North Carolina Study Tests the Impact of Community-based Interventions on Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survival

January 30, 2023

Defibtech is proud to support Duke Clinical Research Institute’s (DCRI) Randomized Cluster Evaluation of Cardiac Arrest Systems Trial by helping provide 10 AEDS to Warren County, North Carolina. According to their website, “a new Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI)-led pragmatic cluster-randomized trial will test the implementation of community interventions to improve survival for people with cardiac arrest, one of the main causes of death in North Carolina and in the United States.”

This trial, also known as RACE CARS, is being funded by The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). It will test whether a set of customized community-based interventions can improve survival in out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest compared to usual care. Our mission at Defibtech is to help increase survival from sudden cardiac arrest, and we understand more research needs to be done to make this possible.
 

Trial Strategy

The strategy of this trial consists of:

1. Optimized medical 911-dispatch performance with rapid recognition of cardiac arrest and dispatch of emergency response
2. Enhanced 911-dispatch telephone coaching of bystander CPR
3. Improved first responder performance
4. Comprehensive public training of CPR and AED use

Seven Years of Study

The purpose of this project is to test the implementation of community interventions to improve survival for people who suffer sudden cardiac arrest. The trial will last a total of seven years. The focus is not only the importance of making AEDs accessible in high traffic locations in communities, but also training as many people as possible to perform CPR.

When sudden cardiac arrest strikes, the first few minutes are crucial to survival. It is imperative that CPR is started and an AED is used before the ambulance arrives. This can greatly increase survival from sudden cardiac arrest. This project helping place AEDs where they are needed, and also empowering people to step up and help during an emergency situation.

Currently 62 counties throughout North Carolina are participating in the RACE CARS trial, which is 80.3% of the entire state.
 

Location Shouldn't Determine Survival

Everyone should have a chance to survive and we are proud to support this project and their motto, “where you live should not determine whether you live.”

To learn more about Defibtech and to join us on our quest to save lives from sudden cardiac arrest, visit www.Defibtech.com.

Sources:

https://racecarstrial.org/

https://www.warrenrecord.com/news/article_7496e6d6-6a6a-11ed-8635-1bb9cf50ecc9.html