Identifying the Barriers to Performing Dispatcher-assisted Bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest

Background: Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (BCPR) is critical for the survival of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). This study aims to identify barriers to performing dispatcher-assisted bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DA-BCPR) in patients with OHCA.  Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on bystanders of ۱۵۱ patients with OHCA who received emergency medical services (EMS) from June ۲۰۲۲ to June ۲۰۲۳ in Neyshabur City, Iran. The study data were collected using a questionnaire and telephone interviews. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test and Fisher exact test. P<۰.۰۵ was considered statistically significant for all tests. Analyses were done using R software, version ۴.۰.۱.  Results: Of ۱۵۱ patients, ۱۸.۹۲% were less than ۵۰ years old and ۶۸.۹۲% were male. In ۶۹% of cases, the arrival time of EMS was less than ۱۰ min, and ۸۴.۴۶% of patients received BCPR at the scene. The most common barrier to performing DA-BCPR was “not recognizing a cardiac arrest and how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)” (۴۱.۴۸%). It was reported that ۳۸.۳۵% of the bystanders were familiar with CPR. There was a significant relationship between the bystanders’ familiarity with CPR and performing DA-BCPR (P<۰.۰۱). Conclusion: The most common barrier to performing DA-BCPR on patients with OHCA is the lack of knowledge and skills in bystanders. Improving bystanders’ knowledge and educating them about cardiac arrest, CPR, and DA-BCPR is critical to help them improve outcomes for OHCA patients.

Keywords:

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest , Cardiopulmonary resuscitation , Dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation