Approximately half of ALL patients received by stander CPR and almost half of all surviving patients received CPR. It is clear that if we can further increase by stander CPR, we can also increase the chances of survival. Recent studies in Sweden attributed their improved survival rate to increased by stander CPR. Nationwide introduction of dispatch-assisted CPR and PHECC’s Citizen CPR programme will hopefully mean that we will see a similar effect in Ireland.
Since the beginning of 2012,the OHCAR has been receiving data nationally, a critical element in establishing a reliable database on OHCA response and management for Ireland.
A fast and appropriate ambulance service response is key in determining patientsurvival in almost all cases. Indeed the skill and expertise of ambulance personnel is evidentin OHCAR data.
First Responders have managed to fully resuscitate patients in a number of cases and their ability to perform CPR and defibrillation when necessary are evident in the OHCAR data.
Additionally, the dedication shown by First Responders in maintaining the resuscitation attempt until EMS arrival should not be understated.
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OHCAR has also shown the vital role that General Practitioners play in cardiac arrest management, from resuscitation to the administration of life-saving drugs. Additionally, staffing community residential units have been part of successful resuscitation attempts.
OHCAR has demonstrated that there is a willingness among the public,the voluntary, auxiliary and statutory emergency services to work together to provide appropriate and timely pre-hospital resuscitation. At present, approximately one in twenty people in Ireland who arrestin the community will survive following a resuscitation attempt. There is room for improvement and gathering data is a vitalstep in achieving this. The national implementation of OHCAR embeds an importanttoolformeasuring and describing the Irish response to out-of-hospitalcardiac arrest.
OHCAR is in the process of being integrated into the National Ambulance Service. It is a testament to the cooperation and work of those involved that this PHECC-led project is nowto become part of mainstream services. OHCAR is run in co-operation with the National Ambulance Service, Pre-Hospital Care Council (PHECC), Discipline of General Practice & Primary Care, NUI Galway and the Public Health department in the North-West.
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