Cardiac arrest & resuscitation
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on favourable neurological outcome after emergency medical services (EMS)-witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a prospective nationwide observational study
Main finding · 30-day favourable neurological outcomeResult — go to the resultRelative risk 0.80 95 % CI 0.71–0.91Authors' conclusion
Favourable neurological outcomes among patients with EMS-witnessed OHCA in Japan were lower during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in regions affected by COVID-19 spread.
Study context
- Population
- Adults with EMS-witnessed OHCA, Japan
- Participants
- 58,315 adults
- Exposure
- COVID-19 pandemic vs pre-pandemic period
- Outcome
- Favourable neurological outcome (Cerebral Performance Category 1 or 2)
- Follow-up
- 30 days
Methodological detailsinterrupted time series analysis, population-based registry, controlled interrupted time series analysis (ITSA)
- Interrupted time series analysis
- Population-based registry
- Controlled ITSA
Main finding
30-day favourable neurological outcome
Relative risk
0.80
95 % CI 0.71–0.91
P < 0.001
Pandemic vs Pre-pandemic
RR 0.80 (95 % CI 0.71–0.91); P < 0.001
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | RR (95 % CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Favourable neurological outcome, areas with vs without COVID-19 spread (controlled ITSA)Significantly greater decline | 0.77 (0.60–0.98) | P = 0.035 | |
| 0.512Relative risk (log scale) |
Prehospital return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and 30-day survival
- Also decreased significantly during the pandemic
- P < 0.05
Favourable neurological outcome, areas affected by COVID-19 spread (subgroup)
- Declined during the pandemic
- P < 0.001
Favourable neurological outcome, unaffected areas (subgroup)
- No significant change
- P = 0.243
Original publication
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on favourable neurological outcome after EMS-witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a prospective nationwide observational study. Resuscitation. Published 7 August 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →