Favorable Neurological Outcome Research Articles

Invasive Multimodality Neuromonitoring to Manage Cerebral Edema in Pediatric Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody-Associated Disease

Background: Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) is an inflammatory disorder of the CNS with a variety of clinical manifestations, including cerebral edema. Case Summary: A 7-year-old boy presented with headaches, nausea, and somnolence. He was found to have cerebral edema that progressed to brainstem herniation. Invasive multimodality neuromonitoring was initiated to guide management of intracranial hypertension and cerebral hypoxia while he received empiric therapies for neuroinflammation. Workup revealed serum myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies. He survived with a favorable neurologic outcome. Conclusion: We describe a child who presented with cerebral edema and was ultimately diagnosed with MOGAD. Much of his management was guided using data from invasive multimodality neuromonitoring. Invasive multimodality neuromonitoring may have utility in managing life-threatening cerebral edema due to neuroinflammation.

287 Association of lactate and lactate clearance with favourable neurological outcome in cardiac arrest patients managed with extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation

287 Association of lactate and lactate clearance with favourable neurological outcome in cardiac arrest patients managed with extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Efficacy and safety of corticosteroid therapy in patients with cardiac arrest: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BackgroundThe clinical benefits of steroid therapy during cardiac arrest (CA) are unclear. Several recent clinical trials have shown that administering corticosteroid therapy during CA may improve patient outcomes. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether providing corticosteroids improves outcomes for patients following CA. MethodsWe searched the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and CNKI databases for randomized controlled trials comparing corticosteroid therapy to placebo during CA. ResultsEleven relevant studies involving a total of 2273 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The statistical analysis showed that corticosteroid treatment during CA was significantly associated with an increased rate of sustained return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) (OR: 2.05, 95% CI: 1.24 to 3.37, P < 0.01). Corticosteroid treatment during CA did not show a significant benefit in favorable neurological outcomes (OR: 1.13, 95% CI: 0.81 to 1.58, P = 0.49) or overall survival rate at hospital discharge (OR: 1.29, 95% CI: 0.74 to 2.26, P = 0.38). However, in the subgroup analysis, we found that patients had a significantly increased survival rate and ROSC if the dose of corticosteroid therapy above 100 mg methylprednisolone. The statistical analysis revealed no significant differences in adverse events. ConclusionHigh-dose corticosteroid treatment (above 100 mg methylprednisolone) is associated with better overall survival rate at hospital discharge and ROSC outcomes. However, there is uncertainty regarding whether this treatment results in a benefit or harm to the favorable neurological outcomes at hospital discharge.

Venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in patients with traumatic brain injuries and severe respiratory failure: A single-center retrospective analysis.

Venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO) can support trauma patients with severe respiratory failure. Use in traumatic brain injury (TBI) may raise concerns of worsening complications from intracranial bleeding. However, VV ECMO can rapidly correct hypoxemia and hypercarbia, possibly preventing secondary brain injury. We hypothesize that adult trauma patients with TBI on VV ECMO have comparable survival with trauma patients without TBI. A single-center, retrospective cohort study involving review of electronic medical records of trauma admissions between July 1, 2014, and August 30, 2022, with discharge diagnosis of TBI who were placed on VV ECMO during their hospital course was performed. Seventy-five trauma patients were treated with VV ECMO; 36 (48%) had TBI. Of those with TBI, 19 (53%) had a hemorrhagic component. Survival was similar between patients with and without a TBI (72% vs. 64%, p = 0.45). Traumatic brain injury survivors had a higher admission Glasgow Coma Scale (7 vs. 3, p < 0.001) than nonsurvivors. Evaluation of prognostic scoring systems on initial head computed tomography demonstrated that TBI VV ECMO survivors were more likely to have a Rotterdam score of 2 (62% vs. 20%, p = 0.03) and no survivors had a Marshall score of ≥4. Twenty-nine patients (81%) had a repeat head computed tomography on VV ECMO with one incidence of expanding hematoma and one new focus of bleeding. Neither patient with a new/worsening bleed received anticoagulation. Survivors demonstrated favorable neurologic outcomes at discharge and outpatient follow-up, based on their mean Rancho Los Amigos Scale (6.5; SD, 1.2), median Cerebral Performance Category (2; interquartile range, 1-2), and median Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (7.5; interquartile range, 7-8). In this series, the majority of TBI patients survived and had good neurologic outcomes despite a low admission Glasgow Coma Scale. Venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation may minimize secondary brain injury and may be considered in select patients with TBI. Prognostic and Epidemiological; Level IV.

Extracorporeal life support in cardiac arrest: a post hoc Bayesian re-analysis of the INCEPTION trial.

Previously, we performed the multicentre INCEPTION trial, randomizing patients with refractory out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) to extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) or conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CCPR). Frequentist analysis showed no statistically significant treatment effect for the primary outcome; 30-day survival with a favourable neurologic outcome (cerebral performance category score of 1-2). To facilitate a probabilistic interpretation of the results, we present a Bayesian re-analysis of the INCEPTION trial. We analysed survival with a favourable neurologic outcome at 30 days and 6 months under a minimally informative prior in the intention-to-treat population. Effect sizes are presented as absolute risk differences (ARDs) and relative risks (RRs), with 95% credible intervals (CrIs). We estimated posterior probabilities at various thresholds, including the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) (5% ARD), based on expert consensus, and performed sensitivity analyses under sceptical and literature-based priors. The mean ARD for 30-day survival with a favourable neurologic outcome was 3.6% (95% CrI -9.5-16.7%), favouring ECPR, with a median RR of 1.22 (95% CrI 0.59-2.51). The posterior probability of an MCID was 42% at 30 days and 42% at 6 months, in favour of ECPR. Bayesian re-analysis of the INCEPTION trial estimated a 42% probability of an MCID between ECPR and CCPR in refractory OHCA in terms of 30-day survival with a favourable neurologic outcome. Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03101787, registered 5 April 2017).

Complications in patients with cardiogenic shock on veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy: distribution and relevance. Results from an international, multicentre cohort study.

Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy (VA-ECMO) restores circulation and tissue oxygenation in cardiogenic shock (CS) patients, but can also lead to complications. This study aimed to quantify VA-ECMO complications and analyse their association with overall survival as well as favourable neurological outcome (cerebral performance categories 1 + 2). All-comer patients with CS treated with VA-ECMO were retrospectively enrolled from 16 centres in four countries (2005-2019). Neurological, bleeding, and ischaemic adverse events (AEs) were considered. From these, typical VA-ECMO complications were identified and analysed separately as device-related complications. n = 501. Overall, 118 were women (24%), median age was 56.0 years, median lactate was 8.1 mmol/L. Acute myocardial infarction caused CS in 289 patients (58%). Thirty-days mortality was 40% (198/501 patients). At least one device-related complication occurred in 252/486 (52%) patients, neurological AEs in 108/469 (23%), bleeding in 192/480 (40%), ischaemic AEs in 123/478 (26%). The 22% of patients with the most AEs accounted for 50% of all AEs. All types of AEs were associated with a worse prognosis. Aside from neurological ones, all AEs and device-related complications were more likely to occur in women; although prediction of AEs outside of neurological AEs was generally poor. Therapy and device-related complications occur in half of all patients treated with VA-ECMO and are associated with a worse prognosis. They accumulate in some patients, especially in women. Aside from neurological events, identification of patients at risk is difficult, highlighting the need to establish additional quantitative markers of complication risk to guide VA-ECMO treatment in CS.

Etiology-Based Prognosis of Extracorporeal CPR Recipients After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Retrospective Multicenter Cohort Study

BackgroundA better understanding of the relative contributions of various factors to patient outcomes is essential for optimal patient selection for extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) therapy for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). However, evidence on the prognostic comparison based on the etiologies of cardiac arrest is limited. Research QuestionWhat is the etiology-based prognosis of patients undergoing ECPR for OHCA? Study Design and MethodsThis retrospective multicenter registry study involved 36 institutions in Japan and included all adult patients with OHCA who underwent ECPR between January 2013 and December 2018. The primary etiology for OHCA was determined retrospectively from all hospital-based data at each institution. We performed a multivariable logistic regression model to determine the association between etiology of cardiac arrest and two outcomes: favorable neurological outcomes and survival at hospital discharge. ResultsWe identified 1,781 eligible patients, of whom 1,405 (78.9%) had cardiac arrest due to the cardiac causes. Multivariable logistic regression analysis for favorable neurological outcomes showed that accidental hypothermia (adjusted OR = 5.12; 95% CI = 2.98-8.80, P < 0.001) was associated with a significantly higher rate of favorable neurological outcomes than cardiac causes. Multivariable logistic regression analysis for survival showed that accidental hypothermia (adjusted OR = 5.19; 95% CI = 3.15-8.56, P < 0.001) had significantly higher rates of survival than cardiac causes. Acute aortic dissection/aneurysm (adjusted OR = 0.07, 95% CI = 0.02-0.28, P < 0.001) and primary cerebral disorders (adjusted OR = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.03-0.50, P = 0.004) had significantly lower rates of survival than cardiac causes. InterpretationIn this retrospective multicenter cohort study, although most OHCA patients underwent ECPR for cardiac causes, accidental hypothermia was associated with favorable neurological outcomes and survival; in contrast, acute aortic dissection/aneurysm and primary cerebral disorders were associated with non-survival than cardiac causes.

Low-flow time and outcomes in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients treated with extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation

IntroductionIn out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients with extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR), the association between low-flow time, the duration between the initiation of conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the establishment of ECPR, and outcomes has not been clearly determined. MethodsThis was a secondary analysis of the retrospective multicenter registry in Japan. This study registered patients ≥18 years old who were admitted to the emergency department for OHCA and underwent ECPR between January, 2013 and December, 2018. Low-flow time was defined as the time from initiation of conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation to the establishment of ECPR, and patients were categorized into two groups according to the visualized association of the restricted cubic spline curve. The primary outcome was survival discharge. Cubic spline analyses and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the nonlinear associations between low-flow time and outcomes. ResultsA total of 1,524 patients were included. The median age was 60 years, and the median low-flow time was 52 (42‐53) mins. The overall survival at hospital discharge and favorable neurological outcomes were 27.8% and 14.2%, respectively. The cubic spline analysis showed a decreased trend of survival discharge rates and favorable neurological outcomes with shorter low-flow time between 20 and 60 mins, with little change between the following 60 and 80 mins. The multivariable logistic regression analyses showed that patients with long low-flow time (>40 mins) compared to those with short low-flow time (0‐40 mins) had significantly worse survival (adjusted odds ratio 0.42; 95% confidence intervals, 0.31-0.57) and neurological outcomes (0.65; 0.45-0.95, respectively). ConclusionsThe survival discharge and neurological outcomes of patients with low-flow time shorter than 40 min are better than those of patients with longer low-flow time.

Association between institutional volume of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases and short term outcomes

BackgroundOut-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a serious condition. The volume-outcome relationship and various post–cardiac arrest care elements are believed to be associated with improved neurological outcomes. Although previous studies have investigated the volume–outcome relationship, adjusting for post-cardiac arrest care, intra-class correlation for each institution, and other covariates may have been insufficient. ObjectiveTo investigate the volume-outcome relationships and favorable neurological outcomes among OHCA cases in each institution. MethodsWe conducted a prospective observational study of adult patients with non-traumatic OHCA using the OHCA registry in Japan. The primary outcome was 30-day favorable neurological outcomes, and the secondary outcome was 30-day survival. We set the cutoff values to trisect the number of patients as equally as possible and classified institutions into high-, middle-, and low-volume. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were performed to adjust for covariates and within-hospital clustering.1Department of Emergency Medicine, Teikyo University School of Medicine, 2-11-1 Kaga, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8606, Japan ResultsAmong the 9909 registry patients, 7857 were included. These patients were transported to either low- (2679), middle- (2657), or high- (2521) volume institutions. The median number of eligible patients per institution in 19 months of study periods was 82 (range, 1–207), 252 (range, 210–353), and 463 (range, 390–701), respectively. After multivariable GEE using the low-volume institution as a reference, no significant difference in odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were noted for 30-day favorable neurological outcomes for middle volume [1.22 (0.69–2.17)] and high volume [0.80 (0.47–1.37)] institutions. Moreover, there was no significant difference for 30-day survival for middle volume [1.02 (0.51–2.02)] and high volume [1.09 (0.53–2.23)] institutions. ConclusionThe patient volume of each institution was not associated with 30-day favorable neurological outcomes. Although this result needs to be evaluated more comprehensively, there may be no need to set strict requirements for the type of institution when selecting a destination for OHCA cases.

Prediction of the neurological outcomes post-cardiac arrest: A prospective validation of the CAST and rCAST

IntroductionThe neurologic prognosis of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients in whom return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) is achieved remains poor. The aim of this study was to externally and prospectively validate two scoring systems developed by us: the CAST score, a scoring system to predict the neurological prognosis of OHCA patients undergoing targeted temperature management (TTM), and a simplified version of the same score developed for improved ease of use in clinical settings, the revised CAST (rCAST) score. MethodsThis study was a prospective, multicenter, observational study conducted using the SOS KANTO 2017 registry, an OHCA registry involving hospitals in the Kanto region (including Tokyo) of Japan. The primary outcome was favorable neurological outcome (defined as Cerebral Performance Category score of 1 or 2) at 30 days and the secondary outcomes were favorable neurological outcome at 90 days and survival at 30 and 90 days. The predictive accuracies of the original CAST (oCAST) and rCAST scores were evaluated by using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). ResultsOf 9909 OHCA patients, 565 showed ROSC and received TTM. Of these, we analyzed the data of 259 patients in this study. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) of the oCAST and rCAST scores for predicting a favorable neurological outcome at 30 days were 0.86 and 0.87, respectively, and those for predicting a favorable neurological outcome at 90 days were 0.87 and 0.88, respectively. The rCAST showed a higher predictive accuracy for the neurological outcome as compared with the NULL-PLEASE score. The patients with a favorable neurological outcome who had been classified into the high severity group based on the rCAST tended to have hypothermia at hospital arrival and to not show any signs of loss of gray-white matter differentiation on brain CT. Neurological function at 90 days was correlated with the rCAST (r = 0.63, p < 0.001). ConclusionsrCAST showed high predictive accuracy for the neurological prognosis of OHCA patients managed by TTM, comparable to that of the oCAST score. The scores on the rCAST were strongly correlated with the neurological functions at 90 days, implying that the rCAST is a useful scale for assessing the severity of brain injury after cardiac arrest.

Predictors of neurologic outcomes and mortality in physically abused and unintentionally injured children: a retrospective observation study

ObjectivesThis study aimed to identify the predictors of neurologic outcomes and mortality in physically abused and unintentionally injured children admitted to intensive care units (ICUs).MethodsAll maltreated children were admitted to pediatric, neurosurgical, and trauma ICUs between 2001 and 2019. Clinical factors, including age, sex, season of admission, identifying settings, injury severity score, etiologies, length of stay in the ICU, neurologic outcomes, and mortality, were analyzed and compared between the physically abused and unintentionally injured groups. Neurologic assessments were conducted using the Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category scale. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and the Ethics Committee waived the requirement for informed consent because of the anonymized nature of the data.ResultsA total of 2481 children were investigated; of them, there were 480 (19.3%) victims admitted to the ICUs, including 156 physically abused and 324 unintentionally injured. Age, history of prematurity, clinical outcomes, head injury, neurosurgical interventions, clinical manifestations, brain computed tomography findings, and laboratory findings significantly differed between them (all p < 0.05). Traumatic brain injury was the major etiology for admission to the ICU. The incidence of abusive head trauma was 87.1% among the physically abused group. Only 46 (29.4%) and 268 (82.7%) cases achieved favorable neurologic outcomes in the physically abused and unintentionally injured groups, respectively. Shock within 24 h, spontaneous hypothermia (body temperature, < 35 °C), and post-traumatic seizure were strongly associated with poor neurologic outcomes and mortality in both groups.ConclusionsInitial presentation with shock, spontaneous hypothermia at ICU admission, and post-traumatic seizure were associated with poor neurologic outcomes and mortality in physically abused and unintentionally injured children.

Effect of crew ratio of advanced life support-trained personnel on patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A systematic review and meta-analysis

This review aimed to investigate the effect of crew ratios of on-scene advanced life support (ALS)-trained personnel on patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). We systematically searched PubMed, Ovid EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases from the inception date until September 30, 2022, for eligible studies. Two reviewers independently screened the studies for relevance, extracted data, and quality. We compared the effect of the ratio of on-scene ALS-trained personnel >50% to those with a ratio ≤50% among prehospital personnel on the clinical outcomes of OHCA patients. The primary outcome was survival-to-discharge and secondary outcomes were any return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), sustained ROSC (≥2h), and favourable neurological outcome at discharge (cerebral performance category scores: 1 or 2). Pooled odds ratios (ORs) were calculated, and the certainty of evidence was assessed. From 10,864 references, we identified four non-randomised studies, including 16,475 patients. Two studies were performed in Japan and two in Taiwan. There were significant differences in survival-to-discharge (OR: 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07-1.44, I2: 7%), any ROSC (OR:1.22, 95% CI: 1.04-1.43, I2: 74%) and sustained ROSC (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.16-1.65, I2: 40%), but insignificant differences in favourable neurological outcome at discharge. The overall certainty of evidence was rated as very low for all outcomes. Prehospital ALS care with a ratio of on-scene ALS-trained personnel >50% could improve OHCA patient outcomes than crew ratios ≤50%. Further studies are required to reach a robust conclusion.

Outcomes of prehospital traumatic cardiac arrest managed by helicopter emergency medical service personnel in Japan: a registry data analysis

BackgroundTraumatic cardiac arrest (TCA) is associated with poor outcomes. Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMSs) are often used to transport critically ill patients to hospitals. However, the role of HEMS in the treatment of TCA remains unclear. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to determine the current status of patients with prehospital TCA managed by HEMS personnel in Japan and compare the outcomes of patients who experienced TCA before and after the arrival of HEMS.MethodsThe Japanese Society for Aeromedical Services registry data of patients managed by HEMS personnel from April 2015 to March 2020 were analyzed in this retrospective cohort study. HEMS arrival and physicians’ interventions at the scene were the variables of interest. The survival rate and neurological outcomes at 28 days after injury were analyzed.ResultsOf the 55 299 registered patients, 722 who experienced prehospital TCA were included in the analysis. The distribution of first-witnessed TCA was as follows: pre-emergency medical service (EMS) arrival (n = 426/722, 60.3%), after EMS arrival (n = 113/722, 16.0%), and after HEMS arrival (n = 168/722, 23.8%). The 28-day survival rate was 6.2% (n = 44/706), with a cerebral performance category of 1 or 2 in 18 patients. However, patients who experienced TCA after receiving interventions provided by physicians before HEMS arrival had the worst outcomes, with only 0.6% of them surviving with favorable neurological outcomes. Multivariable analysis revealed that securing the intravenous route by the EMS team (adjusted odds ratio: 2.43, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.11–5.30) and tranexamic acid infusion by the HEMS team (adjusted odds ratio: 2.78, 95% CI: 1.16–6.64) may have increased the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) rate.ConclusionsThe results of our study were similar to those reported in previous studies with regards to the use of HEMS in Japan for transporting patients with TCA. Our findings suggest that in patients with severe trauma, cardiac arrest after initiation of HEMS, the highest level of prehospital medical intervention, may be associated with an inferior prognosis. Tracheal intubation and administration of tranexamic acid by the EMS team may increase the rate of ROSC in TCA.

Identification of post-cardiac arrest blood pressure thresholds associated with outcomes in children: an ICU-Resuscitation study

IntroductionThough early hypotension after pediatric in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) is associated with inferior outcomes, ideal post-arrest blood pressure (BP) targets have not been established. We aimed to leverage prospectively collected BP data to explore the association of post-arrest BP thresholds with outcomes. We hypothesized that post-arrest systolic and diastolic BP thresholds would be higher than the currently recommended post-cardiopulmonary resuscitation BP targets and would be associated with higher rates of survival to hospital discharge.MethodsWe performed a secondary analysis of prospectively collected BP data from the first 24 h following return of circulation from index IHCA events enrolled in the ICU-RESUScitation trial (NCT02837497). The lowest documented systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were percentile-adjusted for age, height and sex. Receiver operator characteristic curves and cubic spline analyses controlling for illness category and presence of pre-arrest hypotension were generated exploring the association of lowest post-arrest SBP and DBP with survival to hospital discharge and survival to hospital discharge with favorable neurologic outcome (Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category of 1–3 or no change from baseline). Optimal cutoffs for post-arrest BP thresholds were based on analysis of receiver operator characteristic curves and spline curves. Logistic regression models accounting for illness category and pre-arrest hypotension examined the associations of these thresholds with outcomes.ResultsAmong 693 index events with 0–6 h post-arrest BP data, identified thresholds were: SBP > 10th percentile and DBP > 50th percentile for age, sex and height. Fifty-one percent (n = 352) of subjects had lowest SBP above threshold and 50% (n = 346) had lowest DBP above threshold. SBP and DBP above thresholds were each associated with survival to hospital discharge (SBP: aRR 1.21 [95% CI 1.10, 1.33]; DBP: aRR 1.23 [1.12, 1.34]) and survival to hospital discharge with favorable neurologic outcome (SBP: aRR 1.22 [1.10, 1.35]; DBP: aRR 1.27 [1.15, 1.40]) (all p < 0.001).ConclusionsFollowing pediatric IHCA, subjects had higher rates of survival to hospital discharge and survival to hospital discharge with favorable neurologic outcome when BP targets above a threshold of SBP > 10th percentile for age and DBP > 50th percentile for age during the first 6 h post-arrest.

Long-term prognostic significance of gasping in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients undergoing extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation: a post hoc analysis of a multi-center prospective cohort study

BackgroundGasping during resuscitation has been reported as a favorable factor for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. We examined whether gasping during resuscitation is independently associated with favorable neurological outcomes in patients with refractory ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VF/pVT) undergoing extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation ECPR.MethodsData from a 2014 study on advanced cardiac life support for ventricular fibrillation with extracorporeal circulation in Japan (SAVE-J), which examined the efficacy of ECPR for refractory VF/pVT, were analyzed. The primary endpoint was survival with a 6-month favorable neurological outcome in patients who underwent ECPR with or without gasping during resuscitation. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between gasping and outcomes.ResultsOf the 454 patients included in the SAVE-J study, data from 212 patients were analyzed in this study after excluding those with missing information and those who did not undergo ECPR. Gasping has been observed in 47 patients during resuscitation; 11 (23.4%) had a favorable neurological outcome at 6 months. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that gasping during resuscitation was independently associated with a favorable neurological outcome (odds ratio [OR], 10.58 [95% confidence interval (CI) 3.22–34.74]). The adjusted OR for gasping during emergency medical service transport and on arrival at the hospital was 27.44 (95% CI 5.65–133.41).ConclusionsGasping during resuscitation is a favorable factor in patients with refractory VF/pVT. Patients with refractory VF/pVT with continuously preserved gasping during EMS transportation to the hospital are expected to have more favorable outcomes.

Prehospital predicting factors using a decision tree model for patients with witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and an initial shockable rhythm

The effect of prehospital factors on favorable neurological outcomes remains unclear in patients with witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and a shockable rhythm. We developed a decision tree model for these patients by using prehospital factors. Using a nationwide OHCA registry database between 2005 and 2020, we retrospectively analyzed a cohort of 1,930,273 patients, of whom 86,495 with witnessed OHCA and an initial shockable rhythm were included. The primary endpoint was defined as favorable neurological survival (cerebral performance category score of 1 or 2 at 1 month). A decision tree model was developed from randomly selected 77,845 patients (development cohort) and validated in 8650 patients (validation cohort). In the development cohort, the presence of prehospital return of spontaneous circulation was the best predictor of favorable neurological survival, followed by the absence of adrenaline administration and age. The patients were categorized into 9 groups with probabilities of favorable neurological survival ranging from 5.7 to 70.8% (areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.851 and 0.844 in the development and validation cohorts, respectively). Our model is potentially helpful in stratifying the probability of favorable neurological survival in patients with witnessed OHCA and an initial shockable rhythm.

Prehospital Advanced Airway Management and Ventilation for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest with Prehospital Return of Spontaneous Circulation: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study in Japan

Background The relationship among advanced airway management (AAM), ventilation, and oxygenation in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) who achieve prehospital return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) has not been validated. This study was designed to evaluate ventilation and oxygenation for each AAM technique (supraglottic devices [SGA] or endotracheal intubation [ETI]) using arterial blood gas (ABG) results immediately after hospital arrival. Methods This observational cohort study, using data from the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine OHCA Registry, included patients with OHCA with prehospital and hospital arrival ROSC between July 1, 2014, and December 31, 2019. The primary outcomes were the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the arterial blood (PaCO2) and partial pressure of oxygen in the arterial blood (PaO2) in the initial ABG at the hospital for each AAM technique (SGA or ETI) performed by paramedics. The secondary outcome was favorable neurological outcome (cerebral performance category [CPC] 1 or 2) for specific PaCO2 levels, which were defined as good ventilation (PaCO2 ≤45 mmHg) and insufficient ventilation (PaCO2 >45 mmHg). Results This study included 1,527 patients. Regarding AAM, 1,114 and 413 patients were ventilated using SGA and ETI, respectively. The median PaCO2 and PaO2 levels were 74.50 mmHg and 151.35 mmHg in the SGA group, while 66.30 mmHg and 173.50 mmHg in the ETI group. PaCO2 was significantly lower in the ETI group than in the SGA group (12.55 mmHg; 95% CI 15.27 to 8.20, P-value < 0.001), while no significant difference was found in PaO2 by multivariate linear regression analysis. After stabilizing inverse probability of weighting (IPW), the adjusted odds ratio for favorable neurological outcome at 1 month was significant in the good ventilation group compared to the insufficient ventilation cohort (adjusted odds ratio = 2.12, 95%CI: 1.40 to 3.19, P value < 0.001). Conclusion The study showed that in OHCA patients with prehospital ROSC, the PaCO2 levels in the initial ABG were lower in the group with AAM by ETI than in the SGA group. Furthermore, patients with prehospital ROSC and PaCO2 ≤45 mmHg on arrival had an increased odds of favorable neurological outcome after stabilized IPW adjustment.

Association between neuromuscular blocking agent use and outcomes among out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients treated with extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation and target temperature management: A secondary analysis of the SAVE-J II study

BackgroundNeuromuscular blocking agents are used to control shivering in cardiac arrest patients treated with target temperature management. However, their effect on outcomes in patients treated with extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation is unclear. MethodsThis study was a secondary analysis of the SAVE-J II study, a retrospective multicenter study of 2175 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients treated with extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation in Japan. We classified patients into those who received neuromuscular blocking agents and those who did not and compared in-hospital mortality and incidence rates of favorable neurological outcome and in-hospital pneumonia between the groups using multivariable regression models and stabilized inverse probability weighting with propensity scores. ResultsSix hundred sixty patients from the SAVE-J II registry were analyzed. Neuromuscular blocking agents were used in 451 patients (68.3%). After adjusting for potential confounders, neuromuscular blocking agents use was not significantly associated with in-hospital mortality (aHR 0.88; 95% CI, 0.67–1.14), favorable neurological outcome (aOR 0.85; 95% CI, 0.60–1.11), or pneumonia (aOR 1.52; 95% CI, 0.85–2.71). The results for in-hospital mortality (aHR 0.89; 95% CI, 0.64–1.25), favorable neurological outcome (aOR 0.94; 95% CI, 0.59–1.48) and pneumonia (aOR 1.59; 95% CI, 0.74–3.41) were similar after weighting was performed. ConclusionsAlthough data on the rationale for using neuromuscular blocking agents were unavailable, their use was not significantly associated with outcomes in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients treated with extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation and targeted temperature management. Neuromuscular blocking agents should be used based on individual clinical indications.

Predicting Neurologically Intact Survival for Advanced Age Adults After Successful Resuscitation of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

We sought to predict survival to hospital discharge with favorable neurologic outcome for advanced age adults (≥65years) after successful resuscitation of non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). A retrospective observational cohort analysis was performed using the national Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival database from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2021. All nontraumatic OHCA occurring in advanced age adults who survived to hospital admission were included. The primary outcome was survival with favorable neurologic outcome defined as a cerebral performance category score of 1 or 2 at hospital discharge. Multivariable logistic regression including patient variables (age category, gender, co-morbidities) and OHCA characteristics (location, rhythm category, witnessed status, and who initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation) were used to predict hospital outcome. 83,574 patients met study inclusion criteria with 19,298 (23.1%) surviving with favorable neurologic outcome. The median age was 75years (interquartile range 69 to 82 years), 58.9% were male, and a majority of events occurred at home (67.3%). Age was found to have a linear, negative association with outcome. Survival with cerebral performance category 1 or 2 ranged from 28.8% in those between the age of 65 to 69years (n=23,161) and 13.7% for those age >90years (n=4,666). The regression model produced outcome probabilities ranging from 2.6% to 80.8% with a cross-validated AUROC of 0.742 (95% confidence interval 0.738 to 0.746) and a Brier score of 0.151. In conclusion, a simple model with basic patient and OHCA characteristics can predict hospital outcomes in advanced age adults with good discrimination and calibration.

Effects of Prolonged Serum Calcium Suppression during Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Pigs.

Controlled reperfusion by monitoring the blood pressure, blood flow, and specific blood parameters during extracorporeal reperfusion after cardiac arrest has the potential to limit ischemia-reperfusion injury. The intracellular calcium overload as part of the ischemia-reperfusion injury provides the possibility for the injury to be counteracted by the early suppression of serum calcium with the aim of improving survival and the neurological outcome. We investigated the effects of prolonged serum calcium suppression via sodium citrate during extracorporeal resuscitation using the CARL protocol (CARL-controlled automated reperfusion of the whole body) compared to a single-dose approach in a porcine model after prolonged cardiac arrest. A control group (N = 10) was resuscitated after a 20 min cardiac arrest, initially lowering the intravascular calcium with the help of a single dose of sodium citrate as part of the priming solution. Animals in the intervention group (N = 13) received additional sodium citrate for the first 15 min of reperfusion. In the control group, 9/10 (90.0%) animals survived until day 7 and 7/13 (53.8%) survived in the intervention group (p = 0.09). A favorable neurological outcome on day 7 after the cardiac arrest was observed in all the surviving animals using a species-specific neurological deficit score. The coronary perfusion pressure was significantly lower with a tendency towards more cardiac arrhythmias in the intervention group. In conclusion, a prolonged reduction in serum calcium levels over the first 15 min of reperfusion after prolonged cardiac arrest tended to be unfavorable regarding survival and hemodynamic variables compared to a single-dose approach in this animal model.