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Racial gaps in bystander CPR for opioid OHCA

Racial and ethnic differences in bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation for opioid-associated out-of-hospital cardiac arrests
Resuscitation · Added 2 September 2026

Retrospective cohort study using NEMSIS data (n=19,612) found Black patients with opioid-associated OHCA had significantly lower odds of receiving bystander CPR than White patients (AOR 0.70, 95% CI 0.63-0.77), with Hispanic patients also less likely (AOR 0.82).

Study type

Cohort

Design

Retrospective national registry cohort (NEMSIS 2017–2025)

Participants

19,612 EMS-assessed opioid-associated OHCAs in adults

Main finding

Compared with White patients, Black patients had lower odds of bystander CPR (AOR 0.70, 95% CI 0.63–0.77); Hispanic patients also lower (AOR 0.82)

Caveat

Registry data limited adjustment; US system may not generalise to Australia

Bottom line

Context only

Learning goal

Understand how inequitable access to bystander CPR affects patients experiencing opioid-associated cardiac arrest in Australian communities.

More

• Topic: Cardiac arrest
• Daily scan: 2 September 2026

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