Abstract
Since 1992, ELSTs (emergency life-saving technicians) as ambulance personnel, who were trained for some kinds of advanced life support, have been treating out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Japan. This study was performed to determine the nationwide results of prehospital resuscitation, especially those performed by ELSTs. All cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest including those due to trauma during 6 months in 1994 were reviewed. There were 31, 206 cases of attempted CPR by ambulance personnel. The incidence of restored circulation on arrival at the hospital, and survival rate after 7 days and after 1 month, were 11.4%, 4.4% and 2.6% for overall CPR. The outcome of those witnessed and given by bystander CPR was significantly better than that of non-witnessed or without bystander CPR. The survival rate for victims treated by ELSTs was higher than that treated by basic ambulance personnel (EMTs), with a statistically significant difference. The 1 month survival rate of patients, who were witnessed, and resuscitated initially by bystanders and then by ELSTs, reached as high as 8.9%.
