Table 1.

EuReCa THREE research questions. Items in bold are key priorities for the EuReCa THREE study.

•What proportion of each country’s national population is covered by data collection?

•What is the incidence of confirmed OHCA attended by emergency medical services (EMS) in different European countries/regions?

•What is the EMS response interval for OHCA?

•How long is the EMS treatment interval for OHCA?

•How long is the transport interval from scene to hospital for OHCA?

•What is the influence of response interval and transport interval on survival?

•What is the incidence of any CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) attempted in OHCA throughout Europe?

•What is the incidence and the proportion of CPR by:

oBystander – on scene by chance

oPerson alerted to scene by ambulance dispatch

oEMS

•What is the response interval for persons alerted by dispatch and time from their arrival to EMS arrival on scene?

•What is the initial cardiac arrest rhythm for OHCA patients?

•In patients where resuscitation was started or continued by EMS, what is the incidence and rate of any return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after OHCA?

•What is the incidence of patients never transported due to being declared dead on scene?

•What is the incidence of patients transported with ongoing CPR?

•What is the patient status at handover from EMS to an emergency department or hospital system with ongoing additional treatment in the next step of care (ROSC, ongoing CPR, dead)?

•What is the incidence of patients who are discharged alive from hospital?

•What is the incidence of patients who are still alive at 30 days (whether in-hospital or discharged) after their cardiac arrest event?

•In the Utstein comparator group (Collapse bystander-witnessed where the first rhythm is shockable):

oWhat is the incidence of OHCA

oWhat is the incidence of ROSC at hospital admission (at time of being handed over from EMS to an emergency department or hospital system with ongoing additional treatment, e.g. PCI)

oWhat is the incidence of patients who are discharged alive from hospital?

oWhat is the incidence of patients who are still alive at 30 days (whether in-hospital or discharged) after their cardiac arrest event?

•What factors determine ROSC, admission and survival in patients with confirmed arrest and CPR started (as defined in questions above)?

Secondary Research Questions

•What is the European incidence of and incidence of survival from OHCA with a traumatic aetiology?

•What is the European incidence of survival from OHCA in cases brought to a hospital with unsustained ROSC or ongoing CPR?

•What is the incidence of OHCA in children less than 16 years of age