The association between the first locating emergency ambulance being single crewed and cardiac arrest outcomes in New Zealand.

AIM: This study investigated the association between the first locating emergency ambulance being single crewed on outcomes following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in New Zealand.

METHOD: Using data from the St John cardiac arrest registry for the period of 1 October 2013 to 30 June 2015, cases were included if a resuscitation attempt was made and the patient was an adult. Logistic regression modelling was used to account for confounding factors. The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge.

RESULTS: A total of 2,347 cases were included. There was no difference in the rate of return of spontaneous circulation sustained to hospital handover in patients attended by either single-crewed (27%) or double-crewed ambulances (32%); p=0.059. However, patients were significantly less likely to survive to hospital discharge when attended by single-crewed (12%) compared to double-crewed ambulances (17%) with an OR of 0.533, 95% confidence interval 0.320-0.888 and p=0.016.

CONCLUSION: Patients had lower survival to hospital discharge outcomes when the first locating ambulance was single crewed than those where the first locating ambulance was double crewed.