Resuscitation
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Multicenter Study
Increased survival despite a reduction in out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation in north-east Italy.
We have reported the epidemiology and survival rate of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OOH-CA) in a north-east region of Italy previously, the Friuli-Venezia-Giulia Arrest Cooperative Study (FACS). We present the results of a second observational, prospective, multicentre study on OOH-CA victims in a local area in the same geographical Italian region. ⋯ Despite a reduction in the rate of VF/VT as presenting rhythm, survival was almost tripled. Manning all ambulances with professional emergency medical personnel and ACLS training together with dispatch-guided CPR may have contributed to the improvements observed in survival rates.