Resuscitation
-
Survival rates after cardiac arrest have shown minimal improvement in the last 60 years. However, in some forward-thinking cities and hospitals, out-of and in-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates exceed 20% and 40% respectively. These beacons of hope can enlighten us, providing a clearer vision of what it takes to provide Ideal cardiopulmonary resuscitation. To make progress in a field that has seemingly stagnated for too many decades, we must be open to new ideas and develop bundles of care that work in communities with varying EMS systems and various existing infrastructure to bring the best practices to the rest of the country.
-
Mobile extracorporeal life support (ECLS) may soon be on the verge to become a fundamental part of emergency medicine. Here, we report on our four-year experience of providing advanced mechanical circulatory support for out-of-center patients within the Düsseldorf ECLS Network (DELSN). ⋯ This study illustrates that regional mobile ECLS rescue therapy can be provided with encouraging outcomes, although patient selection criteria and early outcome parameters reflecting on therapy success or futility still need to be refined.
-
Cessation of blood flow during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) results in microvascular thrombosis, protracted hypoperfusion after return of spontaneous circulation and damage to vital organs. We tested the hypothesis that pre-arrest antiplatelet and anticoagulant medication use would be associated with less post-arrest organ dysfunction and better outcomes. ⋯ Preventing intra-arrest and post-arrest microvascular thrombosis via antiplatelet agents could represent a novel therapeutic target to improve outcomes after OHCA.
-
Targeted temperature management (TTM) between 32 and 36°C is recommended after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). We aimed to assess the feasibility and safety of the "Esophageal Cooling Device" (ECD) in performing TTM. ⋯ ECD seems an interesting, safe, accurate, semi-invasive cooling method in OHCA patients treated with 33°C-TTM, particularly during the maintenance phase.
-
To investigate the epidemiology and outcomes of cardiac arrests associated with opioid overdoses. Recent data suggest that drug overdoses are responsible for more deaths than motor vehicle crashes or firearms in the United States each year, with opioids being involved in majority of drug overdose deaths. Despite the potential for opioids to cause cardiac arrest, few studies have examined this association. ⋯ Cardiac arrest is more common in patients with opioid overdoses in comparison to non-opioid overdoses. The rate of cardiac arrest is increasing disproportionately in patients with opioid overdoses. Opioid overdoses are independent risk factors for both cardiac arrest and mortality in patients with overdoses.