title: Paramedics and technicians are equally successful at managing cardiac arrest outside hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effect on survival of treatment by ambulance paramedics and ambulance technicians after cardiac arrest outside hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study over two years from 1 April 1992 to 31 March 1994.
  
  
  METHODS
  Accident and emergency department of university teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  502 consecutive adult patients with out of hospital cardiopulmonary arrest of cardiac origin.
  
  
  METHODS
  Treatment by ambulance technicians or paramedics both equipped with semiautomatic defibrillators.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rate of return of spontaneous circulation, hospital admission, and survival to hospital discharge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Rates of return of spontaneous circulation, hospital admission, and survival to hospital discharge were not significantly different for patients treated by paramedics as opposed to ambulance technicians. Paramedics spent significantly longer at the scene of the arrest than technicians (P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The response of ambulance paramedics to patients with cardiopulmonary arrest outside hospital does not provide improved outcome when compared with ambulance technicians using basic techniques and equipped with semi-automatic defibrillators.
authors.affiliation: Department of Accident, and Emergency Medicine, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
authors.forename: U M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Guly
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Steedman
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Robertson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004554:Electric Countershock; D004630:Emergencies; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000592:standards*; D004634:Emergency Medical Technicians / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000628:therapy*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012606:Scotland; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome