Resuscitation
-
Overall prognosis in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains poor, especially when return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) cannot be achieved at the scene. It is unclear if rapid transport to the hospital with ongoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) improves outcome in patients with refractory OHCA (rOHCA). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a novel fast track algorithm (FTA) in patients with rOHCA. ⋯ Our study suggests that a rapid transport algorithm with ongoing CPR is feasible, improves neurological outcome and may improve survival in carefully selected patients with rOHCA.
-
Use of smart devices to provide real-time cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) feedback in the context of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has considerable potential for improving survival. However, the findings of previous studies evaluating the effectiveness of these devices have been conflicting. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of the literature to assess the utility of smart devices for improving the quality of CPR during CPR training. ⋯ This review does not find durable evidence for usefulness of smart devices in CPR training. However, the smartwatches may improve the accuracy of chest compression depth. Future studies with larger sample sizes might be necessary before reaching a firm conclusion.
-
Patients presenting with acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) and cardiac arrest before surgery are considered to have very poor prognosis, but limited data is available. We used a large database to evaluate the outcome of ATAAD patients with a cardiac arrest before surgery. ⋯ Early mortality and complications after ATAAD surgery in patients with a preoperative cardiac arrest are high, but mid-term outcome after surviving the initial period is acceptable. Preoperative cardiac arrest should not be considered an absolute contraindication for a surgical ATAAD repair.