Re-evaluating Resuscitation: Improving Outcomes in Cardiac Arrest Cases

The NHS Ambulance services respond to around 30,000 cardiac arrest incidents yearly. In these critical situations, decisions must be made quickly about when to stop resuscitation efforts or to transport patients to hospital. However, there's growing concern that the current guidelines for these decisions may not be optimal, possibly leading to premature cessation of life-saving efforts for some, while others are transported with ongoing CPR despite minimal survival chances. This variation in practice across regions suggests a need for guideline review.

Our study seeks to address this by examining alternative rules for when to stop resuscitation, aiming to find a balance that could reduce unnecessary hospital transports and improve survival rates. By modelling different scenarios, we aim to make evidence-based recommendations that could standardise practices and enhance outcomes for cardiac arrest patients, potentially saving more lives and improving the efficiency of emergency services.