Resuscitation
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Influence of airway management strategy on "no-flow-time" in a standardized single rescuer manikin scenario (a comparison between LTS-D and I-gel).
In 2005 the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) published a revised version of the guidelines for Advanced Life Support (ALS). One of the aims was to reduce the time without chest compression in the first period of cardiac arrest (no-flow-time; NFT). We evaluated in a manikin study the influence on NFT using the single use laryngeal tube with suction option (LTS-D) compared to single use I-gel for emergency airway management. ⋯ In our manikin study, NFT was comparable using the LTS-D and the I-gel. Therefore, for personnel not experienced in tracheal intubation, the LTS-D and the I-gel seem to be equal alternatives in establishing the airway during cardiac arrest. However, relevant clinical studies are appropriate because any change in guidelines in this area must be based on clinical evidence.
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We sought to evaluate the association between three key out-of-hospital endotracheal intubation (ETI) errors and patient outcomes. ⋯ Out-of-hospital ETI errors are not associated with mortality. Failed out-of-hospital ETI increases the odds of pneumonitis.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effect of cooling after human cardiac arrest on myocardial infarct size.
The Hypothermia after Cardiac Arrest (HACA) trial assessed whether mild therapeutic hypothermia improved the rate of good neurological recovery in patients after ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest of presumed cardiac origin. We evaluated the impact of hypothermia on myocardial injury. ⋯ Cooling after successful resuscitation for ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest did not influence infarct size. Cautious interpretation of the subgroup analysis may indicate a favourable trend for early cooling.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The impact of introducing medical emergency team system on the documentations of vital signs.
To study the rate of documentation of vital signs in the period before the occurrence of an adverse event or emergency team call and to measure the effect of introducing the medical emergency team (MET) system on the rate of such documentation. ⋯ The documentation of vital signs in the period before adverse events was commonly incomplete with a particular deficiency in the documentation of the respiratory rate. Introduction of a MET system was associated with improvement in the rate of documentation of vital signs.
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Case Reports
Utility of pre-cordial thump for treatment of out of hospital cardiac arrest: a prospective study.
Prospective data on pre-cordial thump (PT), one of the fastest possible resuscitative manoeuvres, are scant, particularly in out-of-hospital (OOH) cardiac arrest (CA). ⋯ PT can be combined with standard resuscitatory interventions without significant time-delay or apparent side effects. PT efficacy in CA(VF/VT) and CA(PEA) is lacking. However, PT may offer potential for the increasing proportion of asystolic OOH-CA, in particular when witnessed.