EuReCa ONE - 27 Nations, ONE Europe, ONE Registry: a prospective observational analysis over one month in 27 resuscitation registries in Europe - the EuReCa ONE study protocol.
BACKGROUND
There is substantial variation in the incidence, likelihood of attempted resuscitation and outcomes from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) across Europe. A European, multi-centre study provides the opportunity to uncover differences throughout Europe and may help find explanations for these differences. Results may also have potential to support the development of quality benchmarking between European Emergency Medical Services (EMS).


METHODS
This prospective European study involves 27 different countries. It provides a common Utstein-based dataset, data collection tool and a common data collection period for all participants. Study research questions will address the following: OHCA incidence in different European regions; incidence of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR); initial presenting rhythm in patients where bystanders or EMS start CPR or any other resuscitation intervention; proportion of patients with any return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC); patient status at the end of pre-hospital treatment i.e. ROSC at handover to hospital, ongoing CPR, dead; proportion of patients still alive 30 days after OHCA; proportion of patients discharged alive from hospital. All patients who suffered an OHCA during October 2014 and were attended and/or treated by an EMS and documented in one of the participating registries will be included in the study. Each National Coordinator is responsible for data collection and quality control in his/her country and will transfer unprocessed anonymised data via secure electronic transfer. Descriptive analysis will be performed at European, national and registry level. For endpoints like ROSC, admission or survival, multivariate logistic regression analysis will be performed.


CONCLUSIONS
Documenting differences in epidemiology, treatment and outcome in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest throughout Europe is a first step in finding explanations for these differences. Study results might also support the development of quality benchmarking between Emergency Medical Services (EMS) which in turn will facilitate initiatives to improve OHCA outcome in Europe.


BACKGROUND
The EuReCa ONE Study is registered by ClinicalTrials.gov National Coordinator T02236819 ).
Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Medical Centre Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Luebeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23838, Luebeck, Germany. wnent@eureca-one.eu.
Jan
J
Wnent
Discipline of General Practice, National University of Ireland Galway and Department of Public Health Medicine HSE, St. Conal's Hospital, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, Ireland. Siobhan.Masterson@hse.ie.
Siobhán
S
Masterson
Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Medical Centre Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany. graesner@eureca-one.eu.
Jan-Thorsten
JT
Gräsner
Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. bernd.boettiger@uk-koeln.de.
Bernd W
BW
Böttiger
University of Borås, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden. johan.herlitz@hb.se.
Johan
J
Herlitz
Academisch Medisch Centrum, Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam, Netherlands. r.w.koster@amc.nl.
Ruud W
RW
Koster
Empresa Pública de Emergencias Sanitarias, Almería, Spain. frosell@al.epes.es.
Fernando
F
Rosell Ortiz
Nasjonal kompetansetjeneste for prehospital akuttmedisin (NAKOS), Oslo, Norway. ingvild@nakos.no.
Ingvild
I
Tjelmeland
Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Medical Centre Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Luebeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23838, Luebeck, Germany. maurer@eureca-one.eu.
Holger
H
Maurer
University of Antwerp, Belgium and European Resuscitation Council, Niel, Belgium. leo.bossaert@erc.edu.
Leo
L
Bossaert
D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000379:methods*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D058687:Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D016019:Survival Analysis