QAS publishes research looking to the skies for out of hospital cardiac arrest In a career first, Information Support, Research and Evaluation (ISRE) Unit Cardiac Research Fellow Dr Tan Doan looked to the skies for answers in a bid to better understand the exposure-response relationship between Queensland temperatures and out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Below
Dr Doan said research shows that heatwaves can increase the risk of OHCA by up to 1.5 times. Right
ISRE Unit Cardiac Research Fellow Dr Tan Doan with CCP and 2019 KJM Patron’s Research Grant recipient Adam Rolley.
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By pairing thirteen years of meteorological data with QAS cardiac arrest records from 2007‑2019, findings revealed that heatwaves can increase the risk of OHCA by up to 1.5 times. Dr Doan said the study highlighted the need for sector-wide preparedness and planning in the face of temperature extremes. “We know that environmental conditions affect the health of the population and— understanding how this impacts community demand for emergency health care and patient clinical presentations is vital,” Dr Doan said. “Living in a sub-tropical climate, it is incumbent upon us to plan for and adapt to the forces of nature, and in the case of OHCA, along with other acute cardiovascular diseases, mitigating temperature-related burden is especially important. “These conditions claim the lives of many thousands of Queenslanders each year. Our research will contribute to life-saving developments and we are very proud to be fronting this work.” As a specialist mathematical modeller with more than a decade’s experience, Dr Doan said the research was possible because of the combined diligence and dedication of paramedics and the ISRE Unit’s clinical coders ensuring the veracity of patient care records from beginning to end. “Our cardiac outcomes database is one of the most robust and reliable resources available to the prehospital research community and we thank everyone for their role in maintaining its standard. It is
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an invaluable resource to inform progressive updates to clinical and operational service delivery as new insights are uncovered.” QAS Medical Director, and study co-author, Dr Stephen Rashford ASM, said the work, published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, built upon initial findings highlighted in the QAS OHCA Annual Report 2019. “While early days, this research—currently confined to cardiac arrest patients within Brisbane, to be expanded to other clinical presentations and across regional Queensland—will contribute to saving lives by laying vital groundwork for all ambulance jurisdictions to better understand the impact of the environment on service delivery,” Dr Rashford said. “Broadly, we know extreme heat and cold make the body work harder, putting stress and strain on its systems. Whether it’s heat or cold, our findings will be the catalyst for further research investigation and investment in this important clinical space, both here and abroad where the literature is sparse. Article details–Access via CKN: Doan TN, et al. Ambient temperatures, heatwaves and out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrest in Brisbane, Australia. Occup Environ Med 2021. doi:10.1136/oemed-2020-107018.
