Resuscitation
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Metformin is a first-line diabetic therapy that improves survival in a wide number of ischemic pathologies. We tested the association of metformin with markers of cardiac and renal injury in diabetic post-arrest patients. ⋯ Metformin pretreatment may offer cardiac and renal protection for diabetic patients during sudden cardiac arrest.
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The end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) is frequently measured in cardiac arrest (CA) patients, for management and for predicting survival. Our goal was to study the PaCO2 and ETCO2 in hypothermic cardiac arrest patients. ⋯ Hypothermic CA is associated with a decrease of the ETCO2 and pH-stat PaCO2 compared with non-hypothermic CA. ETCO2 should not be used in hypothermic CA for predicting outcome.
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Fire and police first responders are often the first to arrive in medical emergencies and provide basic life support services until specialized personnel arrive. This study aims to evaluate rates of fire or police first responder-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) use, as well as their associated impact on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) outcomes. ⋯ Fire or police first responders may be an underutilized, potentially powerful mechanism for improving OHCA survival. Future studies should investigate barriers and opportunities for increasing first responder interventions by these groups in OHCA.