Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; Epidemiology, Quality, Survival and Injuries.

Patients having sudden cardiac arrest have very poor prognosis. It is devastating for patient and family. But also very expensive for nations economics when working-age people die or disable due to cardiac arrest. Recent studies have shown that high quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and minimized delays increases the survival after cardiac arrest. In this objective prospective study we will use Zoll´s X Series defibrillator on every emergency medicine systems (EMS´s) unit in Pirkanmaa area, Finland, to collect information on CPR quality. Real CPR Help® will collect the information on depth, frequency and pauses during CPR. We will make an Utstein analysis on OHCA during one year period and compare the results on Utstein analysis made in the same area on 2013-2014. We will analyse the quality of CPR and compare it to the outcome from OHCA and neurological outcome 3 months after resuscitation. In addition we will analyse the CPR related injuries and compare these to the compression depth and number of persons performing CPR.

In one part of the study we will evaluate the incidence of OHCA in different risk areas of Pirkanmaa and analyse the influence of time delay and location to the outcome out of hospital and neurological outcome 3 months after resuscitation. We will also analyse if the time of post-resuscitation care before getting to the hospital or stenosis in carotid artery affects the outcome from OHCA and neurological outcome 3 months after resuscitation.