Aim: One of the objectives of this study was to assess the previous termemergency medical dispatchersnext term (EMDs) ability for the identification and prioritisation of previous termcardiac arrestnext term (CA) previous termcases,next term and offering and achievements of previous termdispatchernext term-assisted bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The other objective was to give an account of the frequency of previous termagonalnext term respiration in previous termcardiac arrest calls and the caller'snext term descriptions of previous termbreathing.next term Methods: Prospective study evaluating previous term100 tape recordingsnext term of the EMD previous termcalls of emergency medicalnext term service (EMS)-provided advanced life support- (ALS) previous termcases, of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.next term Results: The quality of EMD-performed interviews was highly commended in 63% of previous termcases,next term but insufficient or unapproved in the remaining 37%. The previous termcaller'snext term state of mind was not previous termanext term major problem for co-operation. Among the previous term100 cases,next term 24 were previous termsuspectednext term to be unconscious and in respiratory previous termarrest. Anext term further 38 previous termcasesnext term were presented as unconscious with abnormal previous termbreathing.next term In only 14 previous termcases dispatchernext term-assisted bystander CPR was offered by the EMD, and in 11 of these it was attempted, and completed in eight. Only four of the previous termcasesnext term were unconscious patients with abnormal previous termbreathing.next term The incidence of previous termsuspected agonal breathingnext term was estimated to be not, vert, similar30% and the descriptions were; difficulty, poorly, gasping, wheezing, impaired, occasional previous termbreathing.next term Conclusions: Among previous termsuspected cardiac arrest cases,next term EMDs offer CPR instruction to only previous termanext term small fraction of previous termcallers. Anext term major obstacle was the presentation of previous termagonal breathing.next term Patients with previous termanext term combination of unconsciousness and previous termagonal breathingnext term should be offered previous termdispatchernext term-assisted CPR instruction. This might improve survival in previous termout-of hospital cardiac arrest.next term