Table 2.
Comparison of patients’ and OHCAs’ characteristics in low-incidence of COVID-19 cantons in the period 2019–2020.
| Variable | Low-incidence | Low-incidence | Differencea | p |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2019 | |||
| n = 657 | n = 610 | |||
| Males, n (%) | 445 (67.7) | 413 (67.7) | 0 (95%CI, −5 to 5) | 0.99 |
| Age, years [IQR] | 70 [56−80] | 72 [59−82] | −2 (95%CI, −4.46 to 0.46) | 0.11 |
| EMS arrival time, min [IQR] | 10 [7–14] | 10 [7–14] | 0 (95%CI, −8 to 8) | 1 |
| Etiology of arrest, n (%) | ||||
| Medical | 564 (85.8) | 497 (81.5) | 4.3 (95%CI, 0.2 to 8) | 0.04 |
| Trauma | 59 (9) | 63 (10.3) | −1.4 (95%CI, −5 to 2) | 0.42 |
| Drowning | 3 (0.5) | 5 (0.8) | −0.3 (95%CI, −1 to 1) | 0.4 |
| Overdose | 12 (1.8) | 25 (4.1) | −2.3 (95%CI, −4 to −0.3) | 0.02 |
| Electrocution | 2 (0.3) | 2 (0.3) | 0 (95%CI, −1 to 1) | 0.94 |
| Asphyxial (external causes) | 17 (2.6) | 18 (2.9) | −0.3 (95%CI, −2 to 1) | 0.7 |
| OHCA location, n (%) | ||||
| Home | 457 (71.5) | 398 (68.3) | 3.2 (95%CI, −2 to 8) | 0.22 |
| Nursing residence | 23 (3.6) | 16 (2.7) | 1.1 (95%CI, −1 to 3) | 0.39 |
| Workplace | 19 (3) | 23 (3.9) | −0.9 (95%CI, −3 to 1) | 0.35 |
| Street | 79 (12.4) | 81 (13.9) | −1.5 (95%CI, −5 to 2) | 0.43 |
| Public building | 40 (6.3) | 43 (7.4) | −0.9 (95%CI, −4 to 2) | 0.44 |
| Sport | 21 (3.3) | 22 (3.8) | −0.5 (95%CI, −3 to 2) | 0.64 |
| Witnessed status, n (%) | ||||
| Unwitnessed | 338 (54.7) | 322 (55.5) | −0.8 (95%CI, −6 to 5) | 0.77 |
| Bystander witnessed | 222 (35.9) | 216 (37.2) | −1.3 (95%CI, −7 to 4) | 0.64 |
| Witnessed by EMS | 56 (9.1) | 41 (7.1) | 2 (95%CI, −1 to 5) | 0.2 |
| Resuscitation attempted by EMS, n (%) | 403 (61.3) | 339 (55.6) | −5.7 (95%CI, 0.2 to 11) | 0.04 |
| Bystander CPR, n (%)b | 201 (57.1) | 194 (63.8) | −6.7 (95%CI, −14 to 1) | 0.08 |
| AED used by bystander, n (%)b | 30 (8.5) | 50 (16.4) | −7.9 (95%CI, −13 to −3) | 0.002 |
| Presence of first responder, n (%)b | 125 (35.5) | 87 (28.6) | 6.9 (95%CI, −0.1 to 14) | 0.06 |
| Minutes to FR arrival, min [IQR]b | 5 [1–9] | 3 [1–7] | 2 (95%CI, 0.5 to 3.5) | 0.009 |
| CPR initiated by FR, n (%)b | 95 (27) | 63 (20.7) | 6.3 (95%CI, −0.1 to 13) | 0.06 |
| AED used by FR, n (%)b | 60 (17) | 42 (13.8) | 3.2 (95%CI, −2 to 9) | 0.25 |
| Shockable presenting rhythm, n (%)c | 143 (35.5) | 115 (33.9) | 1.6 (95%CI, −5 to 8) | 0.66 |
| Minutes to ROSC, min [IQR]c | 29 [20−37] | 25.5 [18−40] | 3.5 (95%CI, −1.3 to 7.3) | 0.17 |
| Outcome, n (%)c | ||||
| Death in the field | 243 (61.7) | 204 (60.9) | 0.8 (95%CI, −6 to 8) | 0.83 |
| Transported with ongoing CPR | 45 (8.1) | 43 (7.8) | 0.3 (95%CI, −4 to 4) | 0.86 |
| Transported with ROSC | 119 (30.2) | 105 (31.3) | −1.1 (95%CI, −8 to 6) | 0.74 |
EMS: emergency medical service; OHCA: out-of-hospital cardiac arrest; CPR: cardio-pulmonary resuscitation; FR: first responder; AED: automatic external defibrillator; ROSC: return of spontaneous circulation.
a
Differences are expressed as rate difference or median difference and 95% confidence interval.
b
Among those in whom resuscitation was attempted by EMS and excluding those witnessed by EMS.
c
Among those in whom resuscitation was attempted by EMS.