Methods:

This was a prospective, cluster-randomized, controlled trial of 15 prehospital French emergency medical service units. Participants were adult family members of adult patients in cardiac arrest occurring at home. For emergency medical service units assigned to the intervention, a medical team member systematically asked family members whether they wished to be present during the resuscitation. For units assigned to the control, family members were not routinely given the option to be present during CPR. The primary endpoint was the proportion of relatives with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-related symptoms on day 90 (as determined by an interview conducted by a trained psychologist blinded to study-group assignments). Secondary endpoints included the presence of anxiety and depression symptoms and the effects of family presence on medical efforts at resuscitation, the well-being of the health care team, and the occurrence of medicolegal claims.