Resuscitation
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Paediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) results in high mortality and poor neurological outcomes. We conducted this study to describe and compare the effects of pre-hospital airway management on survival outcomes for paediatric OHCA in the Asia-pacific region. ⋯ In children with OHCA in the Asia-Pacific region, pre-hospital AAM was associated with decreased one-month survival and less favourable neurological status.
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Survival with favorable neurological outcomes is an important indicator of successful resuscitation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). We sought to validate the CaRdiac Arrest Survival Score (CRASS), derived using data from the German Resuscitation Registry, in predicting the likelihood of good neurological outcomes after OHCA in Singapore. ⋯ CRASS demonstrated good discrimination and moderate calibration in predicting favorable neurological outcomes in the validation Singapore cohort. Our study established a good foundation for future large-scale, cross-country validations of the CRASS score in diverse sociocultural, geographical, and clinical settings.
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Assessment of brain injury severity is critically important after survival from cardiac arrest (CA). Recent advances in low-field MRI technology have permitted the acquisition of clinically useful bedside brain imaging. Our objective was to deploy a novel approach for evaluating brain injury after CA in critically ill patients at high risk for adverse neurological outcome. ⋯ In a critically ill CA population in whom MR imaging is often not feasible, low-field MRI can be deployed at the bedside to identify HIBI. Low-field MRI provides an opportunity to evaluate the time-dependent nature of MRI findings in CA survivors.
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Little is known about automated external defibrillator (AED) functionality in real-life settings. We aimed to assess the functionality of all registered AEDs in a geographically selected area and calculate the proportion of historical out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) covered by non-functioning AEDs. ⋯ Almost one-fifth of all registered and publicly available AEDs were not functional, primarily due to expired electrodes, failed self-tests or obstacles to retrieving AEDs. One in twenty historical OHCA was covered by a non-functional AED. Although general AED functionality was high, this finding underlines the importance of regular AED maintenance.
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Post-arrest care is essential to the chain of survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Sparse literature evaluates disparities in post-arrest care. We sought to measure post-arrest care disparities using a statewide OHCA registry. ⋯ Minority OHCA victims experienced disparities in post-arrest care and outcomes. However, adjusting for receiving hospital random-effect largely diminished these findings. Inter-hospital, post-arrest care disparities may exist.