ISRCTN ISRCTN14261134
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN14261134
Secondary identifying numbers N/A
Submission date
21/12/2016
Registration date
28/12/2016
Last edited
14/08/2019
Recruitment status
Recruiting
Overall study status
Ongoing
Condition category
Circulatory System
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Background and study aims
A cardiac arrest is a serious medical condition in which the heart suddenly stops beating and is a major cause of death in people across all age groups. An out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is where this happens when a person is not in hospital, and is the most common type of cardiac arrest. Sufferers usually require rapid resuscitation in order to restart their heart and improve chances of survival. Despite best efforts, survival rates are low. In many cases, time from spotting that a person is having a cardiac arrest to the arrival of emergency medical services (EMS) is long, leaving bystanders in a critical position to potentially save a person’s life by starting resuscitation themselves. However, only a minority of cardiac arrests receive this. The Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry is a nationwide initiative to monitor and examine trends in survival and treatment of cardiac arrest in Denmark in order to improve overall prognosis and outcome in cardiac arrest victims. The aim of this study is to examine survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Denmark on a nationwide scale.

Who can participate?
All persons in Denmark suffering from an OHCA where a bystander or EMS tries to resuscitate them.

What does the study involve?
Data on all out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are collected by using pre-specified form filled out by ambulance personnel and paramedics arriving at the scene of cardiac arrest and initiating resuscitation attempts. Data are entered in electronic database and linked to the Danish Death Registry so that patient survival at 30 days can be recorded.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
There are no benefits or risks to participants

Where is the study run from?
1. Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev and Gentofte (Denmark)
2. Five Prehospital Emergency Medical Services (Denmark)
3. The Institute of Health, Science and Technology, Aalborg University (Denmark)

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
January 2001 to December 2035

Who is funding the study?
The Tryg Foundation (Denmark)

Who is the main contact?
Professor Christian Torp-Pedersen

Contact information

Prof Christian Torp-Pedersen
Scientific

Institute of Health Science and Technology
Aalborg University
Søndre Skovvej 15
Aalborg
9000
Denmark

Study information

Study designRetrospective epidemiological registry study
Primary study designObservational
Secondary study designEpidemiological study
Study setting(s)Other
Study typeTreatment
Participant information sheet No participant information sheet available
Scientific titleThe Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry
Study objectivesThe aim of this study is to examine survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Denmark on a nationwide scale.
Ethics approval(s)Ethics approval is not required for retrospective registry studies in Denmark.
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studiedOut-of-hospital cardiac arrests
InterventionThe Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry is a collaboration between the five regional Prehospital Emergency Medical Services in Denmark. Data is collected prospectively by paramedics and ambulance personnel as part of the emergency medical services documentation of effort to improve the quality of cardiac arrest treatment in Denmark.

Data on all out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are collected by using pre-specified form filled out by ambulance personnel and paramedics arriving at the scene of cardiac arrest and initiating resuscitation attempts. Data are entered in electronic database and linked to the Danish Death Registry to monitor 30-day survival.
Intervention typeOther
Primary outcome measure30-day survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is measured by linking data to the Danish National Death Registry, where all deaths are registered within 14 days of occurrence.
Secondary outcome measures1. Initiation of CPR by laypersons, defibrillation by AED’s is measured using a pre-specified form filled out by ambulance personnel and paramedics
2. Return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) on arrival at hospital is measured using a pre-specified form filled out by ambulance personnel and paramedics
Overall study start date01/01/2001
Completion date31/12/2035

Eligibility

Participant type(s)All
Age groupAll
SexBoth
Target number of participantsCurrently there are approximately 50 thousand individuals in the registry and there are approximately additionally 3.600 new individuals registered each year. There is no upper limit of participants as registration is continuous.
Key inclusion criteriaAll persons in Denmark suffering from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest where resuscitation efforts are initiated either by bystanders (with activation of the EMS system) or by EMS personnel.
Key exclusion criteriaCases with obvious late signs of death (e.g. rigor mortis) for which resuscitative efforts are not initiated
Date of first enrolment01/01/2001
Date of final enrolment31/12/2035

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • Denmark

Study participating centres

Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev and Gentofte
Department of Cardiology
Kildegaardsvej 28
Hellerup
2900
Denmark
The Prehospital Emergency Medical Services, The Capital Region of Denmark
Telegrafvej 5
Ballerup
2750
Denmark
The Institute of Health, Science and Technology, Aalborg University
Søndre Skovvej 15
Aalborg
9000
Denmark

Sponsor information

The Tryg Foundation
Charity

Hummeltoftevej 49
Virum
2830
Denmark

Website trygfonden.dk
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/02rcazp29

Funders

Funder type

Charity

The Tryg Foundation

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date31/12/2035
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareYes
IPD sharing plan summaryAvailable on request
Publication and dissemination planThere are already numerous publications and the registry is a continuous source of data for new studies. There are publications in JAMA, Circulation, Resuscitation, European Heart Journal based on data from the registry. An overall report of the registry is published each year (in Danish) by the Danish Resuscitation Council and can be downloaded at http://genoplivning.dk/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Rapport-fra-Dansk-Hjertestopregister-2001-2014.pdf.
IPD sharing planThe datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are/will be available upon request from Professor Christian Torp-Pedersen at Aalborg University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology, Søndre Skovvej 15, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark. His e-mail is ctp@heart.dk and telephone +45 99403802

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Results article results 05/05/2015 14/08/2019 Yes No

Editorial Notes

14/08/2019: Publication reference added.