Clinical Trial: Survival Study After Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Unknown status
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: Dual Dispatch of EMS, Fire Fighters and/or Police in Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest Implemented in Nine Counties in Sweden - Can More Lives be Saved by Using This Method?

Brief Summary: The purpose of this study is to determine if dual dispatch of ambulance, fire fighters and/or police in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), can reduce the time to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation, thus increasing survival.

Detailed Summary:

Hypothesis If simultaneous dispatch of ambulance (EMS), firefighters and/or police is being initiated when an OHCA occurs, then the two latter units will be first at scene, before the ambulance crew, in ≥30% of the cases. We anticipate therefore that overall 30-days survival will increase on a national level from 9% to 12%.

Method During the period 110901 to 141231 all OHCA cases will be analyzed were the emergency medical communication centre (EMCC) has dispatched ambulance, firefighters and/or the police. Participating in the Saving More Lives in Sweden (SAMS) project are the following counties: Stockholm, Sodermanland, Jonkoping, Vastra Gotaland (VG Region), Halland, Dalarna, Jamtland, Kalmar and Uppsala. Data is collected by the units being dispatched and thereafter sent on line to a database managed by Registercentrum in Gothenburg (http://www.registercentrum.se/), administrators of the Swedish Cardiac Arrest Register.

Parameters obtained are:

  • Time for dispatch of fire fighters and/or police (recorded digitally).
  • Time for arrival to the patient.
  • Verification if cardiac arrest or not.
  • CPR performed by fire fighters or police before arrival of EMS.
  • Automated External Defibrillator (AED) connected to the patient.
  • If yes, was the first recorded rhythm shockable, i.e. ventricular fibrillation (VF) or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT).
  • Time to defibrillation.

Survival data during from the Swedish Cardiac Arrest Register (SCAR) will be obtained during the same time period
Sponsor: Karolinska Institutet

Current Primary Outcome: Survival [ Time Frame: 30-days after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) ]

Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome:

  • Time for dispatching of fire fighters and/or police [ Time Frame: Up to 1 y after ending recruitement ]
    Data are obtained digitally from the dispatch center.
  • Time for arrival to the patient [ Time Frame: Up to 1 y after ending recruitement ]
    Data are collected both digitally from the dispatch center and from protocols sent in on line by first responders.
  • Time for attaching the defibrillator to the patient [ Time Frame: Up to 1 y after ending recruitement ]
    Data are collected from protocols sent in on line by first responders.
  • Time to first defibrillation [ Time Frame: Up to 1 y after ending recruitement ]
    Data collected from the protocol sent in on line by first responders.


Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current

Information By: Karolinska Institutet

Dates:
Date Received: June 27, 2014
Date Started: September 2011
Date Completion: December 2014
Last Updated: July 8, 2014
Last Verified: July 2014