Background:

In other countries COVID-19 has had significant effects on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA): the number OHCAs have gone up and survival rates have gone down. In addition, ambulances have taken longer to reach patients and fewer people have had chest compressions or defibrillation before the ambulance arrived. We do not know how COVID-19 has impacted on OHCA in the UK. It is important we understand the problem and put actions in place when effects may last for some time.

Co-Funding partners:

Resuscitation Council UK

Aims and Objectives:

The aim is to undertake a population-based retrospective cohort study to explore the effect of different pandemic phases on the epidemiology of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK.

Objectives:

1. Describe the epidemiology of OHCA during different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. Explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on process and patient outcomes in OHCA patients.

3. Explore the specific impact on BAME communities and socially deprived communities.

Methods:

A secondary analysis of data collected by the OHCA Outcomes registry on adult OHCAs between 2019 and the end of 2021. The project will look for patterns in OHCA incidence and survival in relation to NHS policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic using interrupted time series analysis. The study will also look at patterns in community and ambulance services responses during the same time-period. The project will also investigate whether the pandemic had different impact in BAME communities and areas with high level of deprivation.

Main Results:

The analysis is almost complete

Conclusions:

N/A

Implications for Implementation:

There is a need for research to understand and quantify the impact of COVID-19 on OHCA epidemiology and clinical pathways, and identify strategies needed to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.