Cardiac arrest & resuscitation
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidence, community response, and outcomes in England: An interrupted time series analysis
Authors' conclusion
In England, COVID-19 peaks were associated with an immediate effect on key outcomes. At the end of each peak, rates seemed to return toward baseline levels.
Study context
- Population
- Adults with Emergency Medical Service (EMS)-treated OHCA in England, January 2019 to November 2021 (UK OHCA Outcomes registry)cases from 10 EMS systems
- Participants
- 86,891 adults
- Exposure
- COVID-19 pandemic epochs vs pre-pandemic period
- Outcome
- Pre-specified: EMS-treated cardiac arrest incidence (per 100,000 population), bystander CPR rate, shockable rhythm rate, survival rate
Methodological detailsregistry-based, multiple interrupted time series, 10 English EMS systems
- Registry-based
- Multiple interrupted time series
- 10 English EMS systems
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Pre-specified outcomes over five epochs (two COVID-19 peaks)
- Immediate step changes at start of first peak (March 2020): increased incidence and bystander CPR rates, decreased shockable rhythm and survival rates
- Subsequent trend changes within epochs and at each epoch change variable across the four outcomes
- Between peaks and after second peak, outcomes tended to normalise towards pre-pandemic level
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidence, community response, and outcomes in England: An interrupted time series analysis. Resuscitation. Published 16 September 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →