Effects of a volunteer responder system for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in areas of different population density - A retrospective cohort study.
HeartRunner™
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
Population density
Response time
Volunteer responder
Journal
Resuscitation
ISSN: 1873-1570
Titre abrégé: Resuscitation
Pays: Ireland
ID NLM: 0332173
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
10 2023
10 2023
Historique:
received:
08
06
2023
revised:
26
07
2023
accepted:
26
07
2023
medline:
27
9
2023
pubmed:
6
8
2023
entrez:
5
8
2023
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Volunteer responder dispatch to nearby out-of-hospital cardiac arrests using a smartphone application can increase the proportion of patients receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It is unknown how population density is related to the efficacy of a volunteer responder system. This study aimed to compare the response time of volunteer responders and EMS dispatched to suspected OHCAs in areas of different population density. A total of 2630 suspected OHCAs in Stockholm County during 2018-2020 where at least one dispatched volunteer responder reached the patient were identified through the HeartRunner™ application database. Study outcome was the proportion of cases where volunteer responders arrived at the scene before EMS, as well as the difference in time between the arrival of volunteer responders and EMS. Volunteer responders arrived before EMS in 68% of examined cases (n = 1613). Higher population density was associated with a lower proportion of cases where volunteer responders arrived at the scene before EMS. Time on scene before arrival of EMS was highest in areas of low population density and averaged 4:07 (mm:ss). Response time was significantly shorter for volunteer responders compared to EMS across all population density groups at 4:47 vs 8:11 (mm:ss) (p < 0.001); the largest difference in response time was found in low population density areas. Volunteer responders have significantly shorter response time than EMS regardless of population density, with the greatest difference in low population density areas. Although their impact on clinical outcome remains unknown, the benefits of dispatching volunteer responders to OHCAs may be greatest in rural areas.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Volunteer responder dispatch to nearby out-of-hospital cardiac arrests using a smartphone application can increase the proportion of patients receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It is unknown how population density is related to the efficacy of a volunteer responder system. This study aimed to compare the response time of volunteer responders and EMS dispatched to suspected OHCAs in areas of different population density.
METHODS
A total of 2630 suspected OHCAs in Stockholm County during 2018-2020 where at least one dispatched volunteer responder reached the patient were identified through the HeartRunner™ application database. Study outcome was the proportion of cases where volunteer responders arrived at the scene before EMS, as well as the difference in time between the arrival of volunteer responders and EMS.
RESULTS
Volunteer responders arrived before EMS in 68% of examined cases (n = 1613). Higher population density was associated with a lower proportion of cases where volunteer responders arrived at the scene before EMS. Time on scene before arrival of EMS was highest in areas of low population density and averaged 4:07 (mm:ss). Response time was significantly shorter for volunteer responders compared to EMS across all population density groups at 4:47 vs 8:11 (mm:ss) (p < 0.001); the largest difference in response time was found in low population density areas.
CONCLUSION
Volunteer responders have significantly shorter response time than EMS regardless of population density, with the greatest difference in low population density areas. Although their impact on clinical outcome remains unknown, the benefits of dispatching volunteer responders to OHCAs may be greatest in rural areas.
Identifiants
pubmed: 37543160
pii: S0300-9572(23)00234-4
doi: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2023.109921
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
109921Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Oscar Lapidus, Martin Jonsson, Ellinor Berglund, Gabriel Riva, Sune Forsberg and Anette Nord declare no competing interests. Leif Svensson, Jacob Hollenberg, Andreas Claesson, Per Nordberg, Mårten Rosenqvist and Mattias Ringh are all indirect shareholders in Heartrunner Sweden AB.