Prehospital Arrest Research Articles

Prehospital anesthesia in postcardiac arrest patients: a multicenter retrospective cohort study

BackgroundCurrently, the data regarding the impact of prehospital postcardiac arrest anesthesia on target hemodynamic and ventilatory parameters of early postresuscitation care and recommendations on its implementation are rare. The present study examines the incidence and impact of prehospital postcardiac arrest anesthesia on hemodynamic and ventilatory target parameters of postresuscitation care.MethodsIn this multicentre observational study between 2019 and 2021 unconscious adult patients after out-of-hospital-cardiac arrest with the presence of a return-of-spontaneous circulation until hospital admission were included. Primary endpoint was the application of postarrest anesthesia. Secondary endpoints included the medication group used, predisposing factors to its implementation, and its influence on achieving target parameters of postresuscitation care (systolic blood pressure: ≥ 100 mmHg, etCO2:35–45 mmHg, SpO2: 94–98%) at hospital handover.ResultsDuring the study period 2,335 out-of-hospital resuscitations out of 391,305 prehospital emergency operations (incidence: 0.58%; 95% CI 0.54–0.63) were observed with a return of spontaneous circulation to hospital admission in 706 patients (30.7%; 95% CI 28.8–32.6; female: 34.3%; age:68.3 ± 14.2 years). Postcardiac arrest anesthesia was performed in 482 patients (68.3%; 95% CI 64.7–71.7) with application of hypnotics in 93.4% (n = 451), analgesics in 53.7% (n = 259) and relaxants in 45.6% (n = 220). Factors influencing postcardiac arrest sedation were emergency care by an anesthetist (odds ratio: 2.10; 95% CI 1.34–3.30; P < 0.001) and treatment-free interval ≤ 5 min (odds ratio: 1.59; 95% CI 1.01–2.49; P = 0.04). Although there was no evidence of the impact of performing postcardiac arrest anesthesia on achieving a systolic blood pressure ≥ 100 mmHg at the end of operation (odds ratio: 1.14; 95% CI 0.78–1.68; P = 0.48), patients with postcardiac arrest anesthesia were significantly more likely to achieve the recommended ventilation (odds ratio: 1.59; 95% CI 1.06–2.40; P = 0.02) and oxygenation (odds ratio:1.56; 95% CI 1.04–2.35; P = 0.03) targets. Comparing the substance groups, the use of hypnotics significantly more often enabled the target values for etCO2 to be reached alone (odds ratio:2.79; 95% CI 1.04–7.50; P = 0.04) as well as in combination with a systolic blood pressure ≥ 100 mmHg (odds ratio:4.42; 95% CI 1.03–19.01; P = 0.04).ConclusionsPostcardiac arrest anesthesia in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is associated with early achievement of respiratory target parameters in prehospital postresuscitation care without evidence of more frequent hemodynamic complications.

Witnessed prehospital traumatic arrest: predictors of survival to hospital discharge.

Trauma patients are rapidly transported to the hospital for definitive care. Nonetheless, some are alive upon Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrival but arrest on-scene or during transport. The study objective was to examine EMS-witnessed traumatic arrests to define patients who survived hospital discharge. Patients sustaining EMS-witnessed traumatic arrest and entered into the National Trauma Data Bank were included (2007-2018). Mortality defined groups: survival to hospital discharge vs. in-hospital death vs. death in ED/declared dead on arrival (DOA). ANOVA/Chi-square compared cohorts. Multivariable analysis established factors associated with survival out of ED and to hospital discharge. After exclusions, 14,177 patients met the criteria: 10% survived, 22% died in hospital, and 68% died in ED/DOA. Survivors tended to be female (33% vs. 23% vs. 23%, p < 0.001), blunt traumas (71% vs. 56% vs. 60%, p < 0.001), have higher scene GCS (15 [7-15] vs. 3 [3-11] vs. 3 [3-7], p < 0.001), and lower injury severity (ISS 13 [7-26] vs. 27 [18-41] vs. 25 [10-30], p < 0.001), particularly of the head (AIS 0 [0-2] vs. 0 [0-4] vs. 1 [0-4], p < 0.001). Survival to hospital discharge was independently associated with higher field GCS (OR 1.252, p < 0.001) and SBP (OR 1.006, p < 0.001), and Head AIS scores (OR 1.073, p < 0.001). Increasing age (OR 0.984, p < 0.001), higher ISS (OR 0.975, p < 0.001), male sex (OR 0.695, p < 0.001), and penetrating mechanism of injury (OR 0.537, p < 0.001) were associated with reduced survival to discharge. After EMS-witnessed traumatic cardiac arrest, survivors were more likely to be young, female, injured by blunt trauma, and less hypotensive/comatose on-scene. These findings may have implications for ED resuscitation or declaration of care futility and should be further investigated with a prospective multicenter study.

Tick-tock: Prehospital intubation is associated with longer field time without any survival benefit

BackgroundPrehospital endotracheal intubation is a debated topic, and few studies have found it beneficial after trauma. A growing body of evidence suggests that prehospital endotracheal intubation is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Our study was designed to compare patients with attempted prehospital endotracheal intubation to those intubated promptly upon emergency department arrival. MethodsA retrospective review of a single-center trauma research data repository was utilized. Inclusion criteria included age ≥15 years, transport from the scene by ground ambulance, and undergoing prehospital endotracheal intubation attempts or intubation within 10 minutes of emergency department arrival without prior prehospital endotracheal intubation attempt. Propensity score matching was used to minimize differences in baseline characteristics between groups. Standard mean differences are also presented for pre- and post-matching datasets to evaluate for covariate balance. ResultsIn total, 208 patients met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 95 patients (46%) underwent prehospital endotracheal intubation, which was successful in 47% of cases. A control group of 113 patients (54%) were intubated within 10 minutes of emergency department arrival. We performed propensity score matching between cohorts based on observed differences after univariate analysis and used standard mean differences to estimate covariate balance. After propensity score matching, patients who underwent prehospital endotracheal intubation experienced a longer time on scene as compared with those intubated in the emergency department (9 minutes [interquartile range 6–12] vs 6 minutes [interquartile range 5–9], P < .01) without difference in overall mortality (67% vs 65%, P = 1.00). Rapid sequence intubation was not used in the field; however, it was used for 58% of patients intubated within 10 minutes of emergency department arrival. After matched analysis, patients with a failed prehospital intubation attempt were equally likely to receive rapid sequence intubation during re-intubation in the emergency department as compared with those undergoing a first attempt (n = 13/28, 46% vs n = 28/63, 44%, P = 1.00, standard mean differences 0.04). Among patients with prehospital arrest (n = 98), prehospital endotracheal intubation was associated with shorter time to death (8 minutes [interquartile range 3–17] vs 14 minutes [interquartile range 8–45], P = .008) and longer total transport time (23 minutes [interquartile range 19–31] vs 19 minutes [interquartile range 16–24], P = .006), but there was no difference in observed mortality (n = 29/31, 94% vs n = 30/31, 97%, P = 1.00, standard mean differences = 0.15) after propensity score matching. ConclusionPrehospital providers should prioritize expeditious transport over attempting prehospital endotracheal intubation, as prehospital endotracheal intubation is inconsistently successful, may delay definitive care, and appears to have no survival benefit.

Characterization of fatal blunt injuries using postmortem computed tomography.

Rapid triage of blunt agonal trauma patients is necessary to maximize survival, but autopsy is uncommon, slow, and rarely informs resuscitation guidelines. Postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) can serve as an adjunct to autopsy in guiding blunt agonal trauma resuscitation. Retrospective cohort review of trauma decedents who died at or within 1 hour of arrival following blunt trauma and underwent noncontrasted PMCT. Primary outcome was the prevalence of mortal injury defined as potential exsanguination (e.g., cavitary injury, long bone and pelvic fractures), traumatic brain injury, and cervical spine injury. Secondary outcomes were potentially mortal injuries (e.g., pneumothorax) and misplacement airway devices. Patients were grouped by whether arrest occurred prehospital/in-hospital. Univariate analysis was used to identify differences in injury patterns including multiple-trauma injury patterns. Over a 9-year period, 80 decedents were included. Average age was 48.9 ± 21.7 years, 68% male, and an average ISS of 42.3 ± 16.3. The most common mechanism was motor vehicle accidents (67.5%) followed by pedestrian struck (15%). Of all decedents, 62 (77.5%) had traumatic arrest prehospital while 18 (22.5%) arrived with pulse. Between groups there were no significant differences in demographics including ISS. The most common mortal injuries were traumatic brain injury (40%), long bone fractures (25%), moderate/large hemoperitoneum (22.5%), and cervical spine injury (25%). Secondary outcomes included moderate/large pneumothorax (18.8%) and esophageal intubation rate of 5%. There were no significant differences in mortal or potentially mortal injuries, and no differences in multiple-trauma injury patterns. Fatal blunt injury patterns do not vary between prehospital and in-hospital arrest decedents. High rates of pneumothorax and endotracheal tube misplacement should prompt mandatory chest decompression and confirmation of tube placement in all blunt arrest patients. Prognostic and Epidemiological; Level IV.

711: INVASIVE VERSUS NONINVASIVE MECHANICAL VENTILATION IN PEDIATRIC ASTHMA: A SINGLE-CENTER STUDY

Introduction: Asthma is a leading cause of pediatric hospitalization. Endotracheal intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) in status asthmaticus (SA) are associated with increased complications and mortality. Recent practice trends favor non-invasive ventilation (NIV) to support respiratory failure in SA. Comparison of patients receiving IMV or NIV for SA can help predict which patients are at risk of intubation and poor outcomes. Methods: This is a single center retrospective cohort study. The study period was from 2011-2020. Inclusion criteria were status asthmaticus and age 2-20 years. Patients who received invasive support were matched 1:2 with those receiving NIV by date of intubation. Data collected included demographics, past medical history, history of prior PICU stay, IMV or NIV use, home medications, environmental risk factors, asthma and non-asthma directed medical management, length of stay (LOS), complications, morbidity and mortality. Categorical data was compared using Chi square or Fisher’s exact test as appropriate. T-tests were used to compare means. Results: 49 patients received IMV for SA over a 10-year period and 98 patients who received NIV were identified as a control. There was no difference in gender, race, history of allergies, eczema, smoke exposure, pets, home medication or prior PICU stay. Intubated patients were 2.2 years older (p=0.02) and were more likely to have previously been intubated (18.4% vs 7.1%, p=0.04). Need for IMV was associated with a longer LOS (12.3d vs 5.4d, p< 0.01) as well as several complications, including pneumothorax, neuromyopathy, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, CPR and death. The groups had similar rates of pneumonia, which has previously been identified as a risk factor for intubation. Five patients (10.2%) died; all received IMV. 80% (n=4) of these patients had a pre-hospital arrest. None of the patients with mortality had previously been intubated. Conclusions: In this study, use of IMV was associated with older age and prior history of IMV. However, history of prior IMV was not associated with mortality. Pre-hospital arrest was a major driver of mortality. Efforts to reduce mortality in pediatric asthma may benefit from identifying high risk children in the community setting.

Outcomes in traumatic cardiac arrest patients who underwent advanced life support.

Survival following a traumatic cardiac arrest (TCA) remains poor despite research focused on specific management and guideline adaptation. Previous research has identified factors including age, arresting rhythm, injury severity and distance from hospital to be associated with prehospital TCA outcomes. The present study aimed to review the local incidence of TCA to inform local practice within a mature trauma system. A retrospective trauma database review from 2008 to 2021 was conducted at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. Patients were categorised by prehospital and in-hospital arrest, prehospital return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), and year in relation to TCA management protocol changes. Descriptive comparative analysis was performed with the primary outcome of interest being survival to hospital discharge. Survival to hospital discharge was similar in patients in whom TCA occurred in the prehospital environment and hospital (24 vs 29%). Mechanism of injury, response to intervention and location of cardiac arrest were important outcome associations. Patients with a positive focused assessment with sonography in trauma scan were less likely to achieve ROSC but more likely to survive to discharge. The frequency of prehospital interventions remained similar after the guideline changes; with more patients arriving to the hospital with improved haemodynamic parameters and increased survival. These results support the identification and immediate management of TCA. No patients survived if they did not achieve ROSC by hospital arrival, questioning the role for aggressive management beyond the ED in this cohort. Future research will focus on the identification of patients with potentially positive survival outcomes and further define futile intervention factors.

Accuracy of Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) in Blunt Abdominal Trauma.

Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy and outcomes of focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) and determine the factors associated with true-positive FAST results. Methods The FAST results from 2016 to 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Cases involving penetrating injury, transfer from other hospitals, age ≤ 16 years, prehospital arrest, and no confirmatory test were excluded. Intra-abdominal fluid was confirmed using computed tomography or operative findings. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated. Demographic data, injury characteristics, and outcomes were compared between true-positive and false-negative results. Logistic regression was used to identify the factors associated with true-positive results. Results Of 2,758 patients, 163 and 2,595 patients showed positive and negative results, respectively. True positives were 135 and true negatives were 2325. The overall sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 33.3%, 98.8%, 82.8%, and 89.6%, respectively. The sensitivity increased to 49.1% in patients with initial systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≤ 90 mmHg. The true-positive group showed a lower SBP and Glasgow Coma Scale score and a higher laparotomy rate than the false-negative group. However, mortality showed no significant difference. In logistic regression analysis, hollow viscus injury (1.820 [1.123–2.949], P=0.015) and the lowest SBP (0.988 [0.980–0.997], P=0.009) were associated with true-positive results compared to false-negative results. Conclusion The overall sensitivity of FAST was low; therefore, it should be performed in selected patients such as SBP ≤ 90 mmHg. Because of its low sensitivity and no influence on outcome, physicians should not rely solely on FAST.

Characteristics of pediatric non-cardiac eCPR programs in United States and Canadian hospitals: A cross-sectional survey

ObjectiveTo characterize practices surrounding pediatric eCPR in the U.S. and Canada. MethodsCross-sectional survey of U.S. and Canadian hospitals with non-cardiac eCPR programs. Variables included hospital and surgical group demographics, eCPR inclusion/exclusion criteria, cannulation approaches, and outcomes (survival to decannulation and survival to discharge). ResultsSurveys were completed by 40 hospitals in the United States (37) and Canada (3) among an estimated 49 programs (82% response rate). Respondents tended to work in >200 bed free-standing children's hospitals (27, 68%). Pediatric general surgeons respond to activations in 32 (80%) cases, with a median group size of 7 (IQR 5,9.5); 8 (20%) responding institutions take in-house call and 63% have a formal back-up system for eCPR. Dedicated simulation programs were reported by 22 (55%) respondents. Annual eCPR activations average approximately 6/year; approximately 39% of patients survived to decannulation, with 35% surviving to discharge. Cannulations occurred in a variety of settings and were mostly done through the neck at the purview of cannulating surgeon/proceduralist. Exclusion criteria used by hospitals included pre-hospital arrest (21, 53%), COVID+ (5, 13%), prolonged CPR (18, 45%), lethal chromosomal anomalies (15, 38%) and terminal underlying disease (14, 35%). ConclusionsWhile there are some similarities regarding inclusion/exclusion criteria, cannulation location and modality and follow-up in pediatric eCPR, these are not standard across multiple institutions. Survival to discharge after eCPR is modest but data on cost and long-term neurologic sequela are lacking. Codification of indications and surgical approaches may help clarify the utility and success of eCPR. Level of evidence4

The Impact of Delays in Interfaculty Transfer on Outcomes in Elderly Trauma Patients.

Delay to definitive treatment is a significant and persistent challenge to trauma systems across the United States, especially in rural communities with limited resources. We hypothesized that elderly trauma patients with delay in transfer would have increased morbidity and mortality. This study evaluates the relationship between inter-facility transfer time and outcomes in elderly trauma patients, and the validity of the 4-hour dwell time as a performance improvement benchmark. The National Trauma Registry and Emergency Medical Services Database were queried from January 2010 to January 2018. Inclusion criteria included age ≥65, blunt mechanism, and transfer from another facility. Correlation analysis was used to evaluate the association between clinical and demographic variables and transfer time. Multicollinearity was evaluated using the variance inflation factor. 1535 patients were identified. This cohort was further subdivided into 4 cohorts based on dwell time: 0-1.5 hours (n = 384), ≥1.5-1.9 hours (n = 379), 1.9-<2.5 hours (n = 383), and ≥2.5 hours (n = 388). Analysis revealed that shorter dwell time was associated with male gender (P = .0039), higher ISS (injury severity score) (P < .0001), lower RTS (revised trauma score) (P < .0001), higher pre-hospital arrest (P = .0066), lower initial GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale) (P = .0012), higher mortality, longer ICU, and ventilator length of stay (P < .0001). Longer dwell times were associated with discharge from the hospital to home or skilled nursing facility as well as lower mortality (P < .0001). Longer dwell time was inversely related to outcome. More severely injured patients were rapidly transferred. This represents a mature rural trauma system. In addition, dwell time should be scrutinized as a meaningful indicator within a performance improvement program.

Factors Associated with Return of Spontaneous Circulation following Pre-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Daegu Metropolitan City, South Korea; a Cross-Sectional Study.

The probability of Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC) in cardiac arrest cases in pre-hospital setting is still low. This study aimed to identify the factors that may improve the rate of ROSC in patients with pre-hospital cardiac arrest. This retrospective cross-sectional study is a secondary data analysis of cardiac arrest patients, who were managed by paramedics in the pre-hospital setting, from January 1, 2019,to December 31, 2019,in Daegu, South Korea.The association of ROSC with place of arrest occurrence, cardiac arrest being witnessed, performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), using compression device and defibrillator, administration of epinephrine, and intubationwas analyzed and independent predictive factors of ROSC were reported. 2750out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases, which were managed by paramedics in the pre-hospital setting were studied. 2034 (86.9%) cases of arrest had occurred at home, 2028 (73.7%) were not witnessed,and CPR was not performedfor 1721 (64.1%) cases.ROSC before arriving to emergency department (ED) was more probable if the cardiac arrest was witnessed(p<0.001), if CPR was performed(p=0.044),if a mechanical compression device was used(p<0.001),if a first-aid defibrillator was used(p<0.001), and if intravenous access was secured(p<0.001). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that using mechanical compression device (OR: 0.18; 95% CI=0.08-0.40; p = 0.001), using first-aid defibrillator (OR: 3.13; 95% CI=1.40-6.99; p = 0.005), administration of epinephrine (OR: 6.57; 95% CI=2.16-19.53; p = 0.001), and intubation (OR: 1.82;95% CI=1.04-3.19; p = 0.001) were independent predictive factors of ROSCbefore arrival to ED. It seems that chest compression by hand instead of using chest compression device, using defibrillator, epinephrine administration, and intubation my increase the probability of ROSC in pre-hospital arrest cases.

Abstract 11372: A Risk-Adjustment Model for Patients Presenting to Hospitals with Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest and ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Background: Given the diversity of patients resuscitated from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) complicated by STEMI, adequate risk adjustment is needed to account for potential differences in case-mix to reflect the quality of percutaneous coronary intervention. Objectives: We sought to build a risk-adjustment model of in-hospital mortality outcomes for patients with OHCA and STEMI requiring emergent angiography. Methods: Within the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival, we included adult patients with OHCA and STEMI who underwent angiography within 2 hours from January 2013 to December 2019. Using pre-hospital patient and arrest characteristics, multivariable logistic regression models were developed for in-hospital mortality. We then described model calibration, discrimination, and variability in patients’ unadjusted and adjusted mortality rates. Results: Of 2,999 hospitalized patients with OHCA and STEMI who underwent emergent angiography (mean age 61.2 ±12.0, 23.1% female, 64.6% white), 996 (33.2%) died. The final risk-adjustment model for mortality included higher age, unwitnessed arrest, non-shockable rhythms, not having sustained return of spontaneous circulation upon hospital arrival, and higher total resuscitation time on scene ( C -statistic, 0.804 with excellent calibration). The risk-adjusted proportion of patients died varied substantially and ranged from 7.8% at the 10 th percentile to 74.5% at the 90 th percentile (Figure). Conclusions: Through leveraging data from a large, multi-site registry of OHCA patients, we identified several key factors for better risk-adjustment for mortality-based quality measures. We found that STEMI patients with OHCA have highly variable mortality risk and should not be considered as a single category in public reporting. These findings can lay the foundation to build quality measures to further optimize care for the patient with OHCA and STEMI.

Effect of level D personal protective equipment on chest compression for pre-hospital arrest patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 : A randomized crossover simulation trial

Effect of level D personal protective equipment on chest compression for pre-hospital arrest patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 : A randomized crossover simulation trial

Can We Predict Good Survival Outcomes by Classifying Initial and Re-Arrest Rhythm Change Patterns in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Settings?

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to investigate whether a change in prehospital arrest rhythms could allow medical personnel to predict survival outcomes in patients who achieved a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in the setting of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).MethodsThe design of this study was retrospective, multi-regional, observational, and cross-sectional with a determining period between August 2015 and July 2016. Cardiac arrest rhythms were defined as a shockable rhythm (S), which refers to ventricular fibrillation (VF) or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (pVT), and non-shockable rhythm (NS), which refers to pulseless electrical activity or asystole. Survival to admission, survival to discharge, and good cerebral performance category (CPC) (CPC 1 or 2) were defined as good survival outcomes.ResultsA total of 163 subjects were classified into four groups according to the rhythm change pattern: NS→NS (98), S→S (27), S→NS (23), and NS→S (15). NS→NS pattern was used as the reference in logistic regression analysis. In the case of survival to hospital admission, the odds ratio (OR) (95% CI) of the S→S pattern was the highest [12.63 (3.56-44.85), p: <0.001 by no correction] and [7.29 (1.96-27.10), p = 0.003 with adjusting]. In the case of survival to hospital discharge, the OR (95% CI) of the S→S pattern was the highest [37.14 (11.71-117.78), p: <0.001 by no correction] and [13.85 (3.69-51.97), p: <0.001 with adjusting]. In the case of good CPC (CPC 1 or 2) at discharge, the OR (95% CI) of the S→S pattern was the highest [96 (19.14-481.60), p: <0.001 by no correction] and [149.69 (19.51-1148.48), p: <0.001 with adjusting].ConclusionsThe S→S group showed the highest correlation with survival to hospital admission, survival to hospital discharge, and good CPC (CPC 1 or 2) at discharge compared to the NS→NS group. Verifying changes in initial cardiac arrest rhythm and prehospital re-arrest (RA) rhythm patterns after prehospital ROSC can help us predict good survival outcomes in the OHCA setting.

Pulseless electrical activity following traumatic cardiac arrest: Sign of life or death?

BackgroundGenerally considered a sign of life, PEA is the most common arrhythmia encountered following pre-hospital traumatic cardiac arrest. Some recommend cardiac ultrasound (CUS) to determine cardiac wall motion (CWM) prior to terminating resuscitation efforts. This purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of patients with traumatic cardiac arrest presenting with PEA, with and without CWM. MethodsTrauma patients who underwent pre-hospital CPR were identified from the registries of two level-1 trauma centers. Pre-hospital management by emergency medical transport services was guided by advanced life support protocols. The on-duty trauma surgeon directed the resuscitations and performed or supervised CUS and determined CWM. ResultsAmong 277 patients who underwent pre-hospital CPR, 110 patients had PEA on arrival to ED. 69 (62.7%) were injured by blunt mechanisms. Median CPR duration was 20.0 and 8.0 min for pre-hospital and ED, respectively. Sixty-three patients (22.7%) underwent resuscitative thoracotomy. One hundred seventy-two patients (62.1%) received CUS and of these 32 (18.6%) had CWM. CWM was significantly associated with survival to hospital admission (21.9% vs. 1.4%; P < 0.001); however, no patient with CUS survived to hospital discharge. Overall, only one patient with PEA on arrival survived to discharge. ConclusionFollowing pre-hospital traumatic cardiac arrest, PEA on arrival portends death. Although CWM is associated with survival to admission, it is not associated with meaningful survival. Heroic resuscitative measures may be unwarranted for PEA following pre-hospital traumatic arrest, regardless of CWM.

Resuscitation of Blunt Injured, Prehospital Arrest Trauma Patients: An Exercise in Futility

Tung, Lily MD; Leonard, Jennifer MD, PhD; Olson, Erik J. MD; Martin, Niels D. MD, FACS FCCM; Kim, Patrick K. MD, FACS; Reilly, Patrick M. MD, FACS; Seamon, Mark J. MD, FACS Author Information

Emergency Resuscitative Thoracotomy in the Combat or Operational Environment

Resuscitative thoracotomy has been extensively described in the civilian trauma literature and has a high mortality rate, due largely to the nature of the injuries leading to arrest. The survival rates are generally highest (10-30%) for penetrating truncal injuries and patients who arrive with vital signs and proceed to arrest or who have impending arrest. They are significantly lower (less than 5%) for blunt trauma victims, particularly those who arrest in the field or during transport (1% or less). In addition, the likelihood of survival with intact neurologic function is significantly lower than the overall survival rates, particularly for blunt trauma victims and for prehospital arrest.

Low-flow time is associated with a favorable neurological outcome in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients resuscitated with extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation

ProposeThe aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the prognostic factors in extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) patients and to assess their accuracy as predictors of a favorable neurological outcome. Materials and methodsBetween October 2009 and December 2017, we retrospectively analyzed witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients who were admitted to our hospital and resuscitated with ECPR. We compared the baseline characteristics, pre-hospital clinical course, arrest causes, and blood samples on admission for the favorable and unfavorable outcome groups. ResultsAmong the 135 patients included, 22 (16%) had a favorable neurological outcome. Low-flow time was shorter (median 38 vs. 48 min, p < 0.001) in the favorable neurological outcome group; in multiple logistic analyses, low-flow time was significantly associated with a favorable neurological outcome (odds ratio, 0.88; 95% confidence interval, 0.82–0.94). The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of low-flow time was 0.80 (95% confidence interval, 0.70–0.89), and the cut-off value of 58 min corresponded to a sensitivity of 0.25 and a specificity of 1.0. ConclusionsIn ECPR patients, low-flow time was significantly associated with a favorable neurological outcome, and ECPR should be performed within 58 min of the low-flow time.

London Trauma Conference 2015 : London, UK, 8-11 December 2015.

London Trauma Conference 2015 : London, UK, 8-11 December 2015.

Abstract 317: Pre-Hospital Predictors of Post-Cardiac Arrest Left Ventricle Dysfunction

Background: A proportion of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are initially resuscitated; however, few survive to hospital discharge. A common cause of this high mortality rate is post-cardiac arrest myocardial dysfunction, a temporal phenomenon that can be fully recovered from with appropriate treatment. Objectives: This study aims to explore the predictors of post-cardiac arrest myocardial dysfunction and evaluate their influence on survival and neurologic outcome. We hypothesized that there would be an association between pre-hospital resuscitative strategies (such as witnessed arrest, bystander CPR, and the use of a publicly accessible AED) and development of LV dysfunction after resuscitation. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of 238 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients who underwent echocardiography after resuscitation at three hospitals. Pre-hospital arrest characteristics and echocardiography results were abstracted. The primary outcome was left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF; abnormal defined as &lt;40%) in the first 24 hours. Results: 191 (80%) patients had an echo completed in the first 24 hours, of which abnormal LVEF was observed in 90 (47%).Having a witnessed arrest predicted abnormal LVEF in first 24 hours (OR, 3.7; 95% CI, 1.04-13.22). No association was detected between initial rhythm, bystander CPR, use of AED, total downtime and the development of LVEF. No difference was observed in both neurologic outcome and survival in patients with a normal versus abnormal 24 hour echo. Among the 51 patients with serial echos, 28 (55%) patients had an abnormal initial LVEF; 15 (54%) of these patients had an LVEF that returned to normal by 72 hours. Conclusions: In survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, abnormal LVEF after resuscitation is not predictive of outcome; however, witnessed arrest is associated with the development of abnormal LVEF.

Abstract 268: Improvements in Emergency Department CPR Quality Utilizing Real-Time Audiovisual CPR Feedback

Background: CPR quality is closely linked to outcome in cardiac arrest. The AHA 2010 Guidelines recommend monitoring CPR quality performed by healthcare providers both inside and outside the hospital. However, most EDs currently do not monitor CPR quality. The goal of the present investigation was to assess the quality of CPR performed in an urban ED and determine the influence of training and real-time audiovisual feedback (RTAVF) on CPR quality and patient outcome. Methods: CPR quality was monitored using an R Series defibrillator (ZOLL Medical) during the treatment of adult cardiac resuscitation attempts. During phase 1 (P1; 11/2010-11/2012), real-time audiovisual chest compression feedback was disabled. During phase 2 (P2; 11/2012-3/2013), clinicians underwent a 60 minute didactic/hands-on CPR training session after which the RTAVF and the ECG artifact filtering feature were enabled. CPR quality data (fraction, depth, rate, release, peri-shock pause) were reviewed using Code Review software (ZOLL Medical). Student’s t-test and Wilcoxon-signed rank test were employed. Results: A total of 44 OHCA patients were treated in P1 (mean age 57±18 yrs, 59% male) and 24 in Phase 2 (mean age 63±15 yrs, 88% male). The majority of patients (89% P1; 96% P2) suffered prehospital arrest and were transported to the ED. Chest compression (CC) depth increased from 1.8±0.5 inches in P1 to 2.3±0.4 in P2 (p&lt;0.001), with the percentage of compressions exceeding 2 inches more than doubling from 36% in P1 to 79% in P2 (p&lt;0.001). CC release velocity increased from 1.25±0.36 inch/sec in P1 to 1.69±0.28 in P2 (p&lt;0.001). No significant differences were identified in CC rate (125±12 cpm P1 vs. 121±15 cpm P2, p=0.3) or CC fraction (82% P1 vs. 87% P2, p=0.1). Pre-shock pause (11.5±10.4 sec P1 vs. 8.0±6.2 P2, p=0.4) and post-shock pause (5.2±3.4 sec vs. 3.8±0.6, p=0.9) were statistically similar in P1 and P2. Conclusion: The bundle of real time audiovisual CPR feedback and training were associated with an improvement in chest compression depth and recoil and closer adherence to guidelines for CPR quality in this large urban ED.