Objective- In November 2005, updated resuscitation guidelines were introduced world-wide, and will be revised again in 2010. This study aims to determine how long it takes to implement new guidelines.
Methods- This was a prospective observational study. From July 2005 to January 2008, we included all patients with a non traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Ambulance paramedics sent all continuous ECG registrations with impedance signal by modem. We excluded ECGs from patients with Return Of Spontaneous Circulation at arrival, incomplete ECG registrations, ECGs with technical deficits or with continuous chest compressions. The same guidelines needed to be used in over 75% of the registration time in order to be labeled. We classified ECGs as guidelines 2000 if the c:v ratio was 15:2, shock blocks were present and there was rhythm analysis after each shock; guidelines 2005 if the c:v ratio was 30:2, a single shock protocol was used and chest compressions was immediately resumed after shock or rhythm analysis in a no shock scenario. We accepted 10% deviations in the amount of compressions (13–17 for 2000 guidelines, 27–33 for 2005).
Results- Of the 1703 analyzable ECGs, we classified 827 (48.6%) as guidelines 2000 and 624 (36.6%) as guidelines 2005. In the remaining 252 ECGs (14.8%) 31 used guidelines 1992, 137 applied guidelines 2000 with c:v ratio of 30:2 and 84 did not show distinguishable guideline usage. Since the introduction in November 2005, it took 17 months to apply new guidelines in over 80% of the cases (figure 1
).
Conclusion- Guideline changes are slowly implemented by professionals. This needs to be taken in consideration when new guideline revisions are considered.
Development of the probability of return of spontaneous circulation in intervals without chest compressions during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: an observational study
