Modification of HEART Pathway for Patients With Chest Pain: A Korean Perspective

Background and Objectives@#The History, Electrocardiography, Age, Risk factors, and Troponin (HEART) pathway was developed to identify patients at low risk of a major adverse cardiac event (MACE) among patients presenting with chest pain to the emergency department. @*Methods@#We modified the HEART pathway by replacing the Korean cut-off of 25 kg/m2 with the conventional threshold of 30 kg/m2 in the definition of obesity among risk factors. The primary outcome was a MACE within 30 days, which included acute myocardial infarction, primary coronary intervention, coronary artery bypass grafting, and all-cause death. @*Results@#Of the 1,304 patients prospectively enrolled, MACE occurred in 320 (24.5%). The modified HEART pathway identified 37.3% of patients as low-risk compared with 38.3% using the HEART pathway. Of the 500 patients classified as low-risk with HEART pathway, 8 (1.6%) experienced MACE, and of the 486 low-risk patients with modified HEART pathway, 4 (0.8%) experienced MACE. The modified HEART pathway had a sensitivity of 98.8%, a negative predictive value (NPV) of 99.2%, a specificity of 49.0%, and a positive predictive value (PPV) of 38.6%, compared with the original HEART pathway, with a sensitivity of 97.5%, a NPV of 98.4%, a specificity of 50.0%, and a PPV of 38.8%. @*Conclusions@#When applied to Korean population, modified HEART pathway could identify patients safe for early discharge more accurately by using body mass index cut-off levels suggested for Koreans.

Association between initial fibrinogen levels and adverse outcomes in emergency department patients with primary postpartum hemorrhage

Objective@#This study evaluates the association between the initial fibrinogen levels and adverse outcomes in emergency department (ED) patients with primary postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). @*Methods@#This retrospective observational study was performed between January 2004 and December 2021 in the ED of a university-affiliated tertiary referral center. Primary PPH patients with fibrinogen level assessments in the ED were included. Patients were classified into two groups: the adverse outcome group-defined as patients receiving massive transfusion (transfusion of ≥10 units of packed red blood cells within the initial 24 hours), uterine artery embolization or emergency hysterectomy, intensive care unit admission, and in-hospital mortality-and the non-adverse outcome group. @*Results@#Of the 481 patients included in the study, 276 (57.4%) had adverse outcomes. The median fibrinogen level in patients with adverse outcomes was lower than in patients without adverse outcomes-149.5 mg/dL (range, 66.8-228.8) vs. 288.0 mg/dL (range, 215.0-349.0), respectively; P<0.001. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the initial fibrinogen level for adverse outcomes was 0.811 (95% confidence interval, 0.773-0.849; P<0.001). The occurrence of adverse outcomes increased with decreasing fibrinogen levels (P<0.001). When the cutoff value of the initial fibrinogen level was 400 mg/dL, the sensitivity and negative predictive values for predicting adverse outcomes were 98.6% and 84.6%, respectively. When the cutoff value of the initial fibrinogen level was 100 mg/dL, the specificity and positive predictive values were 96.6% and 92.8%, respectively. @*Conclusion@#The initial fibrinogen levels on ED admission are associated with adverse outcomes.

The predictive value of procalcitonin for septic shock in sepsis patients

Objective@#This study examined the difference in procalcitonin between sepsis and septic shock. @*Methods@#The single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted from July 2017 to June 2018 at an emergency department (ED) of a university hospital. The inclusion criteria were patients over 18 years old who visited the ED with an infection. The exclusion criteria were the patients without organ failure by sepsis-3 definition, those with missing serum lactate data, and those discharged without workup. The sepsis patients were divided into those with and without septic shock, and the two groups were compared with biomarkers, including procalcitonin. @*Results@#Of the 406 patients who visited the ED with an infection, 36 were excluded because they did not have sepsis or an unknown infection. Finally, 369 patients were enrolled, and 61.5% fitted the septic shock definition. A comparison of the septic shock and non-shock sepsis groups showed that a history of chronic liver disease, malignancy, pulse rate, prothrombin time, blood urea nitrogen, aspartate and alanine transaminase, troponin-I, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score and procalcitonin levels were significantly higher in the septic shock group. In multivariate analysis, however, procalcitonin was an independent predictor for septic shock (adjusted odd ratio, 1.05; 95% confidential interval, 1.01-1.09). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.729, and the cutoff value was 4.0 ng/mL. @*Conclusion@#The procalcitonin levels were higher in the septic shock group than in the non-shock sepsis group. This could help predict septic shock independently. Further prospective multicenter research is needed to determine if procalcitonin can predict the severity of sepsis.

Cancer patients with neutropenic septic shock: etiology and antimicrobial resistance

Background/Aims@#Among patients with febrile neutropenia that developed after chemotherapy, high-risk patients, such as those having clinical instability or Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer score of < 21, require hospitalization for intravenous empiric antibiotic therapy. Monotherapy with an anti-pseudomonal ß-lactam agent is recommended. Although many studies reported the microbial etiology of infections and resistant patterns of febrile neutropenia, the patients were not well characterized as having neutropenic septic shock. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the microbial spectrum of infections and resistance patterns of their isolates in patients with chemotherapy-induced neutropenic septic shock. @*Methods@#Data of adult patients diagnosed with neutropenic septic shock in the emergency department between June 2012 and December 2016 were extracted from a prospectively compiled septic shock registry at a single academic medical center. Thereafter, microbiological studies and antimicrobial susceptibility tests were conducted. @*Results@#In total, 109 bacteria were found in patients with neutropenic septic shock. Gram-negative bacteria were the predominant causative organisms (84, 77.1%). Moreover, 33 microorganisms (30.3%) were multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria with extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (17, 50%) being the commonest. The most commonly affected sites in patients with MDR bacterial infections were the gastrointestinal tract (45%) and unknown (43.5%). Approximately 48.5% of MDR bacteria were resistant to cefepime but not to piperacillin- tazobactam or carbapenem. @*Conclusions@#MDR bacteria were prevalent in patients with chemotherapy-induced neutropenic septic shock. Therefore, piperacillin-tazobactam or carbapenem may be considered as empiric antibiotics if MDR bacteria are suspected to be causative agents.

Carbon monoxide poisoning caused by gas water heaters in Korea

Objective@#This study aimed at evaluating the characteristics and outcomes of patients who were diagnosed with carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning after using a gas water heater and to describe similar CO poisoning incidents involving gas water heaters in Korea. @*Methods@#We reviewed gas water heater-related CO poisoning affected patients who visited our emergency department (ED) from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2019, and the CO poisoning incidents due to gas water heaters reported by the Korea Gas Safety Corporation (KGS) from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2019. @*Results@#During the study period, a total of eight patients visited our ED as a result of five incidents. All five incidents occurred while using a gas water heater in an enclosed space. Five patients were poisoned by CO while taking a shower, and the other three were poisoned by CO while washing their hair. Most patients complained of a transient loss of consciousness, headache, dizziness, and general weakness. The mean value of the initial CO-hemoglobin level was 27.2±14.2% with a range of 7.2-45.7%. All the patients admitted survived after being given hyperbaric oxygen therapy and subsequently discharged from hospital. A total of 32 incidents that involved 71 victims were identified from the KGS. Of these victims, 24 were already dead at the scene, with an estimated case-fatality rate of 33.8%. Most incidents occurred while the victims were showering using a gas water heater installed in a bathroom with poor ventilation. @*Conclusion@#The present study showed that CO poisoning can occur even in a short time, such as taking a shower or shampooing hair, due to the use of a gas water heater installed in a closed space with poor ventilation. Also, it highlights the fact that the prehospital case-fatality rate of such CO poisoning is high.

Clinical Guidance for Point-of-Care Ultrasound in the Emergency and Critical Care Areas after Implementing Insurance Coverage in Korea

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a useful tool that is widely used in the emergency and intensive care areas. In Korea, insurance coverage of ultrasound examination has been gradually expanding in accordance with measures to enhance Korean National Insurance Coverage since 2017 to 2021, and which will continue until 2021. Full coverage of health insurance for POCUS in the emergency and critical care areas was implemented in July 2019. The National Health Insurance Act classified POCUS as a single or multiple-targeted ultrasound examination (STU vs. MTU). STU scans are conducted of one organ at a time, while MTU includes scanning of multiple organs simultaneously to determine each clinical situation. POCUS can be performed even if a diagnostic ultrasound examination is conducted, based on the physician's decision. However, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service plans to monitor the prescription status of whether the POCUS and diagnostic ultrasound examinations are prescribed simultaneously and repeatedly. Additionally, MTU is allowed only in cases of trauma, cardiac arrest, shock, chest pain, and dyspnea and should be performed by a qualified physician. Although physicians should scan all parts of the chest, heart, and abdomen when they prescribe MTU, they are not required to record all findings in the medical record. Therefore, appropriate prescription, application, and recording of POCUS are needed to enhance the quality of patient care and avoid unnecessary cut of medical budget spending. The present article provides background and clinical guidance for POCUS based on the implementation of full health insurance coverage for POCUS that began in July 2019 in Korea.

Clinical Guidance for Point-of-Care Ultrasound in the Emergency and Critical Care Areas after Implementing Insurance Coverage in Korea

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a useful tool that is widely used in the emergency and intensive care areas. In Korea, insurance coverage of ultrasound examination has been gradually expanding in accordance with measures to enhance Korean National Insurance Coverage since 2017 to 2021, and which will continue until 2021. Full coverage of health insurance for POCUS in the emergency and critical care areas was implemented in July 2019. The National Health Insurance Act classified POCUS as a single or multiple-targeted ultrasound examination (STU vs. MTU). STU scans are conducted of one organ at a time, while MTU includes scanning of multiple organs simultaneously to determine each clinical situation. POCUS can be performed even if a diagnostic ultrasound examination is conducted, based on the physician's decision. However, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service plans to monitor the prescription status of whether the POCUS and diagnostic ultrasound examinations are prescribed simultaneously and repeatedly. Additionally, MTU is allowed only in cases of trauma, cardiac arrest, shock, chest pain, and dyspnea and should be performed by a qualified physician. Although physicians should scan all parts of the chest, heart, and abdomen when they prescribe MTU, they are not required to record all findings in the medical record. Therefore, appropriate prescription, application, and recording of POCUS are needed to enhance the quality of patient care and avoid unnecessary cut of medical budget spending. The present article provides background and clinical guidance for POCUS based on the implementation of full health insurance coverage for POCUS that began in July 2019 in Korea.

Carbon monoxide poisoning caused by gas water heaters in Korea

Objective@#This study aimed at evaluating the characteristics and outcomes of patients who were diagnosed with carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning after using a gas water heater and to describe similar CO poisoning incidents involving gas water heaters in Korea. @*Methods@#We reviewed gas water heater-related CO poisoning affected patients who visited our emergency department (ED) from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2019, and the CO poisoning incidents due to gas water heaters reported by the Korea Gas Safety Corporation (KGS) from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2019. @*Results@#During the study period, a total of eight patients visited our ED as a result of five incidents. All five incidents occurred while using a gas water heater in an enclosed space. Five patients were poisoned by CO while taking a shower, and the other three were poisoned by CO while washing their hair. Most patients complained of a transient loss of consciousness, headache, dizziness, and general weakness. The mean value of the initial CO-hemoglobin level was 27.2±14.2% with a range of 7.2-45.7%. All the patients admitted survived after being given hyperbaric oxygen therapy and subsequently discharged from hospital. A total of 32 incidents that involved 71 victims were identified from the KGS. Of these victims, 24 were already dead at the scene, with an estimated case-fatality rate of 33.8%. Most incidents occurred while the victims were showering using a gas water heater installed in a bathroom with poor ventilation. @*Conclusion@#The present study showed that CO poisoning can occur even in a short time, such as taking a shower or shampooing hair, due to the use of a gas water heater installed in a closed space with poor ventilation. Also, it highlights the fact that the prehospital case-fatality rate of such CO poisoning is high.

Clinical Guidance for Point-of-Care Ultrasound in the Emergency and Critical Care Areas after Implementing Insurance Coverage in Korea

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a useful tool that is widely used in the emergency and intensive care areas. In Korea, insurance coverage of ultrasound examination has been gradually expanding in accordance with measures to enhance Korean National Insurance Coverage since 2017 to 2021, and which will continue until 2021. Full coverage of health insurance for POCUS in the emergency and critical care areas was implemented in July 2019. The National Health Insurance Act classified POCUS as a single or multiple-targeted ultrasound examination (STU vs. MTU). STU scans are conducted of one organ at a time, while MTU includes scanning of multiple organs simultaneously to determine each clinical situation. POCUS can be performed even if a diagnostic ultrasound examination is conducted, based on the physician's decision. However, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service plans to monitor the prescription status of whether the POCUS and diagnostic ultrasound examinations are prescribed simultaneously and repeatedly. Additionally, MTU is allowed only in cases of trauma, cardiac arrest, shock, chest pain, and dyspnea and should be performed by a qualified physician. Although physicians should scan all parts of the chest, heart, and abdomen when they prescribe MTU, they are not required to record all findings in the medical record. Therefore, appropriate prescription, application, and recording of POCUS are needed to enhance the quality of patient care and avoid unnecessary cut of medical budget spending. The present article provides background and clinical guidance for POCUS based on the implementation of full health insurance coverage for POCUS that began in July 2019 in Korea.

Factors prognostic of ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma presenting to the emergency department

OBJECTIVE@#This study assessed whether characteristics of ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at presentation to the emergency department (ED) affect patient outcomes, and evaluated factors prognostic of HCC, particularly treatment modalities.@*METHODS@#This retrospective study between 2008 and 2017 evaluated patients presenting to an ED with ruptured HCC. Parameters associated with 30- and 90-day mortality were investigated, and clinical characteristics and treatments were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#In total, 121 patients presented to the ED with ruptured HCC. Of these, 29 died within 30 days. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that platelet count (odds ratio [OR], 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.976–0.995) and prothrombin time (OR, 16.20; 95% CI, 1.91–137.23) were associated with a 30-day mortality rate, whereas presence or absence of acute abdominal pain and shock at presentation to the ED was not significant. Patients who underwent embolization had a lower 30-day mortality rate than those treated conservatively (OR, 0.04; 95% CI, 0.001-0.20). Sixtyone patients died within 90 days after presentation to the ED. Serum albumin concentration (OR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.09–0.71) was associated with 90-day mortality. Moreover, patients who underwent embolization (OR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.06–0.60) and emergency hepatectomy (OR 0.09; 95% CI, 0.01–0.99) had lower 90-day mortality rates as compared to patients treated conservatively.@*CONCLUSION@#Presence of acute abdominal pain at presentation to the ED does not affect patient outcomes. Early aggressive treatments, such as embolization or emergency hepatectomy, were observed to improve outcomes in patients with ruptured HCC.

The prognostic value of 1-hour bundle completion in septic shock patients

OBJECTIVE@#Since 2018, the surviving sepsis campaign recommended one-hour bundle therapy in septic shock patients. On the other hand, evidence for the effectiveness of bundle therapy has not been established. The object of this study was to determine the prognostic value of one-hour bundle completion in septic shock patients.@*METHODS@#This prospectively collected registry-based, retrospective observational study, between January 2016 and December 2018. A one-hour bundle in septic shock was defined by the serum lactate measurements, blood cultures, administration of antibiotics, and adequate fluid administration within one hour from emergency department admission. Eligible septic shock patients were included in the analysis, and the prognostic abilities of the completion of the one-hour bundle and each item were analyzed. The primary outcome was the 28-day mortality.@*RESULTS@#The study included 381 patients, and the overall 28-day mortality was 24.7%. The overall one-hour bundle completion rate was 11.3%, and each completion rate of serum lactate measurement, blood cultures, administration of antibiotics, and adequate fluid administration were 85.8%, 74.3%, 19.4%, and 48.6%, respectively. On the other hand, overall bundle completion as well as each bundle were not associated with the 28-day mortality except for adequate fluid administration (odds ratio [OR], 0.67 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.30–1.50]; OR, 1.33 [95% CI, 0.66–2.70]; OR, 1.50 [95% CI 0.85–2.64]; OR, 1.17 [95% CI 0.66–2.07]; and OR, 0.54 [95% CI, 0.34–0.87], respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that adequate fluid administration was independently associated with the 28-day mortality (OR, 0.22 [95% CI, 0.09–0.55]; P=0.001).@*CONCLUSION@#In this study, most of the one-hour bundle completions were not associated with 28-day mortality. Although adequate fluid administration was associated with the 28-day mortality, multicenter interventional study will be needed to generalize this result.

Characteristics and outcomes of patients with septic shock who transferred to the emergency department in tertiary referral center: multicenter, retrospective, observational study

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the clinical characteristics and prognoses of patients with septic shock who transferred to the emergency department (ED) in a tertiary referral center. METHODS: This study was performed using a prospective, multi-center registry of septic shock, with the participation of 11 tertiary referral centers in the Korean Shock Society between October 2015 and February 2017. We classified the patients as a transferred group who transferred from other hospitals after meeting the inclusion criteria upon ED arrival and a non-transferred group who presented directly to the ED. Primary outcome was hospital mortality. We conducted multiple logistic regression analysis to assess variables related to in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: A total of 2,098 patients were included, and we assigned 717 patients to the transferred group and 1,381 patients to the non-transferred group. The initial Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score was higher in the transferred group than the non-transferred group (6; interquartile range [IQR], 4–9 vs. 6; IQR, 4–8; P < 0.001). Mechanical ventilator (29% vs. 21%, P < 0.001) and renal replacement therapy (12% vs. 9%, P=0.034) within 24 hours after ED arrival were more frequently applied in the transferred group than the non-transferred group. Overall hospital mortality was 22% and there was no significant difference between transferred and non-transferred groups (23% vs. 22%, P=0.820). Multivariable analysis showed an odds ratio for in-hospital mortality of 1.00 (95% confidence interval, 0.78–1.28; P=0.999) for the transferred group compared with the non-transferred group. CONCLUSION: The transferred group showed higher severity and needed more organ support procedures than the nontransferred group. However, inter-hospital transfer did not affect in-hospital mortality.

Korean Shock Society septic shock registry: a preliminary report

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical characteristics, therapeutic interventions, and outcomes of patients with septic shock admitted to the emergency department (ED). METHODS: This study was a preliminary, descriptive analysis of a prospective, multi-center, observational registry of the EDs of 10 hospitals participating in the Korean Shock Society. Patients aged 19 years or older who had a suspected or confirmed infection and evidence of refractory hypotension or hypoperfusion were included. RESULTS: A total of 468 patients were enrolled (median age, 71.3 years; male, 55.1%; refractory hypotension, 82.9%; hyperlactatemia without hypotension, 17.1%). Respiratory infection was the most common source of infection (31.0%). The median Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment score was 7.5. The sepsis bundle compliance was 91.2% for lactate measurement, 70.3% for blood culture, 68.4% for antibiotic administration, 80.3% for fluid resuscitation, 97.8% for vasopressor application, 68.0% for central venous pressure measurement, 22.0% for central venous oxygen saturation measurement, and 59.2% for repeated lactate measurement. Among patients who underwent interventions for source control (n=117, 25.1%), 43 (36.8%) received interventions within 12 hours of ED arrival. The in-hospital, 28-day, and 90-day mortality rates were 22.9%, 21.8%, and 27.1%, respectively. The median ED and hospital lengths of stay were 6.8 hours and 12 days, respectively. CONCLUSION: This preliminary report revealed a mortality of over 20% in patients with septic shock, which suggests that there are areas for improvement in terms of the quality of initial resuscitation and outcomes of septic shock patients in the ED.

Multidisciplinary Approach to Decrease In-Hospital Delay for Stroke Thrombolysis / 대한뇌졸중학회지

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Decreasing the time delay for thrombolysis, including intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) with tissue plasminogen activator and intra-arterial thrombectomy (IAT), is critical for decreasing the morbidity and mortality of patients experiencing acute stroke. We aimed to decrease the in-hospital delay for both IVT and IAT through a multidisciplinary approach that is feasible 24 h/day. METHODS: We implemented the Stroke Alert Team (SAT) on May 2, 2016, which introduced hospital-initiated ambulance prenotification and reorganized in-hospital processes. We compared the patient characteristics, time for each step of the evaluation and thrombolysis, thrombolysis rate, and post-thrombolysis intracranial hemorrhage from January 2014 to August 2016. RESULTS: A total of 245 patients received thrombolysis (198 before SAT; 47 after SAT). The median door-to-CT, door-to-MRI, and door-to-laboratory times decreased to 13 min, 37.5 min, and 8 min, respectively, after SAT implementation (P<0.001). The median door-to-IVT time decreased from 46 min (interquartile range [IQR] 36–57 min) to 20.5 min (IQR 15.8–32.5 min; P<0.001). The median door-to-IAT time decreased from 156 min (IQR 124.5–212.5 min) to 86.5 min (IQR 67.5–102.3 min; P<0.001). The thrombolysis rate increased from 9.8% (198/2,012) to 15.8% (47/297; P=0.002), and the post-thrombolysis radiological intracranial hemorrhage rate decreased from 12.6% (25/198) to 2.1% (1/47; P=0.035). CONCLUSIONS: SAT significantly decreased the in-hospital delay for thrombolysis, increased thrombolysis rate, and decreased post-thrombolysis intracranial hemorrhage. Time benefits of SAT were observed for both IVT and IAT and during office hours and after-hours.

The Prevalence and Significance of Overt Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation in Patients with Septic Shock in the Emergency Department According to the Third International Consensus Definition / 대한구급학회지

BACKGROUND: The prevalence and prognostic value of overt disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in patients with septic shock presenting to emergency departments (EDs) is poorly understood, particularly following the release of a new definition of septic shock. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and prognostic value of DIC in septic shock. METHODS: We performed retrospective review of 391 consecutive patients with septic shock admitting to the ED of tertiary care, university-affiliated hospital during a 16-month. Septic shock was defined as fluid-unresponsive hypotension requiring vasopressor to maintain a mean arterial pressure of 65 mmHg or greater, and serum lactate level ≥ 2 mmol/L. Overt DIC was defined as an International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH) score ≥ 5 points. The primary endpoint was 28-day mortality. RESULTS: Of 391 patients with septic shock, 290 were included in the present study. The mean age was 65.6 years, the 28-day mortality rate was 26.9%, and the prevalence of overt DIC was 17.6% (n = 51) according to the ISTH score. The median DIC score was higher in non-survivors than in survivors (5.0 vs. 2.0, p = 0.001). Significant higher risk of mortality was observed in overt DIC patients compared to those without (28.2% vs. 13.7%, p = 0.005). Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified DIC to be independently associated with 28-day mortality (odds ratio, 2.689 [95% confidence interval, 1.390-5.201]). CONCLUSIONS: Using the ISTH criteria of DIC, overt DIC in septic shock was found to be common among patients admitting to the ED and to be associated with higher mortality when it is accompanied with septic shock. Efforts are required to identify presence of overt DIC during the initial treatment of septic shock in patients presenting the the ED.

Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation among patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

OBJECTIVE: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) may be considered as a rescue therapy for patients with refractory cardiac arrest. Identifying patients who might benefit from this potential life-saving procedure is crucial for implementation of ECPR. The objective of this study was to estimate the number of patients who fulfilled a hypothetical set of ECPR criteria and to evaluate the outcome of ECPR candidates treated with conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation. METHODS: We performed an observational study using data from a prospective registry of consecutive adults (≥18 years) with non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in a tertiary hospital between January 2011 and December 2015. We developed a hypothetical set of ECPR criteria including age ≤75 years, witnessed cardiac arrest, no-flow time ≤5 minutes, low-flow time ≤30 minutes, refractory arrest at emergency department >10 minutes, and no exclusion criteria. The primary endpoint was the proportion of good neurologic outcome of ECPR-eligible patients. RESULTS: Of 568 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases, 60 cases (10.6%) fulfilled our ECPR criteria. ECPR was performed for 10 of 60 ECPR-eligible patients (16.7%). Three of the 10 patients with ECPR (30.0%), but only 2 of the other 50 patients without ECPR (4.0%) had a good neurologic outcome at 1 month. CONCLUSION: ECPR implementation might be a rescue option for increasing the probability of survival in potentially hopeless but ECPR-eligible patients.

Comparison of Clinical Feature and Prognosis between Unilateral and Bilateral Acute Pyelonephritis

PURPOSE: Acute pyelonephritis (APN) usually presents as a mild disease. However, it has been shown to cause substantial morbidity and mortality on occasion. Therefore, it is important to distinguish between the complicated and uncomplicated APN. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical significance of bilateral APN compared with unilateral APN in the emergency department (ED). METHODS: We analyzed the data of 303 consecutive patients with APN who underwent a abdominal computed tomography (CT) examination in the ED from January 2012 to December 2014. We compared the clinical presentation, progress, and outcomes between the unilateral and bilateral APNs that were identified on the CT scan. RESULTS: Of these 303 patients, 110 patients (36.3%) were confirmed as bilateral APN by the CT. The proportion of male was higher in the bilateral APN group (20.0% vs. 10.9%, p=0.029). Moreover, patients in the bilateral group visited the ED post symptom onset (6.5±7.8 vs. 3.6±3.1, p<0.001). However, symptom, sign, laboratory test, and CT findings were not statistically different between the two groups. In addition, severity, resistant pathogen, and outcomes such as occurrence of septic shock, hospital days, and mortality were also not different. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that bilateral APN, as determined by a CT, does not have clinical significance compared with unilateral APN.

Do We Have to Check Pulmonary Thromboembolism in Patients with Deep Vein Thrombosis in Emergency Department?

PURPOSE: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a risk factor of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE), however it is not clear who should be evaluated for a PTE and a DVT at the same time. The purpose of this study is to determine the clinical characteristics of PTE in patients with DVT who visited the emergency department (ED). METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of ED patients who visited with DVT and were simultaneously evaluated for a PTE from January 2012 to December 2013. We compared clinical characteristics between non-PTE and PTE patients with confirmed DVT in the ED. RESULTS: Of these 166 patients, 96 patients (57.8%) were confirmed PTE by computed tomography. In multivariate analysis, patients with PTE had more systemic neoplasm (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.04-3.93, p=0.037) and right heart strain pattern in electrocardiography (OR 5.29, 95% CI 1.71-16.36, p=0.004) than patients without PTE. Femoral DVT was more likely in the non-PTE group (87.1% vs. 65.6%, p=0.002) and popliteal DVT was more likely in the PTE group (62.9% vs. 80.2%, p=0.013). However the number of DVT sites including both femoral and popliteal vein was not statistically different. CONCLUSION: In patients with systemic neoplasm or right heart strain patterns in electrocardiography, simultaneous PTE evaluation may be required in patients with DVT.

The Prevalence and Significance of Overt Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation in Patients with Septic Shock in the Emergency Department According to the Third International Consensus Definition / 대한중환자의학회지

BACKGROUND: The prevalence and prognostic value of overt disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in patients with septic shock presenting to emergency departments (EDs) is poorly understood, particularly following the release of a new definition of septic shock. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and prognostic value of DIC in septic shock. METHODS: We performed retrospective review of 391 consecutive patients with septic shock admitting to the ED of tertiary care, university-affiliated hospital during a 16-month. Septic shock was defined as fluid-unresponsive hypotension requiring vasopressor to maintain a mean arterial pressure of 65 mmHg or greater, and serum lactate level ≥ 2 mmol/L. Overt DIC was defined as an International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH) score ≥ 5 points. The primary endpoint was 28-day mortality. RESULTS: Of 391 patients with septic shock, 290 were included in the present study. The mean age was 65.6 years, the 28-day mortality rate was 26.9%, and the prevalence of overt DIC was 17.6% (n = 51) according to the ISTH score. The median DIC score was higher in non-survivors than in survivors (5.0 vs. 2.0, p = 0.001). Significant higher risk of mortality was observed in overt DIC patients compared to those without (28.2% vs. 13.7%, p = 0.005). Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified DIC to be independently associated with 28-day mortality (odds ratio, 2.689 [95% confidence interval, 1.390-5.201]). CONCLUSIONS: Using the ISTH criteria of DIC, overt DIC in septic shock was found to be common among patients admitting to the ED and to be associated with higher mortality when it is accompanied with septic shock. Efforts are required to identify presence of overt DIC during the initial treatment of septic shock in patients presenting the the ED.

Early Antibiotic Administration and Mortality in Patients with Septic Shock in Emergency Department

PURPOSE: The Surviving Sepsis Campaign recommend initiating broad spectrum antibiotics within the first hour of recognition of septic shock. An unknown proportion of the effectiveness of earlier antibiotics administration will remain in septic shock patients treated with an early quantitative resuscitation in emergency department (ED). We were to compare the 28-day mortality between earlier antibiotic administration (< or =1 hour) and early antibiotic administration (1 hour to 6 hour) in septic shock patients in ED. METHODS: A total of 536 consecutive septic shock patients were prospectively collected from January 2010 to June 2012. We identified 357 patients who were developed shock at initial assessment, and measured the time of initial antibiotics administration. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. RESULTS: Mean age was 62.8+/-13.7 years old and 222 patients were male (62.2%). The median time from shock recognition-to-antibiotics administration was 94.0 min (IQR 47.0-150.0) and 28-day mortality rate was 20.2%. When the relationship of 28-day mortality between earlier antibiotic administration (< or =1 hour) and early antibiotic administration (1 hour to 6 hour) was compared, no significant difference was shown (19.5% vs. 20.5%, p=0.82). CONCLUSION: Earlier antibiotics administration may have no additional outcome value in septic shock patients treated with an early quantitative resuscitation in ED.