Proposal for establishment of a National Sudden Cardiac Arrest registry

Ong EHM
Correspondence: Dr Ong Eng Hock Marcus, marcus.ong.e.h@sgh.com.sg

ABSTRACT
There is a need to establish a National Sudden Cardiac Arrest registry that would track the performance and outcomes of out-of-hospital (OHCA) and in-hospital cardiac arrests (IHCA) in the country. An effective strategy to improve survival from sudden cardiac arrest in Singapore requires a multi-pronged effort targeting the community, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and the hospitals. The establishment of such a registry is important, as it would enable the tracking of trends and effectiveness of subsequent interventions related to our national strategy for management of both OHCA and IHCA. The quality improvement process of measurement–benchmarking–feedback/change is well established. A key part of this process is data collection. A cardiac arrest registry can be a key tool for quality improvement and serves as an important foundation on which to implement and track planned improvements to cardiac arrest management both in and out of hospital. It would also aid in planning for deployment of resources, interventions and ongoing efforts to improve Singapore’s EMS.

Keywords: cardiac arrest, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, community, hospital, quality
Singapore Med J 2011; 52(8): 631-633