Karlstad University Working Papers in Economics
No 4:
Effect of response times on survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: using geographic information systems
Björn Sund ()
Abstract: We explored how different response times from
out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) to defibrillation in the County of
Stockholm, Sweden, affect patients’ survival rates. This was done by
combining a geographic information systems (GIS) simulation of driving
times with register data on survival rates. The emergency resources
comprised ambulance alone and ambulance plus fire services. The simulation
model predicted a baseline survival rate of 3.9 percent, and reducing the
ambulance response time by one minute increased survival to 4.6 percent.
Adding the fire services as first responders (dual dispatch) increased
survival to 6.2 percent from the baseline level. The model predictions were
vali-dated using empirical data.
Keywords: out-of-hospital cardiac arrest; defibrillation; response time; survival rate; geographic information systems; fire services; (follow links to similar papers)
JEL-Codes: D61; H43; I10; (follow links to similar papers)
21 pages, May 2, 2012
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