Keywords
1. CPR national initiative
2. Bystander CPR training
3. Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival
4. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation courses
5. Japan CPR education impact
News Article Content
In a landmark study published in the prestigious journal ‘Resuscitation’, scientists have presented compelling evidence on the direct impact of nationwide civilian cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training on the rates of bystander intervention and survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in Japan. This study, cited as [DOI: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2024.110116], represents a significant milestone in understanding how educational interventions can save lives during one of the most critical medical emergencies.
Over the 15-year period from 2005 to 2020, Japanese researchers meticulously analyzed 358,025 cases of citizen-witnessed OHCA with a presumed cardiac origin, pulled from the comprehensive nationwide registry. The focus of the investigation was to determine the effectiveness of a national push to certify citizens in CPR procedures and to ascertain the relationship between these training initiatives, bystander CPR action, and the incidence of survivors experiencing favorable neurological outcomes one month following an incident.
The cumulative number of certified individuals rose from 9,930,327 in 2005 to an impressive total of 34,938,322 in 2020, as outlined in the study. This equates to a notable 32.3% of Japan’s population aged 15 and above, showcasing an evident success of the national initiative in terms of outreach. Remarkably, incidence rate ratios for the annual number of certified individuals increased consistently, with a significant growth trend (p<0.001), as mentioned in the research findings.
Parallel to the rise in trained citizens was the increase in the rates of bystander-initiated CPR. Data reveals a steady increase from 40.6% in 2005 to 56.8% in 2020 (P for trend <0.001), illustrating a tangible change in public behavior directly correlated with the increased accessibility and prevalence of CPR training.
Dr. Tetsuo Yamaguchi from the Department of Cardiovascular Center at Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, and a representative of the Japanese Circulation Society Resuscitation Science Study (JCS-ReSS) Group, along with his team, discovered that greater engagement by citizens trained in CPR correlated significantly with more positive outcomes, especially in patients who presented with an initial shockable rhythm at the time of cardiac arrest.
The study presents different odds ratios (OR) demonstrating the incremental improvement in survival chances when different CPR techniques were applied. Notably, chest compression only registered an OR of 1.24 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.51; P=0.029); chest compression with rescue breathing stood at an OR of 1.33 (95% CI 1.08-1.62; P=0.006); defibrillation with chest compression showed an OR of 2.27 (95% CI 1.83-2.83; P<0.001); and defibrillation combined with chest compression and rescue breathing had an OR of 2.15 (95% CI 1.70-2.73; P<0.001), compared to cases where no CPR was administered by bystanders.
The authors of the study, including Drs. Michikazu Nakai, Takahide Kodama, Masanari Kuwabara, Naohiro Yonemoto, Takanori Ikeda, and Yoshio Tahara, have collectively affirmed these findings under the banner of the JCS-ReSS Group. This level of detailed analysis sheds light on the importance of CPR education for the general public and its potential to improve survival rates dramatically.
The research team clarified that they had no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper, as noted in the Declaration of Competing Interest section.
This body of work comes at a critical time when healthcare systems worldwide are seeking ways to improve emergency response outcomes. Japan’s national initiative serves as a model for global healthcare communities to potentially replicate, to enhance their capacities to deal with cardiac emergencies effectively.
Supporting the relevance and reliability of these findings is a plethora of references from prior research that align with and validate the trends observed in the Japanese study. A selection of these references includes:
1. Kitamura, T. et al. (2010). ‘Public-access defibrillation and survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest’. The New England Journal of Medicine, 363(5), 434-442.
2. Hasselqvist-Ax, I. et al. (2015). ‘Early Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest’. The New England Journal of Medicine, 372(24), 2307-2315.
3. Bobrow, B. J. et al. (2010). ‘The Influence of Scenario-Based Training and Real-Time Audiovisual Feedback on Out-of-Hospital Cardiocerebral Resuscitation’. Archives of Internal Medicine, 170(15), 1325-1331.
4. Wissenberg, M. et al. (2013). ‘Association of National Initiatives to Improve Cardiac Arrest Management with Rates of Bystander Intervention and Patient Survival After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest’. JAMA, 310(13), 1377-1384.
5. Berdowski, J. et al. (2011). ‘Global incidences of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and survival rates: Systematic review of 67 prospective studies’. Resuscitation, 82(11), 1479-1487.
In conclusion, the evidence presented in this latest study unquestionably highlights the profound impact that bystander CPR training can have on survival outcomes post-cardiac arrest. As Japan sets a global example through its effective national initiative, the hope is that this approach is adopted more widely, thus increasing the chances of survival for cardiac arrest victims around the world.