Out-of hospital advanced life support with or without a physician: effects on quality of CPR and outcome.

BACKGROUND: The presence of physicians is believed to facilitate optimal management of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, but has not been sufficiently documented.

METHODS: Adult non-traumatic cardiac arrests treated by Oslo EMS between May 2003 and April 2008 were prospectively registered. Patients were categorized according to being treated by the physician-manned ambulance (PMA) or by regular paramedic-manned ambulances (non-PMA). Patient records and continuous electrocardiograms (ECGs) with impedance signals were reviewed. Quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and clinical outcomes were compared.

RESULTS: Resuscitation was attempted in 1128 cardiac arrests, of which 151 treated by non-PMA and PMA together were excluded from comparative analysis. Of the remaining 977 patients, 232 (24%) and 741 (76%) were treated by PMA and non-PMA, respectively. The PMA group was more likely to have bystander witnessed arrests and initial VF/VT, and received better CPR quality with shorter hands-off intervals and pre-shock pauses, and having a greater proportion of patients being intubated. Despite uneven distribution of positive prognostic factors and better CPR quality, short-term and long-term survival were not different for patients treated by the PMA vs. non-PMA, with 34% vs. 33% (p=0.74) achieving return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), 28% vs. 25% (p=0.50) being admitted to ICU and 13% vs. 11% (p=0.28) being discharged from hospital, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: Survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest was not different for patients treated by the PMA and non-PMA in our EMS system.