An observational study of the utility of continuous positive airway pressure ventilation for appropriate candidates in prehospital care in the Midwest region

Background: Emergency medical services (EMS) practitioners in Ireland have been recently licensed to use continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) ventilation for patients with pulmonary oedema. Both the British Thoracic Society and the Canadian Medical Association advocate the use of CPAP in hospital for patients with severe exacerbations of pulmonary oedema. Aims: The aim of this study was to identify prehospital patients in the Midwest, over a 6-month period, which could potentially benefit from CPAP if it were available in the National Ambulance Service. Methods: Potential CPAP patients were identified in the Advanced Paramedic Clinical Activity Study (APCAS) database and then followed up in the receiving hospital emergency department (ED) and medical records. Prior to this study, Irish guidance for prehospital use of CPAP did not exist and therefore the database was interrogated using a Toronto EMS Medical Directive. Descriptive analysis was conducted in Microsoft Excel and SPSS. Results: Emergency AS1 calls (999/112) were assessed (n = 1369) and 141 patients (10.3, 95 % confidence interval 8.9–12.1 %) were identified as potential candidates for prehospital CPAP. Further investigation of ED records for 63 potential candidates found 36.5 % (95 % confidence interval 26–49 %) met the Toronto EMS criteria for CPAP. Conclusions: This study suggests that a suitable patient cohort for CPAP exists in the prehospital environment and highlights the need for a prospective study of CPAP use on these patients.