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Identifying barriers to the provision of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in high-risk regions: a qualitative review of emergency calls

journal contribution
posted on 2018-08-01, 00:00 authored by Rosalind Case, Susie CartledgeSusie Cartledge, Josine Siedenburg, Karen Smith, Lahn Straney, Bill Barger, Judith Finn, Janet E Bray
INTRODUCTION: Understanding regional variation in bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is important to improving out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival. In this study we aimed to identify barriers to providing bystander CPR in regions with low rates of bystander CPR and where OHCA was recognised in the emergency call. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed emergency calls for adults in regions of low bystander CPR in the Australian state of Victoria. Included calls were those where OHCA was identified during the call but no bystander CPR was given. A thematic content analysis was independently conducted by two investigators. RESULTS: Saturation of themes was reached after listening to 139 calls. Calls progressed to the point of compression instructions before EMS arrival in only 26 (18.7%) of cases. Three types of barriers were identified: procedural barriers (time lost due to language barriers and communication issues; telephone problems), CPR knowledge (skill deficits; perceived benefit) and personal factors (physical frailty or disability; patient position; emotional factors). CONCLUSION: A range of factors are associated with barriers to delivering bystander CPR even in the presence of dispatcher instructions - some of which are modifiable. To overcome these barriers in high-risk regions, targeted public education needs to provide information about what occurs in an emergency call, how to recognise an OHCA and to improve CPR knowledge and skills.

History

Journal

Resuscitation

Volume

129

Pagination

43-47

Location

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

eISSN

1873-1570

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2018, Elsevier BV

Publisher

Elsevier