Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest research progress and challenges in Lithuania

Abstract

Aim: To present the evolution of data collection and analysis methods of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) research in Kaunas city, Lithuania, and discuss the challenges encountered. Methods: In late 2016, data collection began with a focus on 2016 data, following the Utstein 2014 template. The Kaunas city emergency medical services (EMS) station, which has a protocol dispatch system, pioneered the use of electronic submissions for the national EMS data collection form, making the research process more efficient. Most OHCA patients were treated in a tertiary university hospital which transitioned to electronic health record system in 2017, improving data accessibility. Throughout data collection significant efforts have been directed towards enhancing process efficiency and simplifying operations. As a result, the expansion of the Excel data table led to the creation of the ‘’resuscitation registry form’ ‘in 2018, which became operational in 2020. Results: The collected data were used in several observational studies to identify and better outcomes. Conclusion: Engaging in research on OHCA is difficult and poses many unique challenges owning to the urgency of the condition, complexity of legal and ethical considerations, and implications of any research intervention. The lack of a connection between the EMS and hospital electronic health record systems poses challenges for data collection. Legal and ethical complexities, including mandatory initiation of resuscitation and challenges in obtaining ethical approval, highlight the need for a comprehensive framework. This study aims transition the accumulated expertise into a nationally recognised registry for OHCA.

Keywords

• Cardiac arrest
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
• Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
• Research
• Research ethics
• Methodology