Acute cardiac care & resuscitation
Changes in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest resuscitation quality during and after the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors' conclusion
Several CPR quality metrics declined during the COVID-19 period and some remain below pre-pandemic levels.
Study context
- Population
- Adult OHCA patients of medical aetiology with attempted resuscitation, Victoria, Australia
- Participants
- 8,956 patients
- Exposure
- COVID-19 period vs pre-COVID-19 period
- Pre-COVID-19n = 2,389reference
- COVID-19n = 4,935
- Post-COVID-19n = 1,632
- Outcome
- CPR quality metrics and time to resuscitation interventions
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
COVID-19 vs Pre-COVID-19Median difference, percentage points (95% CI)
Chest compression fraction
−0.81(−1.07,−0.56)
COVID-19 vs Pre-COVID-19Median difference, mm per second (95% CI)
Release velocity
−5.26(−9.79 to −0.72)
COVID-19 vs Pre-COVID-19Median difference, min (95% CI)
Resuscitation duration
−2.2(−3.39 to −1.05)
COVID-19 vs Pre-COVID-19Median difference, s (95% CI)
Post-shock pause (longer)
0.22(0.05–0.38)
COVID-19 vs Pre-COVID-19Adjusted odds ratio (95% CI)
Adrenaline within 5 mins
0.72(0.63–0.82)
Laryngeal mask insertion within 10 mins of arrival
0.83(0.74–0.94)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Post-COVID-19 vs pre-COVID-19
- All factors except resuscitation duration and time to laryngeal mask insertion remained significantly different from baseline
Original publication
Changes in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest resuscitation quality during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Resuscitation. Published 22 October 2024. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →