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Description of the ambulance services participating in the Aus‐ ROC Australian and New Zealand out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest Epistry
Author(s) -
Beck Ben,
Bray Janet E,
Smith Karen,
Walker Tony,
Grantham Hugh,
Hein Cindy,
Thorrowgood Melanie,
Smith Anthony,
Inoue Madoka,
Smith Tony,
Dicker Bridget,
Swain Andy,
Bosley Emma,
Pemberton Katherine,
McKay Michael,
JohnstonLeek Malcolm,
Cameron Peter,
Perkins Gavin D,
Finn Judith
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
emergency medicine australasia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.602
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1742-6723
pISSN - 1742-6731
DOI - 10.1111/1742-6723.12690
Subject(s) - ambulance service , medicine , emergency medical services , resuscitation , medical emergency , population , service (business) , workforce , advanced life support , emergency medicine , cardiopulmonary resuscitation , environmental health , business , economics , economic growth , marketing
Objective The present study aimed to describe and examine similarities and differences in the current service provision and resuscitation protocols of the ambulance services participating in the Aus‐ ROC Australian and New Zealand out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest ( OHCA ) Epistry. Understanding these similarities and differences is important in identifying ambulance service factors that might explain regional variation in survival of OHCA in the Aus‐ ROC Epistry. Methods A structured questionnaire was completed by each of the ambulance services participating in the Aus‐ ROC Epistry. These ambulance services were SA Ambulance Service, Ambulance Victoria, St John Ambulance Western Australia, Queensland Ambulance Service, St John Ambulance NT , St John New Zealand and Wellington Free Ambulance. The survey aimed to describe ambulance service and dispatch characteristics, resuscitation protocols and details of cardiac arrest registries. Results We observed similarities between services with respect to the treatment of OHCA and dispatch systems. Differences between services were observed in the serviced population; the proportion of paramedics with basic life support, advanced life support or intensive care training skills; the number of OHCA cases attended; guidelines related to withholding or terminating resuscitation attempts; and the variables that might be used to define ‘attempted resuscitation’. All seven participating ambulance services were noted to have existing OHCA registries. Conclusion There is marked variation between ambulance services currently participating in the Aus‐ ROC Australian and New Zealand OHCA Epistry with respect to workforce characteristics and key variable definitions. This variation between ambulance services might account for a proportion of the regional variation in survival of OHCA .