Paramedic research, 9 August 2026

4 new paramedic and prehospital papers from the 9 August 2026 scan.

Smaller bags worse for CPR ventilation

Resuscitation Plus · Systematic review · Supports current practice

Systematic review testing whether smaller self-inflating bags improve CPR outcomes — they found limited very-low-certainty evidence suggesting smaller bags (450-700mL) were associated with lower survival with favourable neuro outcomes compared to standard adult bags (1000-1685mL).
Independent EMS beats hospital-based model in Chinese OHCA

Resuscitation Plus · Registry · Context only

Retrospective analysis of 24,814 OHCA patients comparing independent EMS models with hospital-based models in China — the independent model had higher survived event rates (2.23% vs 1.40%) despite longer response times.
Calcium in in-hospital arrest linked to worse outcomes

Resuscitation Plus · Cohort · Context only

Retrospective cohort study of 599 in-hospital cardiac arrest patients testing whether calcium administration improves outcomes — calcium was associated with significantly lower rates of sustained ROSC, survival to discharge, and favourable neuro outcomes.
Ultrasound maps CPR hand position over LVOT not iAMC

Resuscitation · Cross-sectional · Hypothesis-generating

Prospective observational study using transthoracic echocardiography to map optimal chest compression location — guideline-recommended hand placement frequently overlies the left ventricular outflow tract rather than the ideal area of maximal compression.