SynthesisResuscitation2020
COVID-19 in cardiac arrest and infection risk to rescuers: A systematic review.
Synthesis in Resuscitation, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 98 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
98 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 193 citations in OpenAlex.
- 2025 Korean Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Part 3. Adult basic life support.Clinical and experimental emergency medicine · 2026Guideline
- Effect modification of the association between comorbidities and severe course of COVID-19 disease by age of study participants: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Impact of personal protective equipment on the effectiveness of chest compression - A systematic review and meta-analysis.The American journal of emergency medicine · 2021Pooled it
- Influence of Personal Protective Equipment on the Quality of Chest Compressions: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Frontiers in medicine · 2021Pooled it
- Incidence and outcome of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the COVID-19 era: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Resuscitation · 2020Pooled it
- European Resuscitation Council COVID-19 guidelines executive summary.Resuscitation · 2020Guideline
- Impact of COVID-19-adapted guidelines using different airway management strategies on resuscitation quality in out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrest - a randomised manikin study.BMC emergency medicine · 2023Trial
- How effective are chest compressions when wearing mask? A randomised simulation study among first-year health care students during the COVID-19 pandemic.BMC emergency medicine · 2022Trial
- Changes in Bystander CPR Patterns of Private and Public Locations Before and After COVID-19: An Interrupted Time-Series of a Multicentre Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Cohort.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Comparison of Aerosol Generation Between Bag Valve and Chest Compression-Synchronized Ventilation During Simulated Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Enhancing Safety and Quality of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation During Coronavirus Pandemic.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Association between suicide attempts and pediatric OHCA survival during the COVID-19 pandemic: Japanese cohort study.Pediatric research · 2025Article
- The i-gelJournal of the American College of Emergency Physicians open · 2024Article
- Do-Not-Resuscitate Orders by COVID-19 Status Throughout the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic.Chest · 2024Article
- 'Family members screaming for help makes it very difficult to don PPE'. A qualitative study on UK ambulance staff experiences of infection prevention and control practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.Journal of infection prevention · 2024Article
- A quantitative evaluation of aerosol generation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.Anaesthesia · 2024Article
- Changes of practice on out of hospital cardiopulmonary arrest during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey of SOS-KANTO 2017 study.Annals of clinical epidemiology · 2024Article
- Cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the frail and those with multiple health conditions: Outcomes before and during the COVID pandemic.Clinical medicine (London, England) · 2024Article
- Review
- COVID-19-specific adult basic life support guideline strategies for chiropractors and other healthcare providers to maximize the safety and efficacy of resuscitation: a commentary.Chiropractic & manual therapies · 2023Review
38 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThere may be a risk of COVID-19 transmission to rescuers delivering treatment for cardiac arrest. The aim of this review was to identify the potential risk of transmission associated with key interventions (chest compressions, defibrillation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to inform international treatment recommendations.
methodsWe undertook a systematic review comprising three questions: (1) aerosol generation associated with key interventions; (2) risk of airborne infection transmission associated with key interventions; and (3) the effect of different personal protective equipment strategies. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the World Health Organization COVID-19 database on 24th March 2020. Eligibility criteria were developed individually for each question. We assessed risk of bias for individual studies, and used the GRADE process to assess evidence certainty by outcome.
resultsWe included eleven studies: two cohort studies, one case control study, five case reports, and three manikin randomised controlled trials. We did not find any direct evidence that chest compressions or defibrillation either are or are not associated with aerosol generation or transmission of infection. Data from manikin studies indicates that donning of personal protective equipment delays treatment delivery. Studies provided only indirect evidence, with no study describing patients with COVID-19. Evidence certainty was low or very low for all outcomes.
conclusionIt is uncertain whether chest compressions or defibrillation cause aerosol generation or transmission of COVID-19 to rescuers. There is very limited evidence and a rapid need for further studies. Review registration: PROSPERO CRD42020175594.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.