The American journal of emergency medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparison of manual and mechanical chest compression techniques using cerebral oximetry in witnessed cardiac arrests at the emergency department: A prospective, randomized clinical study.
We aimed to compare regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) levels during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), performed either manually or using a mechanical chest compression device (MCCD), in witnessed cardiac arrest cases in the emergency department (ED), and to evaluate the effects of both the CPR methods and perfusion levels on patient survival and neurological outcomes. ⋯ A relationship between ROSC and high rSO2 levels in witnessed cardiac arrests exists. Monitoring rSO2 levels during CPR would be useful in CPR management and ROSC prediction. During CPR, MCCD or manual chest compression has no distinct effect on oxygen delivery to the brain.
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Comparative Study
Delay to initiation of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest EMS treatments.
Time to initial treatment is important in any response to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). The purpose of this paper was to quantify the time delay for providing initial EMS treatments supplemented by comparison with those of other EMS systems conducting clinical trials. ⋯ Delay to EMS treatments are common and may affect clinical outcomes. Neither Utstein out-of-hospital guidelines [1] nor U.S. Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES) databases require capture of these elements. EMS is often not providing treatments quickly enough to optimize clinical outcomes. Further regulatory change/research are needed to determine whether OHCA outcome can be improved by novel changes such as enhancing bystander effectiveness through drone-delivered drugs/devices & real-time dispatcher direction on their use.
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Early recognition and management of hemorrhage, damage control resuscitation, and blood product administration have optimized management of severe trauma. Recent data suggest hypocalcemia exacerbates the ensuing effects of coagulopathy in trauma. ⋯ Calcium is a key component of trauma resuscitation and the coagulation cascade. Recent data portray the intricate physiologic reverberations of hypocalcemia in the traumatically injured patient; however, future research is needed to further guide the management of these patients.