Resuscitation
-
Observational Study
Effect of vertical location on survival outcomes for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Singapore.
A large proportion of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) cases occur in high-rise residential buildings. This study aims to investigate the effect of vertical location on survival outcomes and response times. ⋯ Vertical location is associated with OHCA survival probability with a U-shaped response, and this significance remained after adjustment for other significant OHCA variables. This relationship is likely multifactorial and more research is needed to elucidate the various factors.
-
To evaluate communication issues during dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DACPR) for paediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in a structured manner to facilitate recommendations for training improvement. ⋯ This structured evaluation identified specific issues in paediatric DACPR communication. Our training recommendations focus on situation and language specific guideline application and moving beyond verbal communication by utilizing the smart phone's functions. Prospective efforts are necessary to follow-up its translation into better paediatric DACPR outcomes.
-
Manual pulse checks (MP) are an unreliable skill even in the hands of healthcare providers (HCPs). In the context of cardiac arrest, this may translate into inappropriate chest compressions when a pulse is present, or conversely omitting chest compressions when one is absent. To date, no study has assessed the use of B-mode ultrasound (US) for the detection of a carotid pulse. The primary objective of this study was to assess the time required to detect a carotid pulse in live subjects using US compared to the traditional palpation method. ⋯ Carotid pulse detection in live subjects was not slower using US as compared to palpation, and demonstrated higher first attempt success rate and less variability in measurement times. A brief teaching session was sufficient to improve confidence of carotid pulse identification even in those with no previous US training. The preliminary results from this study provide the groundwork for larger studies to evaluate this pulse check method for patients in cardiac arrest.
-
Despite significant advances in resuscitation efforts, there are some patients who remain in ventricular fibrillation (VF) after multiple shocks during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Double sequential external defibrillation (DSED) has been proposed as a treatment option for patients in refractory VF. ⋯ Our observational findings suggest that while overall VF termination and ROSC are similar between standard defibrillation and DSED, earlier DSED may be associated with improved rates of VF termination and ROSC compared to standard defibrillation for refractory VF. A randomized controlled trial is required to assess the impact of early application of DSED on patient-important outcomes.
-
Observational Study
The ventricular fibrillation waveform in relation to shock success in early vs. late phases of out-of-hospital resuscitation.
The amplitude spectrum area (AMSA) of the ventricular fibrillation (VF) waveform predicts shock success and clinical outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Recently, also AMSA-changes demonstrated prognostic value. Until now, most studies focused on early shocks, while many patients require prolonged resuscitations. We studied AMSA and its changes in relation to shock success, for both the early and later phase of resuscitation. ⋯ AMSA relates to shock success during the entire resuscitation, but associations were most apparent for early shocks. AMSA-changes were also associated with shock success, but only in the early phase of resuscitation. In an era of smart defibrillators, absolute AMSA and relative changes hold promise for studies on early guidance of resuscitation, whereas additional studies are warranted to further characterize shock prediction in the later phase.