Initial Development of a Tool to Measure Implementation of Community Change to Improve Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8

Background: The Resuscitation Academy (RA) is a training and community change program to assist communities in implementing activities to improve survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The purpose of this paper is to present data on the development of an implementation index to measure community progress in achieving survival reduction. Methods: Community representatives who attended the RA in Seattle, WA (n=258) completed an on-line survey asking about achievement of the chain of survival program components, presented in the RA, and the most helpful things that supported communities in implementing these activities. Survival data in the Cardiac Arrest Surveillance (CARES) database was used to examine the association between implementation of chain of survival components and cardiac arrest survival rates in those agencies participating CARES. Results: The15-item scale was easily implemented in online form. Internal consistency, measured by an alpha coefficient, was 0.78. Time since RA participation was significantly related to implementation index score, indicating potential to measure change. An overall implementation index showed a positive association with independently measured survival (p < 0.001). Conclusions: These data indicate that the implementation index has acceptable properties for measuring community change in the area of implementation of cardiac survival efforts. Areas for improvement include further work on measurement and documentation of the implementation process in communities, and considering tailored feedback using the tool as way of providing assistance for communities struggling to implement this program.

Author(s):  
D. M. Oosterveer ◽  
M. de Visser ◽  
C. Heringhaus

Abstract Objective To evaluate whether a text message (TM) alert system for trained volunteers contributed to early cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and survival in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients in a region with above-average survival rates. Design Data on all OHCA patients in 2012 (non-TM group) were compared with those of all OHCA patients in 2018 (TM group). The association of the presence of a TM alert system with ROSC and survival was assessed with multivariate regression analyses. Results TM responders reached 42 OHCA patients (15.9%) earlier than the first responders or ambulance. They connected 31 of these 42 OHCA patients (73.8%) to an AED before the ambulance arrived, leading to a higher percentage of AEDs being attached in 2018 compared to the 2012 non-TM group (55% vs 46%, p = 0.03). ROSC was achieved more often in the TM group (61.0% vs 29.4%, p < 0.01). Three-month and 1‑year survival did not differ significantly between the two groups (29.3% vs 24.3%, p = 0.19, and 25.9% vs 23.5%, p = 0.51). Multivariate regression analyses confirmed the positive association of ROSC with the TM alert system (odds ratio 1.49, 95% confidence interval 1.02‑2.19, p = 0.04). Conclusion A TM alert system seems to improve the chain of survival; because TM responders reached patients early, AEDs were attached more often and more OHCA patients achieved ROSC. However, the introduction of a TM alert system was not associated with improved 3‑month or 1‑year survival in a region with above-average survival rates.


Author(s):  
Iris Oving ◽  
◽  
Siobhan Masterson ◽  
Ingvild B.M. Tjelmeland ◽  
Martin Jonsson ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In Europe, survival rates after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) vary widely. Presence/absence and differences in implementation of systems dispatching First Responders (FR) in order to arrive before Emergency Medical Services (EMS) may contribute to this variation. A comprehensive overview of the different types of FR-systems used across Europe is lacking. Methods A mixed-method survey and information retrieved from national resuscitation councils and national EMS services were used as a basis for an inventory. The survey was sent to 51 OHCA experts across 29 European countries. Results Forty-seven (92%) OHCA experts from 29 countries responded to the survey. More than half of European countries had at least one region with a FR-system. Four categories of FR types were identified: (1) firefighters (professional/voluntary); (2) police officers; (3) citizen-responders; (4) others including off-duty EMS personnel (nurses, medical doctors), taxi drivers. Three main roles for FRs were identified: (a) complementary to EMS; (b) part of EMS; (c) instead of EMS. A wide variation in FR-systems was observed, both between and within countries. Conclusions Policies relating to FRs are commonly implemented on a regional level, leading to a wide variation in FR-systems between and within countries. Future research should focus on identifying the FR-systems that most strongly influence survival. The large variation in local circumstances across regions suggests that it is unlikely that there will be a ‘one-size fits all’ FR-system for Europe, but examining the role of FRs in the Chain of Survival is likely to become an increasingly important aspect of OHCA research.


Circulation ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 132 (suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Marengo ◽  
Wolfgang Ummenhofer ◽  
Gerster Pascal ◽  
Falko Harm ◽  
Marc Lüthy ◽  
...  

Introduction: Agonal respiration has been shown to be commonly associated with witnessed events, ventricular fibrillation, and increased survival during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. There is little information on incidence of gasping for in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA). Our “Rapid Response Team” (RRT) missions were monitored between December 2010 and March 2015, and the prevalence of gasping and survival data for IHCA were investigated. Methods: A standardized extended in-hospital Utstein data set of all RRT-interventions occurring at the University Hospital Basel, Switzerland, from December 13, 2010 until March 31, 2015 was consecutively collected and recorded in Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Corp., USA). Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0 (IBM Corp., USA), and are presented as descriptive statistics. Results: The RRT was activated for 636 patients, with 459 having a life-threatening status (72%; 33 missing). 270 patients (59%) suffered IHCA. Ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia occurred in 42 patients (16% of CA) and were associated with improved return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) (36 (97%) vs. 143 (67%; p<0.001)), hospital discharge (25 (68%) vs. 48 (23%; p<0.001)), and discharge with good neurological outcome (Cerebral Performance Categories of 1 or 2 (CPC) (21 (55%) vs. 41 (19%; p<0.001)). Gasping was seen in 128 patients (57% of CA; 46 missing) and was associated with an overall improved ROSC (99 (78%) vs. 55 (59%; p=0.003)). In CAs occurring on the ward (154, 57% of all CAs), gasping was associated with a higher proportion of shockable rhythms (11 (16%) vs. 2 (3%; p=0.019)), improved ROSC (62 (90%) vs. 34 (55%; p<0.001)), and hospital discharge (21 (32%) vs. 7 (11%; p=0.006)). Gasping was not associated with neurological outcome. Conclusions: Gasping was frequently observed accompanying IHCA. The faster in-hospital patient access is probably the reason for the higher prevalence compared to the prehospital setting. For CA on the ward without continuous monitoring, gasping correlates with increased shockable rhythms, ROSC, and hospital discharge.


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (06) ◽  
pp. 775-784
Author(s):  
Tobias Cronberg

AbstractDuring the last two decades, survival rates after cardiac arrest have increased while the fraction of patients surviving with a severe neurological disability or vegetative state has decreased in many countries. While improved survival is due to improvements in the whole “chain of survival,” improved methods for prognostication of neurological outcome may be of major importance for the lower disability rates. Patients who are resuscitated and treated in intensive care will die mainly from the withdrawal of life-sustaining (WLST) therapy due to presumed poor chances of meaningful neurological recovery. To ensure high-quality decision-making and to reduce the risk of premature withdrawal of care, implementation of local protocols is crucial and should be guided by international recommendations. Despite rigorous neurological prognostication, cognitive impairment and related psychological distress and reduced participation in society will still be relevant concerns for cardiac arrest survivors. The commonly used outcome measures are not designed to provide information on these domains. Follow-up of the cardiac arrest survivor needs to consider the cardiovascular burden as an important factor to prevent cognitive difficulties and future decline.


Resuscitation ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. S30
Author(s):  
P. Mols ◽  
E. Beaucarne ◽  
P.H. Robert ◽  
C. Langen ◽  
M. Muller

Author(s):  
Charles R Siegel ◽  
Anjan Chakrabarti ◽  
Lewis Siegel ◽  
Forrest Winslow ◽  
Thomas Hall

Introduction: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains a highly morbid public health problem. Despite improving practices and clear guidelines, mortality from this condition remains high at 90%, with survivors often suffering from poor neurologic outcomes. To determine the feasibility of quality improvement collaboratives to narrow gaps between evidence-based practice and patient care for OHCA, we conducted a pilot study of the AHA Resuscitation Collaborative. Methods: Eight emergency medical service agencies participated in the quality improvement collaborative pilot project. We identified several OHCA performance measures to assess the quality of care, guide collaborative activities, and monitor change in performance over time. Over the course of four learning sessions, participants were trained in quality improvement and performance measurement, analyzed performance measure results, and shared successes and challenges. Results: Five remaining agencies underwent the process outlined in Figure 1. Adherence to performance measures, including compression rate compliance (Figure 2), improved over the course of the collaborative. Compression rate compliance in Figure 2 corresponds to the process improvement efforts of the Chesapeake Fire Department with achievement of goals for optimal range of chest compression rate between 100 and 120 compressions per minute during resuscitations. Conclusion: As demonstrated in Virginia, the collaborative approach was an effective framework to improve OHCA care. Improvement in performance measures, the evident commitment of dedicated peers and colleagues, consistent collaboration, and the effective diffusion of best practices all support the continued use of this model.


Circulation ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 116 (suppl_16) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynn J White ◽  
Sarah A Cantrell ◽  
Robert Cronin ◽  
Shawn Koser ◽  
David Keseg ◽  
...  

Introduction Long pauses without chest compressions (CC) have been identified in CPR provided by EMS professionals for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OOHCA). The 2005 AHA ECC CPR guidelines emphasize CC. The 2005 AHA Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Professionals (HCP) course introduced a training method with more CPR skills practice during the DVD based course. The purpose of this before/after study was to determine whether CC rates increased after introduction of the 2005 course. Methods This urban EMS system has 400 cardiac etiology OOHCA events annually. A convenience sample of 49 continuous electronic ECG recordings of VF patients was analyzed with the impedance channel of the LIFEPAK 12 (Physio-Control, Redmond WA) and proprietary software. A trained researcher verified the automated analysis. Each CC during the resuscitation attempt and pauses in CC before and after the first defibrillation shock were noted. The time of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) was determined by medical record review and onset of regular electrical activity without CC. Medical records were reviewed for outcome to hospital discharge. The EMS patient care protocol for VF was changed on July 1, 2006 to comply with the 2005 AHA ECC guidelines. Cases were grouped by the OOHCA date: 9/2004 to 12/31/2006 (pre) and 7/1/2006 to 4/21/2007 (post). EMS personnel began taking the 2005 BLS for HCP course during spring 2006. Monthly courses over 3 years will recertify 1500 personnel. Results 29 cases were analyzed from the pre group and 20 from the post group. Compressions per minute increased from a mean (±SD) of 47 ± 16 pre to 75 ± 33 post (P < 0.01). The mean count of shocks given per victim decreased from 4.5 ± 4.0 pre to 2.8 ± 1.8 post (P < 0.04). The CC pause before the first shock was unchanged (23.6 ± 18.4 seconds to 22.1 ± 17.9). but the CC pause following that shock decreased significantly from 48.7 ± 63.2 to 11.8 ± 22.5 (p=0.008). Rates of ROSC (55% pre, 50% post) and survival to discharge (15% pre, 13% post) were similar. Conclusion Following introduction of the 2005 BLS for HCP course and the EMS protocol change, the quality of CPR delivered to victims of OOHCA improved significantly compared with pre-2006 CPR. The sample size was too small to detect differences in survival rates.


Author(s):  
Kathie Thomas ◽  
Art Miller ◽  
Greg Poe

Background and Objectives: It is estimated that over 200,000 adults experience in-hospital cardiac arrest each year. Overall survival to discharge has remained relatively unchanged for decades and survival rates remain at about 20% (Elenbach et al., 2009). Get With The Guidelines-Resuscitation (GWTG-R) is an in-hospital quality improvement program designed to improve adherence to evidence-based care of patients who experience an in-hospital resuscitation event. GWTG-R focuses on four achievement measures. The measures for adult patients include time to first chest compression of less than or equal to one minute, device confirmation of correct endotracheal tube placement, patients with pulseless VF/VT as the initial documented rhythm with a time to first shock of less than or equal to two minutes, and events in which patients were monitored or witnessed at the time of cardiac arrest. The objective of this abstract is to examine the association between hospital adherence to GWTG-R and in-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates. Methods: A retrospective review of adult in-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) patients (n=1849) from 21 Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana hospitals using the GWTG-R database was conducted from January 2014 through December 2014. This study included adult CPA patients that did and did not survive to discharge. Results: The review found that hospitals that had attained 84.6% or higher thresholds in all four achievement measures for at least one year, which is award recognition status, had a significantly improved in-hospital CPA survival to discharge rate of 29.6%. Hospitals that did not obtain award status had a CPA survival to discharge rate of 24.3%. The national survival rate for in-hospital adult CPA survival to discharge is 20%. Hospitals that did not achieve award recognition status still demonstrated improvement in survival rate when compared to the national survival rate, indicating the importance of a quality improvement program such as GWTG-R. No significant difference was found between in-hospital adult CPA survival rate and race between GWTG-R award winning and non-award winning hospitals. Hospitals that earned award recognition from GWTG-R had a survival to discharge rate of 30.2% for African Americans and 29.6% for whites. Hospitals that were did not earn award recognition from GWTG-R had a survival to discharge rate of 20.0% for African Americans and 20.1% for whites. Conclusions: Survival of in-hospital adult CPA patients improved significantly when GWTG-R measures are adhered to. Survival of in-hospital adult CPA patients also improves with implementation of GWTG-R. It is crucial that hospitals collect and analyze data regarding resuscitation processes and outcomes. Quality improvement measures can then be implemented in order to assist with improving in-hospital CPA survival rates.


Circulation ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 116 (suppl_16) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom P Aufderheide ◽  
Marvin Birnbaum ◽  
Charles Lick ◽  
Brent Myers ◽  
Laurie Romig ◽  
...  

Introduction: Maximizing outcomes after cardiac arrest depends on optimizing a sequence of interventions from collapse to hospital discharge. The 2005 American Heart Association (AHA) Guidelines recommended many new interventions during CPR (‘New CPR’) including use of an Impedance Threshold Device (ITD). Hypothesis: The combination of the ITD and ‘New CPR’ will increase return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and hospital discharge (HD) rates in patients with an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Methods: Quality assurance data were pooled from 7 emergency medical services (EMS) systems (Anoka Co., MN; Harris Co., TX; Madison, WI; Milwaukee, WI; Omaha, NE; Pinellas Co., FL; and Wake Co., NC) where the ITD (ResQPOD®, Advanced Circulatory Systems; Minneapolis, MN) was deployed for >3 months. Historical or concurrent control data were used for comparison. The EMS systems simultaneously implemented ‘New CPR’ including compression/ventilation strategies to provide more compressions/min and continuous compressions during Advanced Life Support. All sites stressed the importance of full chest wall recoil. The sites have a combined population of ~ 3.2 M. ROSC data were available from all sites; HD data were available as of June 2007 from 5 sites (MN, TX, Milwaukee, NE, NC). Results: A total of 893 patients treated with ‘New CPR’ + ITD were compared with 1424 control patients. The average age of both study populations was 64 years; 65% were male. Comparison of the ITD vs controls (all patients) for ROSC and HD [Odds ratios (OR), (95% confidence intervals), and Fisher’s Exact Test] were: 37.9% vs 33.8% [1.2, (1.02, 1.40), p=0.022] and 15.7% vs 7.9% [2.2, (1.53, 3.07), p<0.001], respectively. Patients with ventricular fibrillation had the best outcomes in both groups. Neurological outcome data are pending. Therapeutic hypothermia was used in some patients (MN, NC) after ROSC. Conclusion: Adoption of the ITD + ‘New CPR’ resulted in only a >10% increase in ROSC rates but a doubling of hospital discharge rates, from 7.9% to 15.7%, (p<0.001). These data represent a currently optimized sequence of therapeutic interventions during the performance of CPR for patients in cardiac arrest and support the widespread use of the 2005 AHA CPR Guidelines including use of the ITD.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document