A Survey of Factors Associated With the Successful Recognition of Agonal Breathing and Cardiac Arrest.

A Survey of Factors Associated With the Successful Recognition of Agonal Breathing and Cardiac Arrest by 9-1-1 Call Takers.

The overall goal of this pilot study is to design and conduct a survey of 9-1-1 call takers in the province of Ontario, Canada to better understand the factors associated with the successful identification of cardiac arrest (including victims with agonal breathing) over the phone. Specific objectives are:

1. To conduct iterative semi-structured interviews to identify behavioural factors influencing identification of cardiac arrest by 9-1-1 call takers;
2. To develop a survey instrument about behavioural factors influencing the ability of 9-1-1 call takers to identify cardiac arrest based on a systematic review of the literature, the results of the semi-structured interviews, and theoretical constructs from the Theory of Planned Behaviour; and
3. To conduct a survey among Ontario 9-1-1 call takers using the survey instrument, and to identify factors and strategies that might be targeted by Knowledge Translation interventions.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Cardiac Arrest

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 404

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Ontario
    • Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1Y 4E9
      • Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

The survey will be sent to all full-time and part-time 9-1-1 call takers employed in the Canadian provinces of Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, as well as the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 9-1-1 call-takers, male or female, full or part-time, employed in an eligible Ambulance Communication Centre

Exclusion Criteria:

• Ambulance Communication Centre Managers, support staff or administrative staff

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
1; Full and part-time 9-1-1 call takers employed at Ambulance Communication Centres in the Canadian provinces of Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, as well as the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Intention to Give CPR Instructions	Median intention to give CPR instructions when agonal breathing is present	During a call with a victim potentially in cardiac arrest

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
• Collaborators: Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Christian Vaillancourt, MD, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Vaillancourt C, Jensen JL, Grimshaw J, Brehaut JC, Charette M, Kasaboski A, Osmond M, Wells GA, Stiell IG. A survey of factors associated with the successful recognition of agonal breathing and cardiac arrest by 9-1-1 call takers: design and methodology. BMC Emerg Med. 2009 Jul 31;9:14. doi: 10.1186/1471-227X-9-14.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: June 1, 2009
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 1, 2010
• Study Completion (Actual): September 1, 2010

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 19, 2009
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 19, 2009
• First Posted (Estimated): February 20, 2009

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): September 21, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 9, 2022
• Last Verified: November 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: cardiac arrest; survey; agonal breathing; 9-1-1 call taker
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Heart Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Heart Arrest
• Other Study ID Numbers: PLP 6566