Main Study
The primary objective of RACE-CARS is to improve survival to hospital discharge with good neurologic function by 33% from 9.0% to 12.0%.
RACE-CARS Trial Rationale
- The main barrier preventing progress in cardiac arrest outcomes is not the lack of knowledge but the effective systematic implementation of what works.
- The greatest opportunity for improving cardiac arrest outcomes is an intensified strategic focus on:
- Improved 911 recognition of OHCA and delivery of telephone CPR
- More rapid deployment of first responder defibrillation
- Improved use of bystander CPR
- Trial Details
The intervention strategy consists of 4 main elements:
- optimized medical 911-dispatch performance with rapid recognition of cardiac arrest and dispatch of emergency response,
- enhanced 911-dispatch telephone coaching of bystander CPR,
- improved first responder performance, and
- comprehensive public training of CPR and AED use.
RACE-CARS utilizes the ongoing data collection of qualifying cardiac arrest cases in the NC Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES) registry and is projecting to enroll ~20,000 patients with cardiac arrest over the 4-year intervention period.
Full trial details can be found on ClinicalTrials.gov
Timeline
RACE-CARS started in July 2020 and is a 7-year pragmatic, cluster randomized (1:1) trial being conducted in 62 counties in North Carolina.
Intervention counties (Enhanced Care)
- Timely CARES Data Entry
- Each EMS agency will have a primary responsibility for timely CARES data entry, including pursuing hospital data
- Recruitment of Strategic Partners for interventions
- Recruitment of Cardiac Arrest Survivors for Long-Term Follow-Up
- Conduct interventions around improving bystander CPR and AED usage
- Interaction with the RACE-CARS Team
Control counties
- Timely CARES Data Entry
- Continue current EMS and first responder practices
- Usual care practice for duration of trial
- Recruitment of Cardiac Arrest Survivors for Long-Term Follow-Up