Survival After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Before and After Legislation for Bystander CPR

Key Points Question Is the implementation of legislation associated with increased bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) use and improved clinical outcomes for patients experiencing out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in low-resource countries? Findings In a cohort study of 13 751 patients with OHCA in Shenzhen, China, the pilot city for the CPR legislation, the rates of bystander-initiated CPR, AED use, prehospital return of spontaneous circulation, survival to arrival at the hospital, and survival at discharge were significantly increased during the postlegislation period. Interrupted time-series models demonstrated a significant slope change in the rates of all outcomes after legislation was implemented. Meaning These findings suggest that the implementation of legislation is positively associated with bystander CPR and public defibrillation and improved survival among patients with OHCA.