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ABSTRACT: Objectives
To analyse monthly changes in public access defibrillation (PAD) incidence and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) during the 2020-2021 COVID-19 pandemic compared with those during the 2016-2019 prepandemic period with consideration of pandemic-related movement restriction.Design
Retrospective cohort study.Setting
An extended database was created by combining and reconciling the nationwide Utstein-style OHCA and the emergency medical service (EMS) transportation databases in Japan.Participants
We analysed 226 182 EMS-witnessed, non-newborn and out-of-home OHCA cases in Japan.Primary and secondary outcome measures
The primary outcomes were the PAD incidence and neurologically favourable 1-month survival rate. The secondary outcomes were bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) provision and dispatcher-assisted CPR attempts.Results
The proportion of out-of-home OHCA cases slightly decreased during the pandemic (from 33.7% to 31.9%). Although the pandemic was associated with a decreased PAD incidence, 2-year trend analyses by an interaction test showed that the PAD incidence was lower during the first nationwide declaration of a state of emergency (p<0.001) and in the pandemic's second year (p<0.01). Regardless of location, delays in basic life support (BLS) actions and EMS contact with patients were more common and the rate of PAD-induced return of spontaneous circulation was lower during the pandemic. PAD incidence reduction was significant only in locations with a recommendation of automated external defibrillator placement (p<0.001). In other locations, a pronounced delay in BLS was found during the pandemic. The neurologically favourable survival rate was reduced in parallel with the reduced PAD incidence during the pandemic (r=0.612, p=0.002).Conclusions
Prolonged and repeated movement restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic worsened the OHCA outcomes concurrently with disturbed BLS actions, including the reduced PAD incidence in out-of-home settings. Maintaining BLS training, re-arranging automated external defibrillator placement and establishing a local alert system for recruiting well-trained citizens to the scene are essential.
SUBMITTER: Omatsu K
PROVIDER: S-EPMC11015190 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
BMJ open 20240408 4
<h4>Objectives</h4>To analyse monthly changes in public access defibrillation (PAD) incidence and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) during the 2020-2021 COVID-19 pandemic compared with those during the 2016-2019 prepandemic period with consideration of pandemic-related movement restriction.<h4>Design</h4>Retrospective cohort study.<h4>Setting</h4>An extended database was created by combining and reconciling the nationwide Utstein-style OHCA and the emergency medical service (EMS) ...[more]