Implementation of the universal BLS termination of resuscitation rule in a rural EMS system

Abstract

Background: Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are often the first medical providers to begin resuscitation of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) victims. The universal Basic Life Support Termination of Resuscitation (BLS-TOR) rule is a validated clinical prediction tool used to identify patients in which continued resuscitation efforts are futile.

Objective: The primary aim is to compare the rate of transport of OHCA cases before and after the implementation of a BLS-TOR protocol and to determine the compliance rate of EMS personnel with the new protocol in a largely volunteer, rural system.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the statewide EMS electronic patient care report system. Cases were identified by searching for any incident that had a primary impression of "cardiac arrest" or a primary symptom of "cardiorespiratory arrest" or "death." Data were collected from the two years prior to and following implementation of the BLS-TOR rule from January 1, 2012 through March 31, 2016.

Results: There were 702 OHCA cases were identified, with 329 cases meeting inclusion criteria. The transport rate was 91.1% in the pre-intervention group compared with 69.4% in the post-intervention group (χ2=24.8; p<0.001). EMS compliance rate with the BLS-TOR rule was 66.7%. Of the 265 patients transported during the study, 87 patients met (post-intervention group; n=22) or retrospectively met (pre-intervention group; n=65) the BLS-TOR requirements for field termination of resuscitation. None of these patients survived to hospital discharge.

Conclusion: Rural EMS systems may benefit from implementation and utilization of the universal BLS-TOR rule.

Keywords: Cardiac arrest; EMS; EmergencyMedical service; Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest; Rural EMS; TOR; Termination of resuscitation.