Resuscitation
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Observational Study
Neurologic outcome in comatose patients resuscitated from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with prolonged downtime and treated with therapeutic hypothermia.
Previous reports have shown that prolonged duration of resuscitation efforts in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is associated with poor neurologic outcome. This concept has recently been questioned with advancements in post-cardiac arrest care including the use of therapeutic hypothermia (TH). The aim of this study was to determine the rate of good neurologic outcome based on the duration of resuscitation efforts in OHCA patients treated with TH. ⋯ Although longer downtime is associated with worse outcome in OHCA patients, we found that comatose patients who have been successfully resuscitated and treated with TH have neurologically intact survival rates of 23% even with downtime >20min.
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Multicenter Study
Development and validation of risk models to predict outcomes following in-hospital cardiac arrest attended by a hospital-based resuscitation team.
The National Cardiac Arrest Audit (NCAA) is the UK national clinical audit for in-hospital cardiac arrest. To make fair comparisons among health care providers, clinical indicators require case mix adjustment using a validated risk model. The aim of this study was to develop and validate risk models to predict outcomes following in-hospital cardiac arrest attended by a hospital-based resuscitation team in UK hospitals. ⋯ Validated risk models for ROSC>20min and hospital survival following in-hospital cardiac arrest have been developed. These models will strengthen comparative reporting in NCAA and support local quality improvement.
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To evaluate the incidence of postresuscitation myocardial depression (PRMD) and hemodynamical parameters associated with PRMD in patients treated with therapeutic hypothermia (TH) after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with ventricular fibrillation (OHCA-VF). ⋯ Two-thirds of the OHCA-VF patients develops transient postresuscitation myocardial depression not easily detected without monitoring of CI during therapeutic hypothermia. Further controlled studies are warranted to evaluate the value of different hemodynamic targets and monitoring after cardiac arrest in terms of outcome.
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Current focus on immediate survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has diverted attention away from the variables potentially affecting long-term survival. ⋯ One-third of the patients discharged from hospital after OHCA died within 30 months of the event. Long-term survival was associated both with better neurological and functional level at hospital discharge and a smaller decrease in functional limitation from before to after the arrest, yet some patients with a poor neurological outcome survived prolonged periods after hospital discharge.
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Observational Study
Epidemiological characteristics of sudden cardiac arrest in schools.
The present study aimed to clarify the incidence and outcomes of sudden cardiac arrests in schools and the clinically relevant characteristics of individuals who experienced sudden cardiac arrests. ⋯ Although sudden cardiac arrests in schools is rare, they majorly occurred in individuals with cardiac diseases and/or during physical exercise and presented as ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia observed initially as cardiac arrhythmia.