would be similar between cases treated with 30:2 or continuous chest compression (CCC) CPR, but inversely related to survival and good neurological outcome. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of a large randomized-controlled trial of CCC versus 30:2 CPR for the treatment of OHCA between 2011 and 2015 among 8 sites of the Resuscitation OUTCOMES: Consortium (ROC). Patients were randomized through an emergency medical services (EMS) agency-level cluster randomization design to receive either 30:2 or CCC CPR. Case data were derived from prehospital patient care reports, digital defibrillator files, and hospital records. The primary analysis was an as-treated comparison of the proportion of patients with a rearrest for patients who received 30:2 versus those who received CCC. In addition, we assessed the association between rearrest and both survival to hospital discharge and favorable neurological outcome (Modified Rankin Score≤3) in patients with and without ROSC upon ED arrival using multivariable logistic regression adjusting for age, sex, initial rhythm and measures of CPR quality. RESULTS: There were 14,109 analyzable cases that were determined to have definitively received either CCC or 30:2 CPR. Of these, 4713 had prehospital ROSC and 2040 (43.2%) had at least one rearrest. Incidence of rearrest was not significantly different between patients receiving CCC and 30:2 (44.1% vs 41.8%; adjusted OR: 1.01; 95% CI: 0.88, 1.16). Rearrest was significantly associated with lower survival (23.3% vs 36.9%; adjusted OR: 0.46; 95%CI: 0.36-0.51) and worse neurological outcome (19.4% vs 30.2%; adjusted OR: 0.46; 95%CI: 0.38, 0.55). CONCLUSION: Rearrest occurrence was not significantly different between patients receiving CCC and 30:2, and was inversely associated with survival to hospital discharge and MRS.

A quantitative analysis of out-of-hospital pediatric and adolescent resuscitation quality--A report from the ROC epistry-cardiac arrest.

AIM: High-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may improve survival. The quality of CPR performed during pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (p-OHCA) is largely unknown. The main objective of this study was to describe the quality of CPR performed during p-OHCA resuscitation attempts. METHODS: Prospective observational multi-center cohort study of p-OHCA patients ≥ 1 and < 19 years of age registered in the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (ROC) Epistry database. The primary outcome was an a priori composite variable of compliance with American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines for both chest compression (CC) rate and CC fraction (CCF). Event compliance was defined as a case with 60% or more of its minute epochs compliant with AHA targets (rate 100-120 min(-1); depth ≥ 38 mm; and CCF ≥ 0.80). In a secondary analysis, multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between guideline compliance and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). RESULTS: Between December 2005 and December 2012, 2564 pediatric events were treated by EMS providers, 390 of which were included in the final cohort. Of these events, 22% achieved AHA compliance for both rate and CCF, 36% for rate alone, 53% for CCF alone, and 58% for depth alone. Over time, there was a significant increase in CCF (p < 0.001) and depth (p = 0.03). After controlling for potential confounders, there was no significant association between AHA guideline compliance and ROSC. CONCLUSIONS: In this multi-center study, we have established that there are opportunities for professional rescuers to improve prehospital CPR quality. Encouragingly, CCF and depth both increased significantly over time.