Characteristics of anovel citizen rescue system for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the Dutch province of Limburg:relation to incidence and survival

Background We evaluated the characteristics of anovel text message system notifying citizen rescuers in cases of out-of-hospital circulatory arrest (OHCA) in the Dutch province of Limburg, including their relation to incidence and survival. Methods and results The study area comprised 2,153km(2) (831mi(2)) with 1.12mio. inhabitants. During the 2-year study period approximately 9,000 volunteers were registered, about 60% male, 59% with no experience in actual resuscitation, and 27.4% healthcare professionals. The system was not activated in 557 of 1,085 (51.3%) OHCAs, frequently because there w... Mehr ...