An observational study on survival rates of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the Netherlands after improving the 'chain of survival

Objectives To evaluate the impact of implemented procedures for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) by determining patient outcome defined as the percentage return of spontaneous circulation at arrival at the emergency department, and 3-month and 1-year-survival rates. Design Observational study. Setting Primary emergency medical care consisting of Advanced Life Support is given by ambulance nurses and secondary care by hospitals within the mid-western part of the Netherlands covering 750 000 inhabitants. Participants 433 of 500 consecutive patients with OHCA were included in the study ove... Mehr ...