• Armin Šljivo, Tatjana Jevtić, Iman Siručić, Selma Terzić-Salihbašić, Arian Abdulkhaliq, Leopold Reiter, Faris Salihbašić, Ajla Bečar-Alijević, Adin Alijević, Ilma Dadić, and Fatima Gavrankapetanović.
• Clinical Centre of the University of Sarajevo, Emergency Medical Service of Canton Sarajevo; Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Med Glas (Zenica). 2024 Sep 1; 21 (2): 267273267-273.

AimTo investigate out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) trend, provided advanced life support (ALS) measures, automated external defibrillator (AEDs) utilization and bystanders' involvement in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) during OHCA incidents.MethodsThis cross-sectional study encompassed data pertaining to all OHCA incidents attended to by the Emergency Medical Service of Canton Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, covering the period from January 2018 to December 2022.ResultsAmong a total of 1131 OHCA events, 236 (20.8 %) patients achieved return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC); there were 175 (74.1%) males and 61 (25.9%) females. The OHCA incidence was 54/100,000 inhabitants per year. After a 30-day period post-ROSC, 146 (61.9%) patients fully recovered, while 90 (38.1%) did not survive during this timeframe. Younger age (p<0.05), initial rhythm of ventricular fibrillation (VF) or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT) (p<0.05), and faster emergency medical team (EMT) response time (p<0.05) were significantly associated with obtaining ROSC. Only 38 (3.3%) OHCA events were assisted by bystanders, who were mostly medical professionals, 25 (65.7%), followed by close family members, 13 (34.3%). There was no report of AED usage.ConclusionThis follow-up study showed less ROSC achievement, similar bystanders' involvement, similar factors associated with achieving ROSC (age, EMT response time), and a decline in OHCA events (especially in year 2021 and 2022) compared to our previous study (2015-2019). There was an extremely low rate of bystander engagement and no AEDs usage. Governments and health organizations must swiftly improve public awareness, promote better practice (basic life support), and actively encourage bystander participation.Copyright© by the Medical Association of Zenica-Doboj Canton.

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