Systems Approach Improves Survival from Cardiac Arrest

As part of ongoing global efforts to monitor and improve survival from cardiac arrest, investigators prospectively compared survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) during 2001–2005 and 2006–2008 in a region of Norway. The study included 846 adult patients with OHCA of presumed cardiac etiology in whom resuscitation was attempted by emergency medical services (EMS).

In the first period, the local resuscitation algorithm was similar to the 2000 European Resuscitation Council guidelines, whereas in the second period, the algorithm differed from the 2005 guidelines in that it recommended 3 minutes between rhythm analyses and defibrillation attempts, with pulse checks 1 minute after rhythm analysis and, if no palpable pulse, intr…