Cardiac Arrest Recognition Project Honored at NASEMSO

The Kansas Board of EMS and ImageTrend received an honorable mention at the 2024 National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO) conference, held from May 12-16, for a project on cardiac arrest recognition by Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD).

This project was conducted by Alyssa Green and Morgan Anderson from the Clinical Research Services team at ImageTrend, and Chad Pore and Joe House from the Kansas Board of EMS.

Entitled "A Comparison of Cardiac Arrest Recognition by Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) and Non-EMD Systems in Kansas," the study provided valuable insights into the efficiency and effectiveness of EMD systems in emergency response.

Analyzing the Power of EMD Systems

The researchers aimed to determine if EMD systems improved cardiac arrest identification and compare the rates of bystander CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) use before EMS arrival between EMD and non-EMD systems.

The study found that EMD systems significantly enhance the recognition of cardiac arrests and the subsequent initiation of life-saving measures, with EMD systems outperforming non-EMD systems by recognizing 15.5% more cardiac arrest cases.

There was also a notable uptick in bystander CPR and AED usage compared to those identified by non-EMD systems. This suggests that integrating EMD into emergency response processes could significantly enhance early identification of critical situations.

However, the limited use of EMD in only 35% of confirmed cardiac arrest cases indicates a need for increased implementation and optimization of EMD systems.

Charting the Path Forward for Future Research

The project highlights the need for EMD in improving survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and underscores the importance of continued research and development in this area to enhance emergency medical services nationwide.

"This study underscores the critical role that EMD plays in improving emergency response outcomes,” said Green. “Moving forward, it's crucial to expand its utilization, ensuring timely and effective intervention for more patients in need."

Cost is a significant limiting factor in the adoption of EMD. Given the substantial difference EMD makes, efforts should focus on cost-effective solutions and systems designed to make this available for all 9-1-1 EMS systems.

While EMD improves recognition of cardiac arrests by 15.5%, it still fails to recognize 31.9% of cases. Future research should aim to optimize EMD protocols and explore how artificial intelligence can contribute to enhancing these systems.

Future research should also focus on the impact of EMD on patient outcomes up to hospital discharge, further solidifying the case for widespread adoption of EMD in emergency response systems.

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