Bystander Interventions Can Improve Outcomes From Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Abstract

Until recently, most communities reported that outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) had not improved for more than 30 years.¹ This contrasts markedly with the significant and important reductions in mortality associated with care of other acute cardiovascular conditions such as ST-elevation myocardial infarction.² In recognition of this discordance, experts previously called for implementation of cardiac resuscitation systems of care that consist of an interconnected community, involving the efforts of emergency medical services (EMS) systems, emergency departments, and hospitals to improve outcomes for patients with cardiac arrest.³