An analysis of the relationship between the applied medical rescue actions and the return of spontaneous circulation in adults with out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a significant medical and social issue, the main cause of death in Europe and the United States. The aim of the research was to evaluate the effectiveness of emergency medical procedures applied by emergency medical teams in prehospital care in the context of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). The case–control study was based on the medical documentation of the Rescue Service in Katowice (responsible for monitoring 2.7 million inhabitants of the region) referring to 2016. The research involved exclusively adults (ie, individuals older than 18 years) with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). After considering the above inclusion criteria, there were 1603 dispatch order forms (0.64% of all dispatch orders) involved in further research. On the basis of the emergency medical procedure forms, the actions of emergency medical teams were verified as medical procedures (endotracheal intubation, the use of suction pumps, defibrillation, the use of alternatives providing airway patency and ROSC was determined. The analysis covered 1603 cases of OHCA. SCA turned out more frequent in men than in women (P = .000). Most often, SCA occurred in domestic conditions during the day and was witnessed by a third person. In 59.9% of the cases, actions were taken by witnesses, which increased the probability of ROSC. Patients were usually intubated (51.4%). Respirators were used less frequently (20.2%). Ventricular fibrillation (VF) was reported only in 22.0% of the cases. The ROSC rate was higher in the group of patients with diagnosed VF than in those with nonshockable rhythms (VF, 55.43% vs asystole, 24.05%; P = .000). Successful resuscitation depends on the quality of emergency medical procedures performed at the place of incident. The highest probability of ROSC is related with defibrillation (in the cases of VF or ventricular tachycardia with no pulse), intubation, the application of a respirator, and performing mechanical ventilation, as well as with a shorter time from dispatch to arrival.