THE ROLE OF THE BYSTANDER CPR IN OUT-OF-HOSPITAL CARDIAC ARREST: WHAT THE EVIDENCE TELLS US

Abstract

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a public health problem. The increase in the survival rate depends on the articulated performance of a set of links, commonly known as chain of survival. The bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) it is one of the decisive links. This study aimed to analyze evidence of the effect of bystander CPR on the survival rate in an OHCA. With a documental study design, a literature review was carried out at SciELO, Wiley Online Library and B-On databases. Five studies were selected: four empirical and one review. The results revealed the crucial importance of performing bystander CPR, regardless of whether it is standard-CPR or compression only CPR, as the latter seems to produce the same results as the first one regarding 30-day survival. Easy access to an external automatic defibrillator increases bystander defibrillation application rate. Health education on CPR should be continued, contributing to high-quality CPR training and consequently increasing survival rates, besides empowering citizens and making them aware of the importance of bystander defibrillation in surviving OHCA.