And in half of cases the patient was declared dead at the scene underscoring the importance of the public learning CPR
Only 5% of patients in Northern Ireland received a shock from a defibrillator before ambulance arrival across the five-year period(Image: Olga Pankova via Getty Images)
Ambulance staff in Northern Ireland attended more than 14,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidents over a five-year period, with the patient declared dead at the scene in more than half of cases, research has revealed.
Statistics for the region have been gathered and analysed, allowing comparisons for the first time with attempted resuscitations rates in other areas.
The research was carried out as a collaboration between academics at Queen’s University Belfast and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) and was funded by charity Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke.
The authors have said the findings underline the importance of training more members of the public in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills and increasing knowledge about defibrillators and how to use them.
The findings reveal that 14,255 OHCAs were attended by NIAS between 2018 and 2022.
More than 55% of patients were declared dead at the scene upon arrival of NIAS, while resuscitation attempts were made on the remaining 45% (6,415 patients). From these, 37% were transported to hospital.
Of the OHCAs, 63.9% were male, 35.4% female. The mean age was 64.5 years old.
The research found that the assumed reason for the cardiac arrest was medical in the majority of cases (86.5%).
The attempted resuscitation rate of 47.8% for Northern Ireland in 2022 compares with 35.1% for England.
By 2022, OHCAs in Northern Ireland had increased by an extra seven cardiac arrests per week, compared with 2018. The report said coronavirus may have had an impact on this.
It also found that between 2020-2022, the Northern Ireland ambulance response time for emergency incidents was 10.7 mins, compared with the recommended UK eight-minute target.
The report said when a bystander witnessed a cardiac arrest in Northern Ireland, an average of 87.5% of patients received CPR before an ambulance arrived. This compares with 79.6% in England and 87% in Ireland.
The research found that when the OHCA was not witnessed but help came later, 70.3% of patients in NI received CPR from a friend, family or member of the public.
Only 5% of patients in Northern Ireland received a shock from a defibrillator before ambulance arrival across the five-year period.
The research said 23% of Northern Ireland patients had their heart restarted before reaching hospital over the period.
Professor Adele Marshall from Queen’s University said the data was a necessary starting point to improving survival rates.
She said: “This is the evidence base which can inform public health policy and education around such a significant public health challenge.
“I hope these statistics give policymakers and the charity sector the information they need to make wise decisions about how to prioritise resources.
“It also highlights the essential part the general public has to play by getting CPR training and knowing how to quickly locate and use a defibrillator.”
Julia Wolfe, research and development lead for the NIAS said: “Survival depends on several factors, from how quickly CPR and defibrillation are delivered to the speed of emergency response and the quality of subsequent care.
“By understanding these factors and the data behind them, we can identify opportunities to improve outcomes and strengthen every link in the chain of survival.”
Neil Sinclair, chief paramedic officer for the NIAS said: “The report shows encouraging progress in bystander CPR, but also identifies clear opportunities to strengthen the chain of survival.
“Improving access to early defibrillation and reducing ambulance response times, alongside targeted prevention for avoidable causes of OHCA, will be important areas of focus to improve outcomes across Northern Ireland.”
Fidelma Carter, head of public health at NICHS, said the research gives an “invaluable evidence base to better understand where lives can be saved”.
She added: “One of the biggest findings to emerge from this report is that although bystander CPR is on the rise, there is still room for improvement, and a lot of people don’t know where their nearest defibrillator is or how to use it correctly.
“Given the well-documented pressures on the health service, including the ambulance service, that is something we need to improve – to get the message out there that all of us, as citizens and individuals, can potentially make a difference.”
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