Resuscitation
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Although out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is thought of as a sudden event, recent studies suggest that many patients have symptoms or have sought medical attention prior to their arrest. Our objective was to evaluate patterns of healthcare utilization before OHCA. ⋯ In contrast to the conventional wisdom that OHCA occurs without prior contacts to the health care system, we found that more than 1 in 4 patients were assessed in the ED prior within 90 days of their arrest. Identification of warning signs of OHCA may allow future development of prevention strategies.
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The associations between thoracic cage dimension, chest subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) depth and outcomes of adults with in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) remain unknown. ⋯ In adults with IHCA, the smaller thoracic cage dimension and posterior SAT depth are associated with better survival. An adjustable compression depth based on the thoracic cage dimension might be better than the "one-size-fits-all" compression depth for resuscitating CA patients. In addition, physicians should pay extra attention to compression efficacy when resuscitating obese patients.