Location of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and automated external defibrillators in relation to schools in an English ambulance service region.

Introduction: This study sought to identify the availability of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in schools in the region served by West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Trust (WMAS), United Kingdom, and the number of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) that occurred at or near to schools. A secondary aim was to explore the cost effectiveness of school-based defibrillators.

Methods: This observational study used data from the national registry for OHCA (University of Warwick) to identify cases occurring at or near schools between January 2014 and December 2016 in WMAS region (n = 11,399).

Are there disparities in the location of automated external defibrillators in England?

Background: Early defibrillation is an essential element of the chain of survival for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Public access defibrillation (PAD) programmes aim to place automated external defibrillators (AED) in areas with high OHCA incidence, but there is sometimes a mismatch between AED density and OHCA incidence.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess whether there were any disparities in the characteristics of areas that have an AED and those that do not in England.

Impact of community initiatives on non-EMS bystander CPR rates in West Yorkshire between 2014 and 2018.

Aim: Bystander CPR rates have steadily increased in England between 2014 and 2018. In West Yorkshire, there have been two important developments during this time. We aimed to describe whether postcode districts (PCDs) with more cumulative annual 'Restart a Heart' (RSAH) and/or Community First Responder (CFR) scheme activity between 2014 and 2018 were associated with greater improvements in non-EMS bystander CPR rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) when compared with PCDs in the same region with lesser or no such historic activity during the same time period.

Risk prediction models for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes in England.

Aims: The out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) outcomes project is a national research registry. One of its aims is to explore sources of variation in OHCA survival outcomes. This study reports the development and validation of risk prediction models for return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) at hospital handover and survival to hospital discharge.

Attitudes to Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Defibrillator Use: A Survey of UK Adults in 2017.

Background Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation ( CPR ) and public access defibrillator ( PAD ) use can save the lives of people who experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Little is known about the proportions of UK adults trained, their characteristics and willingness to act if witnessing an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, or the public's knowledge regarding where the nearest PAD is located. Methods and Results An online survey was administered by YouGov to a nonprobabilistic purposive sample of UK adults, achieving 2084 participants, from a panel that was matched to be representative of the population.

Characteristics of neighbourhoods with high incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and low bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation rates in England.

Aims: The aim of the project was to identify the neighbourhood characteristics of areas in England where out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) incidence was high and bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (BCPR) was low using registry data.

Methods And Results: Analysis was based on 67 219 cardiac arrest events between 1 April 2013 and 31 December 2015. Arrest locations were geocoded to give latitude/longitude.

Data quality and 30-day survival for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK out-of-hospital cardiac arrest registry: a data linkage study.

Objectives: The Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Outcomes (OHCAO) project aims to understand the epidemiology and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) across the UK. This data linkage study is a subproject of OHCAO. The aim was to establish the feasibility of linking OHCAO data to National Health Service (NHS) patient demographic data and Office for National Statistics (ONS) date of death data held on the NHS Personal Demographics Service (PDS) database to improve OHCAO demographic data quality and enable analysis of 30-day survival from OHCA.

Epidemiology and outcomes from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in England.

Introduction: This study reports the epidemiology and outcomes from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in England during 2014.

Methods: Prospective observational study from the national OHCA registry. The incidence, demographic and outcomes of patients who were treated for an OHCA between 1st January 2014 and 31st December 2014 in 10 English ambulance service (EMS) regions, serving a population of almost 54 million, are reported in accordance with Utstein recommendations.

Crystalline silica in heated man-made vitreous fibres: a review.

Refractory ceramic fibres (RCF) and alkaline earth silicate (AES) wools are types of man-made vitreous fibre (MMVF) that are used in demanding high-temperature industrial applications, generally above 900 °C and up to 1400 °C. When exposed to prolonged high temperatures, MMVF can devitrify with the formation of cristobalite and other crystalline silica species, which is of potential concern because crystalline silica (CS) is classified as carcinogenic. This article reviews the chemico-physical processes and morphological consequences of fibre devitrification, the forms and micro-location of CS produced, and the toxicity of devitrified fibres and the CS species formed in this way.

Intervention implementation research: an exploratory study of reduction strategies for occupational contact dermatitis in the printing industry.

Background: Occupational dermatitis is a problem in the printing industry but can be avoided through adequate protective measures. Research into intervention implementation is fundamental to the success of a formal intervention effectiveness trial.

Objectives: The preliminary testing of four risk reduction strategies for occupationally caused dermatitis, which represent a range of approaches and cost implications.

Pesticides and Parkinson's disease--is there a link?

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an idiopathic disease of the nervous system characterized by progressive tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity, and postural instability. It has been postulated that exogenous toxicants, including pesticides, might be involved in the etiology of PD. In this article we present a comprehensive review of the published epidemiologic and toxicologic literature and critically evaluate whether a relationship exists between pesticide exposure and PD.

Health effects of a sulphur dioxide air pollution episode.

Background: A sulphur dioxide (SO(2)) episode occurred in the United Kingdom in 1998. The worst affected area was the city of Nottingham.

Methods: Emergency hospital admissions in Nottingham in the episode week were compared with those in the previous week.