Acute cardiac care & resuscitationCohort study
Paramedic-assessed quality of bystander CPR is associated with survival in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
- population-based registry study
Authors' conclusion
Quality of bCPR is of greater importance than the fact that bCPR was performed. EMS systems and policy-makers should consider measures that support providers of bCPR to deliver effective compressions.
Study context
- Population
- Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases in the NSW Ambulance OHCA registry, 2021–2024patients included
- Participants
- 17,715 cases
- Exposure
- Bystander CPR was included in multivariate models as a dichotomous variable or stratified by Bystander CPR (bCPR) quality, and compared with no bCPR.
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
30-day survival · 30 days
Each group vs no bCPRAdjusted odds ratio (95% CI)
bCPR
1.70(1.24–2.34)
Good-quality bCPR
2.62(1.86–3.68)
Poor-quality bCPRnot associated with 30-day survival
0.99(0.68–1.45)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Bystander CPR performance and quality recording
- Bystander CPR performed
- 59.4%
- bCPR quality recorded
- 62.1%
Factors associated with bCPR being performed and its quality
- Younger age, witnessed arrest and non-residential location were associated with increased odds of bCPR being performed and being of good quality
- Male sex and EMS response time less than 10 min were associated with lower odds of bCPR being performed but were not associated with quality of bCPR
Original publication
Paramedic-assessed quality of bystander CPR is associated with survival in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Resuscitation. Published 26 June 2026. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2026.111187
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it