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Bystander-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation can increase survival among patients with out-of hospital cardiac arrest. In this study, a mobile-phone positioning system to dispatch trained volunteers significantly increased rates of bystander-initiated CPR. Bystander-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before the arrival of emergency-medical-services (EMS) personnel is associated with a rate of survival among patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest that is up to three times as high as the rate among patients who do not receive such assistance. 1 , 2 Low rates of bystander-initiated CPR are a major obstacle to improved survival rates. 3 The usual approach to increase rates of bystander-initiated CPR has been to train as much of the public as possible. 4 However, this approach is associated with substantial costs and uncertain effects on rates of bystander-initiated CPR. 5 With the use of a mobile-phone positioning . . .

This study examined whether training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation increases the frequency of bystander CPR and the rate of survival. CPR performed before the arrival of emergency medical services was associated with a substantially greater 30-day survival rate. Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is a major public health concern, given that there are approximately 420,000 cases in the United States and 275,000 cases in Europe annually. 1 – 3 Decreasing the time to treatment is crucial for improving outcomes in cases of cardiac arrest. 4 , 5 As stated in American and European guidelines, the most important response measures that currently can be taken outside a hospital setting are recognizing early that a cardiac arrest is occurring, placing an alarm call, performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and performing defibrillation. 6 , 7 Globally, CPR is taught to millions of people each year. In Sweden, more than 3 . . .

In patients with heart failure (HF) who suffered in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA), little is known about the characteristics, survival and neurological outcome. We used the Swedish Registry of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation to study this, including patients aged ≥ 18 years suffering IHCA (2008–2019), categorised as HF alone, HF with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), AMI alone, or other. Odds ratios (OR) for 30-day survival, trends in 30-day survival, and the implication of HF phenotype was studied. 6378 patients had HF alone, 2111 had HF with AMI, 4210 had AMI alone. Crude 5-year survival was 9.6% for HF alone, 12.9% for HF with AMI and 34.6% for AMI alone. The 5-year survival was 7.9% for patients with HF and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ 50%, 15.4% for LVEF < 40% and 12.3% for LVEF 40–49%. Compared with AMI alone, adjusted OR (95% CI) for 30-day survival was 0.66 (0.60–0.74) for HF alone, and 0.49 (0.43–0.57) for HF with AMI. OR for 30-day survival in 2017–2019 compared with 2008–2010 were 1.55 (1.24–1.93) for AMI alone, 1.37 (1.00–1.87) for HF with AMI and 1.30 (1.07–1.58) for HF alone. Survivors with HF had good neurological outcome in 92% of cases.

To determine whether immigrant background and socioeconomic status were associated with increased risk to develop severe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) requiring mechanical ventilation at the intensive care unit and to study their effects on 90-day mortality. Nationwide case–control study with personal-level data from the Swedish Intensive Care register linked with socioeconomic data from Statistics Sweden and comorbidity data from the national patient register. For each case of COVID-19 treated with mechanical ventilation at the intensive care unit (outcome), 10 population controls were matched for age, sex and area of residence. Logistic and Cox regression were used to study the association between the exposure (immigrant background, income and educational level) and 90-day mortality. In total, 4 921 cases and 49 210 controls were matched. In the adjusted model, the risk of severe COVID-19 was highest in individuals born in Asia (Odds ratio [OR] = 2.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.20–2.69), South America (OR = 2.34, 95% CI = 1.82–2.98) and Africa (OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.76–2.50). Post-secondary education was associated with a lower risk of severe COVID-19 (OR = 0.75, CI = 0.69–0.82) as was the highest (vs. lowest) income quintile (OR = 0.87, CI = 0.77–0.97). In the fully adjusted Cox-regression analysis birth region of Africa (OR 1.38, CI = 1.03–1.86) and high income (OR 0.75, CI 0.63–0.89) were associated with 90-day mortality. Immigrant background, educational level and income were independently associated with acquiring severe COVID-19 with need for mechanical ventilation.

Background Hyperoxemia may aggravate reperfusion brain injury after cardiac arrest. The aim of this study was to study the associations between different levels of hyperoxemia in the reperfusion period after cardiac arrest and 30-day survival. Methods Nationwide observational study using data from four compulsory Swedish registries. Adult in- and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients admitted to an ICU, requiring mechanical ventilation, between January 2010 and March 2021, were included. The partial oxygen pressure (PaO 2 ) was collected in a standardized way at ICU admission (± one hour) according to the simplified acute physiology score 3 reflecting the time interval with oxygen treatment from return of spontaneous circulation to ICU admission. Subsequently, patients were divided into groups based on the registered PaO 2 at ICU admission. Hyperoxemia was categorized into mild (13.4–20 kPa), moderate (20.1–30 kPa) severe (30.1–40 kPa) and extreme (> 40 kPa), and normoxemia as PaO 2  8–13.3 kPa. Hypoxemia was defined as PaO 2  < 8 kPa. Primary outcome was 30-day survival and relative risks (RR) were estimated by multivariable modified Poisson regression. Results In total, 9735 patients were included of which 4344 (44.6%) were hyperoxemic at ICU admission. Among these, 2217 were classified as mild, 1091 as moderate, 507 as severe, and 529 as extreme hyperoxemia. Normoxemia was present in 4366 (44.8%) patients and 1025 (10.5%) had hypoxemia. Compared to the normoxemia group, the adjusted RR for 30-day survival in the whole hyperoxemia group was 0.87 (95% CI 0.82–0.91). The corresponding results for the different hyperoxemia subgroups were; mild 0.91 (95% CI 0.85–0.97), moderate 0.88 (95% CI 0.82–0.95), severe 0.79 (95% CI 0.7–0.89), and extreme 0.68 (95% CI 0.58–0.79). Adjusted 30-day survival for the hypoxemia compared to normoxemia group was 0.83 (95% CI 0.74–0.92). Similar associations were seen in both out-of-hospital and in-hospital cardiac arrests. Conclusion In this nationwide observational study comprising both in- and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients, hyperoxemia at ICU admission was associated with lower 30-day survival.

Less than 500 participants have been included in randomized trials comparing hypothermia with regular care for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients, and many of these trials were small and at a high risk of bias. Consequently, the accrued data on this potentially beneficial intervention resembles that of a drug following small phase II trials. A large confirmatory trial is therefore warranted. The TTM2-trial is an international, multicenter, parallel group, investigator-initiated, randomized, superiority trial in which a target temperature of 33°C after cardiac arrest will be compared with a strategy to maintain normothermia and early treatment of fever (≥37.8°C). Participants will be randomized within 3 hours of return of spontaneous circulation with the intervention period lasting 40 hours in both groups. Sedation will be mandatory for all patients throughout the intervention period. The clinical team involved with direct patient care will not be blinded to allocation group due to the inherent difficulty in blinding the intervention. Prognosticators, outcome-assessors, the steering group, the trial coordinating team, and trial statistician will be blinded. The primary outcome will be all-cause mortality at 180 days after randomization. We estimate a 55% mortality in the control group. To detect an absolute risk reduction of 7.5% with an alpha of 0.05 and 90% power, 1900 participants will be enrolled. The main secondary neurological outcome will be poor functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale 4–6) at 180 days after arrest. The TTM2-trial will compare hypothermia to 33°C with normothermia and early treatment of fever (≥37.8°C) after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Introduction Studies examining the factors linked to survival after out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) have either aimed to describe the characteristics and outcomes of OHCA in different parts of the world, or focused on certain factors and whether they were associated with survival. Unfortunately, this approach does not measure how strong each factor is in predicting survival after OHCA. Aim To investigate the relative importance of 16 well-recognized factors in OHCA at the time point of ambulance arrival, and before any interventions or medications were given, by using a machine learning approach that implies building models directly from the data, and arranging those factors in order of importance in predicting survival. Methods Using a data-driven approach with a machine learning algorithm, we studied the relative importance of 16 factors assessed during the pre-hospital phase of OHCA. We examined 45,000 cases of OHCA between 2008 and 2016. Results Overall, the top five factors to predict survival in order of importance were: initial rhythm, age, early Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR, time to CPR and CPR before arrival of EMS), time from EMS dispatch until EMS arrival, and place of cardiac arrest. The largest difference in importance was noted between initial rhythm and the remaining predictors. A number of factors, including time of arrest and sex were of little importance. Conclusion Using machine learning, we confirm that the most important predictor of survival in OHCA is initial rhythm, followed by age, time to start of CPR, EMS response time and place of OHCA. Several factors traditionally viewed as important, e.g. sex, were of little importance.

Background Randomized trials have shown that trans-nasal evaporative cooling initiated during CPR (i.e. intra-arrest) effectively lower core body temperature in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients. However, these trials may have been underpowered to detect significant differences in neurologic outcome, especially in patients with initial shockable rhythm. Methods We conducted a post hoc pooled analysis of individual data from two randomized trials including 851 patients who eventually received the allocated intervention and with available outcome (“as-treated” analysis). Primary outcome was survival with favourable neurological outcome at hospital discharge (Cerebral Performance Category [CPC] of 1–2) according to the initial rhythm (shockable vs. non-shockable). Secondary outcomes included complete neurological recovery (CPC 1) at hospital discharge. Results Among the 325 patients with initial shockable rhythms, favourable neurological outcome was observed in 54/158 (34.2%) patients in the intervention and 40/167 (24.0%) in the control group (RR 1.43 [confidence intervals, CIs 1.01–2.02]). Complete neurological recovery was observed in 40/158 (25.3%) in the intervention and 27/167 (16.2%) in the control group (RR 1.57 [CIs 1.01–2.42]). Among the 526 patients with initial non-shockable rhythms, favourable neurological outcome was in 10/259 (3.8%) in the intervention and 13/267 (4.9%) in the control group (RR 0.88 [CIs 0.52–1.29]; p  = 0.67); survival and complete neurological recovery were also similar between groups. No significant benefit was observed for the intervention in the entire population. Conclusions In this pooled analysis of individual data, intra-arrest cooling was associated with a significant increase in favourable neurological outcome in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients with initial shockable rhythms. Future studies are needed to confirm the potential benefits of this intervention in this subgroup of patients.

Survivors of cardiac arrest often face multifaceted challenges-cognitive, emotional, physical, and existential-that extend beyond clinical recovery. Despite these long-term consequences, follow-up care is often insufficient, and access to reliable information and support remains limited. Broader initiatives to address post-cardiac arrest care are still lacking. This qualitative study represents the initial phase of a multiphase development process to cocreate, design, and later evaluate a web-based support and learning platform for cardiac arrest survivors. The platform is intended to complement existing health care services and support survivors in managing life after cardiac arrest. This study aimed to explore survivors' perspectives on digital support and identify relevant content and delivery formats for a web-based support and learning platform. Eight women and 12 men (aged 44-80 years) were recruited via a moderated peer support network for cardiac arrest survivors. Time since cardiac arrest ranged from 3 months to 19 years. Data were collected between November 2024 and February 2025 through 3 individual and 4 focus group interviews, analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Three main categories-(1) digital communication and guided health care navigation, (2) digital opportunities to support recovery and address unmet needs, and (3) digital and interpersonal pathways to safe social contexts-were identified as key design requirements for digital support. Substantial gaps in post-cardiac arrest care emerged, including fragmented and sometimes contradictory information, regional disparities, and limited psychosocial follow-up, underscoring the value of a national, accessible, trustworthy web-based program that complements standard care throughout recovery. Flexible formats-such as short videos, read-aloud functions, and information available both as concise and more in-depth versions-were considered essential to accommodate fatigue and cognitive difficulties. A digital platform was further identified as uniquely suited to gather relevant information in one place, provide expert-based explanations and links to further resources, and offer practical tools that could be accessed at home. Across categories, several unmet needs emerged as particularly suited to digital delivery, including guidance on health and everyday decisions, support for managing emotional and physical aftermath, resources to navigate altered social relations, intimacy and personality changes, and dedicated support for family members, who often lack tailored and continuous follow-up. Findings underscore the need for a tailored digital support program that extends beyond clinical encounters and offers structured, accessible, and personalized guidance across the recovery trajectory. By addressing long-term cognitive, physical, emotional, and relational needs, a contextually adapted digital program has the potential to bridge existing gaps in post-cardiac arrest care and strengthen survivors' recovery. These user-driven insights provide a foundation for the cocreation and iterative development of a clinically grounded and adaptable digital support platform.

AimsThe risks associated with diabetes, obesity and hypertension for severe COVID-19 may be confounded and differ by sociodemographic background. We assessed the risks associated with cardiometabolic factors for severe COVID-19 when accounting for socioeconomic factors and in subgroups by age, sex and region of birth.Methods and resultsIn this nationwide case–control study, 1.086 patients admitted to intensive care with COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation (cases), and 10.860 population-based controls matched for age, sex and district of residency were included from mandatory national registries. ORs with 95% CIs for associations between severe COVID-19 and exposures with adjustment for confounders were estimated using logistic regression. The median age was 62 years (IQR 52–70), and 3003 (24.9%) were women. Type 2 diabetes (OR, 2.3 (95% CI 1.9 to 2.7)), hypertension (OR, 1.7 (95% CI 1.5 to 2.0)), obesity (OR, 3.1 (95% CI 2.4 to 4.0)) and chronic kidney disease (OR, 2.5 (95% CI 1.7 to 3.7)) were all associated with severe COVID-19. In the younger subgroup (below 57 years), ORs were significantly higher for all cardiometabolic risk factors. The risk associated with type 2 diabetes was higher in women (p=0.001) and in patients with a region of birth outside European Union(EU) (p=0.004).ConclusionDiabetes, obesity and hypertension were all independently associated with severe COVID-19 with stronger associations in the younger population. Type 2 diabetes implied a greater risk among women and in non-EU immigrants. These findings, originating from high-quality Swedish registries, may be important to direct preventive measures such as vaccination to susceptible patient groups.Trial registration numberClinicaltrial.gov (NCT04426084).