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Cardiac arrest
UK bystander CPR up, AED use flat
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: comparing interventions across the UK
Journal of Paramedic Practice · 2026-11-02 · Added 11 November 2026
A UK literature review of eight articles found bystander CPR rates increasing in England and Scotland while AED use in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest has shown little improvement, with demographics and socioeconomic factors shaping prehospital intervention rates.
- Study type
- Systematic review
- Design
- PRISMA-guided literature review
- Participants
- 8 peer-reviewed UK articles (544 screened)
- Main finding
- Bystander CPR rates increased in England and Scotland; AED use in OHCA showed little improvement; intervention rates varied with demographics and socioeconomic factors
- Caveat
- Small review — eight articles spanning four UK health systems
- Bottom line
- Context only
Why it matters in Australia (Medium relevance). UK bystander-intervention data, but the CPR-up/AED-flat pattern is the same battle Australian OHCA registries describe
Learning goal
Understand the system and socioeconomic factors that shape bystander CPR and AED use in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
More
- Topic: Cardiac arrest
- Daily scan: 11 November 2026
- Podcast: Paramedic Papers Daily, 11 November 2026
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