Emergency CPR instruction via telephone.

Abstract
A program of telephone CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) instruction provided by emergency dispatchers was initiated to increase the percentage of bystander-initiated CPR for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrests in King County, Washington [USA] were studied for 20 mo. before and after the telephone CPR program began. Bystander-initiated CPR increased from 86 of 191 (45%) cardiac arrests before the program to 143 of 255 (56%) cardiac arrests after the program. During the after period, 58 patients received CPR as a result of telephone instruction, 12 of whom were discharged. Four lives may have been saved by the program. A review of hospital records revealed no excess morbidity in the group of patients receiving dispatcher-assisted.

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