First Aid by Laypersons - Effect on Mortality and Length of Stay

Førstehjelp Gjort av Lekfolk-effekt på dødelighet og behandlingsforløp (First Aid by Laypersons - Effect on Mortality and Length of Stay)

The study aims to assess the effect of first aid from bystanders on survival, admission length, and need of ICU-stay for trauma victims.

All ambulance services in Norway will be invited to participate. In the participating ambulance services, the personnel of first unit to reach the scene of accident for any emergency response to trauma will register what first aid measures (if any) are indicated and have been performed by the bystanders on the scene up til the point where the ambulance arrives. Hospital data for each case will be retrieved. Those patients who did receive correct first aid will then be compared to those patients who did not receive first aid, and those where first aid was attempted but not correct for differences in share of survivors, length of hospital stay, and need for admission to ICU.

Inclusion Criteria:

• All emergency response calls to trauma (drownings and hangings included)

Exclusion Criteria:

• No injury to patient
• Non-traumatic condition
• Poisonings