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Published on: January 30, 2020
Cardiac arrest in Irish general practice: an observational study from 426 general practices
Gerard Bury1, Mary Headon, Mark Dixon
1Centre for Immediate Care Services, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland. gerard.bury@ucd.ie
Resuscitation
|September 2, 2009
Summary
Sudden cardiac arrest management in Irish general practice shows promising resuscitation success rates. General practitioners (GPs) are often first on scene, enabling effective interventions and improving patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Emergency Medicine
- General Practice Research
Background:
- Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) causes approximately 5000 deaths annually in Ireland.
- Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates nationally are critically low, below 5%.
- The role and impact of Ireland's extensive general practice network on SCD are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the incidence and management of cardiac arrest within Irish general practice settings.
- To assess the potential impact of general practitioners (GPs) on cardiac arrest resuscitation outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A national training and equipment project (MERIT) established a network for prospective reporting of cardiac arrests.
- Data collected via three-monthly surveys and structured debriefings using a modified Utstein template.
- 426 general practices participated over 36 months, with response rates between 85-97%.
Main Results:
- 144 cardiac arrest events were reported, with data available for 136.
- GPs arrived before ambulances in 72.6% of cases, with 52.3% of patients being registered with the attending GP.
- 52.3% of patients received defibrillation, 32.6% experienced return of spontaneous circulation, and 19.5% were discharged from hospital.
Conclusions:
- Cardiac arrest management in general practice settings can yield significant resuscitation success rates.
- Structured and effective interventions by GPs are feasible and impactful.
- Universal capability for providing advanced cardiac care within all general practices is recommended.
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