Resuscitation
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Practice Guideline
Evidence-based recommendations on automated external defibrillator training for children and young people in Flanders-Belgium.
The aim of the study was to identify the most relevant literature on skills, attitude and behaviour of children and young people towards the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) and then develop recommendations according to the principles of evidence-based practice. These recommendations were to serve as a basis for educational materials which would ensure that the implementation of AED-training within schools and youth organisations would be a simple process. ⋯ Based on these recommendations, an education programme and new educational materials have been developed by the Belgian Red Cross-Flanders. In this way school staff and youth leaders are properly supported to teach first aid techniques to children and young people (6-18 years).
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Review Meta Analysis
Predictors of poor neurological outcome in adult comatose survivors of cardiac arrest: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Part 1: Patients not treated with therapeutic hypothermia.
To systematically review the accuracy of early (≤7 days) predictors of poor outcome defined as death or vegetative state (Cerebral Performance Categories [CPC] 4-5) or death, vegetative state or severe disability (CPC 3-5) in comatose survivors from cardiac arrest not treated using therapeutic hypothermia (TH). PubMed, Scopus and the Cochrane Database of Systematic reviews were searched for eligible studies. Sensitivity, specificity, false positive rates (FPR) for each predictor were calculated and results of predictors with similar time points and outcome definitions were pooled. Quality of evidence (QOE) was evaluated according to the GRADE guidelines. ⋯ In comatose resuscitated patients not treated with TH presence of myoclonus, absence of pupillary reflex, bilateral absence of N20 SSEP wave and low EEG voltage each predicted poor outcome early and accurately, but with a relevant risk of bias.
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Comparative Study Observational Study
Combining brain computed tomography and serum neuron specific enolase improves the prognostic performance compared to either alone in comatose cardiac arrest survivors treated with therapeutic hypothermia.
We determined whether combining the grey-to-white matter ratio (GWR) on brain computed tomography (CT) and serum neuron specific enolase (NSE) improves the prognostic performance when compared to either alone in cardiac arrest patients treated with therapeutic hypothermia (TH). ⋯ Combining brain CT and serum NSE improves the prognostic performance when compared to either alone in predicting poor neurologic outcome in cardiac arrest patients treated with TH.
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Multicenter Study
Changes in end of life care 5 years after the introduction of a rapid response team: A multicentre retrospective study.
Rapid response teams (RRTs) are intended to stabilize deteriorating patients on the ward, but recent studies suggest that RRTs may also improve end-of-life care (EOLC). We sought to study the effect of introducing an RRT on EOLC at our institutions, and compare the EOLC care received by patients who were consulted by the RRT with that of patients who were not consulted by the RRT. ⋯ The introduction of an RRT was not associated with significant improvements in EOLC at our institutions. However, almost 1/3 of dying patients were consulted by the RRT, suggesting that the RRT could play a role in facilitating improved EOLC for some inpatients.
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We investigated the inter-observer variability in interpretation of median nerve SSEPs with regard to neurological prognosis in survivors of cardiac arrest (CA). ⋯ Our study demonstrates good inter-observer agreement in the interpretation of median nerve SSEPs in CA survivors on the basis of a pre-defined SSEP evaluation set. The strongest correlation with poor outcome was found for pattern E, bilateral absence of the N20 peak.