Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Africa: a scoping review

Introduction Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is well studied in high-income countries, and research has encouraged the implementation of policy to increase survival rates. On the other hand, comprehensive research on OHCA in Africa is sparse, despite the higher incidence of risk factors. In this vein, structural barriers to OHCA care in Africa must be fully recognised and understood before similar improvements in outcome may be made. The aim of this study was to describe and summarise the body of literature related to OHCA in Africa. Methods and analysis Using an a priori developed search strategy, electronic searches were performed in Medline via Pubmed, Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar databases to identify articles published in English between 2000 and 2020 relevant to OHCA in Africa. Titles, abstract and full text were reviewed by two reviewers, with discrepancies handled by an independent reviewer. A summary of the main themes contained in the literature was developed using descriptive analysis on eligible articles. Results A total of 1200 articles were identified. In the screening process, 785 articles were excluded based on title, and a further 127 were excluded following abstract review. During full-text review to determine eligibility, 80 articles were excluded and one was added following references review. A total of 19 articles met the inclusion criteria. During analysis, the following three themes were found: epidemiology and underlying causes for OHCA, first aid training and bystander action, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) resuscitation and training. Conclusions In order to begin addressing OHCA in Africa, representative research with standardised reporting that complies to data standards is required to understand the full, context-specific picture. Policies and research may then target underlying conditions, improvements in bystander and EMS training, and system improvements that are contextually relevant and ultimately result in better outcomes for OHCA victims.