Changes in peak inspiratory flow rate and peak airway pressure with endotracheal tube size during chest compression / 世界急诊医学杂志（英文）

@#BACKGROUND: Adequate airway management plays an important role in high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Airway management is usually performed using an endotracheal tube (ETT) during CPR. However, no study has assessed the effect of ETT size on the flow rate and airway pressure during CPR. METHODS: We measured changes in peak inspiratory flow rate (PIFR), peak airway pressure (Ppeak), and mean airway pressure (Pmean) according to changes in ETT size (internal diameter 6.0, 7.0, and 8.0 mm) and with or without CPR. A tidal volume of 500 mL was supplied at a rate of 10 times per minute using a mechanical ventilator. Chest compressions were maintained at a constant compression depth and speed using a mechanical chest compression device (LUCAS2, mode: active continuous, chest compression rate: 102±2/minute, chest compression depth 2–2.5 inches). RESULTS: The median of several respiratory physiological parameters during CPR was significantly different according to the diameter of each ETT (6.0 vs. 8.0 mm): PIFR (32.1 L/min [30.5–35.3] vs. 28.9 L/min [27.5–30.8], P<0.001), Ppeak (48.84 cmH2O [27.46–52.11] vs. 27.45 cmH2O [22.53–52.57], P<0.001), and Pmean (18.34 cmH2O [14.61–21.66] vs.13.66 cmH2O [8.41–19.24], P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The changes in PIFR, Ppeak, and Pmean were related to the internal diameter of ETT, and these values tended to decrease with an increase in ETT size. Higher airway pressures were measured in the CPR group than in the no CPR group.

Characteristics of the pneumonia patients transferred from long-term care hospitals:retrospective study of one regional emergency medical center

Objective@#This study investigated the characteristics of elderly pneumonia patients transferred from long-term care hospitals(LTCH). @*Methods@#The initial emergency department (ED) data of patients, who were transferred from other hospitals and over 65years old and hospitalized from 2014 to 2018 for pneumonia management through the ED, were extracted from the electronicmedical records. The differences in the initial status and prognosis between the LTCH group and non-LTCH groupwere compared, and the initial ED variables that affect the in-hospital mortality of the LTCH group were investigated. @*Results@#The total number of patients was 1,032; 423 (41.0 %) were included in the LTCH group. Compared to the non-LTCH group, the following severity indices, some laboratory data, and mortality were worse in the LTCH group: systemicinflammatory reaction syndrome (SIRS) criteria ≥2 (65.0% vs. 56.7%, P=0.008), quick Sequential Organ FailureAssessment score ≥2 (48.2% vs. 20.4%, P<0.001), CURB-65 (Confusion, Urea nitrogen, Respiration rate, Blood pressure,Age≥65 years) criteria ≥3 (51.8% vs. 29.2%, P<0.001), pneumonia severity index (PSI) class ≥4 (86.5% vs.61.2%, P<0.001), modified early warning score ≥5 (38.8% vs. 18.4%, P<0.001), serum albumin (median [IQR], 2.6 [2.2-2.9] g/dL vs. 2.8 [2.4-3.2] g/dL; P<0.001), blood urea nitrogen/albumin (B/A) ratio (median [IQR], 8.0 [5.0-12.8] vs. 6.6[4.4-10.4]; P<0.001), and in-hospital mortality (26.0% vs. 15.9%, P<0.001). Multivariate regression analysis revealed thealbumin grade, B/A ratio grade, PSI class, and SIRS criteria to independently affect the in-hospital mortality of the LTCHgroup. @*Conclusion@#The LTCH group had poorer initial severity indices and higher in-hospital mortality than the non-LTCHgroup. In addition, the albumin grade, B/A ratio grade, could be used for the severity index of pneumonia patients transferredfrom the LTCH.

Evaluation of pneumonia management effectiveness associated withinternal medicine management changes in the emergency department:a retrospective cohort study using a historically controlled group

Objective@#In Korea, many hospitals have recently changed the process of internal medicine management in the emergencydepartment (ED) because of reduced manpower, raising concerns regarding the decreased quality of medicalcare. The process of medical management in the ED was streamlined to resolve the reduced manpower. Thus, this studycompared the pneumonia treatment effectiveness before and after the process changes. @*Methods@#This study included patients who were diagnosed with pneumonia in the ED and hospitalized from January2014 to December 2016. They were divided into two groups based on before and after the changes. The disease severity,management adequacy, and prognosis were compared using the initial quick sequential organ failure assessmentscore (qSOFA), systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria (SIRS), CURB-65 score, door-to-antibiotic time(DAT), length of stay (LOS), hospitalization period (HP), and in-hospital mortality, were collected retrospectively from themedical records. @*Results@#The qSOFA, SIRS, and CURB-65 scores did not differ between the two groups. The median (interquartilerange) DAT, LOS, and HP were reduced after the process changes: DAT (160.0 minutes [111.0-230.0] vs. 120.0 minutes[74.0-175.0], P<0.001), LOS (7.6 hours [4.8-15.8] vs. 4.7 hours [3.2-6.8], P<0.001), and HP (9.0 days [6.0-16.0] vs. 8.0days [5.0-15.0], P=0.011). On the other hand, the in-hospital mortality was similar in the two groups (14.1% vs. 11.2%,P=0.162). @*Conclusion@#The DAT, LOS, and HP decreased after the process changes, but the in-hospital mortality did not worsen.This shows that pneumonia management in the ED was not compromised, but rather improved, after the changes.

Is it possible to reduce intra-hospital transport time for computed tomography evaluation in critically ill cases using the Easy Tube Arrange Device?

OBJECTIVE: Patients are often transported within the hospital, especially in cases of critical illness for which computed tomography (CT) is performed. Since increased transport time increases the risks of complications, reducing transport time is important for patient safety. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of our newly invented device, the Easy Tube Arrange Device (ETAD), to reduce transport time for CT evaluation in cases of critical illness. METHODS: This prospective randomized control study included 60 volunteers. Each participant arranged five or six intravenous fluid lines, monitoring lines (noninvasive blood pressure, electrocardiography, central venous pressure, arterial catheter), and therapeutic equipment (O2 supply device, Foley catheter) on a Resusci Anne mannequin. We measured transport time for the CT evaluation by using conventional and ETAD method. RESULTS: The median transport time for CT evaluation was 488.50 seconds (95% confidence interval [CI], 462.75 to 514.75) and, 503.50 seconds (95% CI, 489.50 to 526.75) with 5 and 6 fluid lines using the conventional method and 364.50 seconds (95% CI, 335.00 to 388.75), and 363.50 seconds (95% CI, 331.75 to 377.75) with ETAD (all P < 0.001). The time differences were 131.50 (95% CI, 89.25 to 174.50) and 148.00 (95% CI, 116.00 to 177.75) (all P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The transport time for CT evaluation was reduced using the ETAD, which would be expected to reduce the complications that may occur during transport in cases of critical illness.

Is it Adequate to Determine Acetaminophen Toxicity Solely on Patients' History? An Analysis on Clinical Manifestation of Intoxication Patients with Positive Serum Acetaminophen Concentrations

PURPOSE: Acute acetaminophen intoxication is a common occurrence that can cause lethal complications. In most domestic emergency departments, clinicians tend to treat acetaminophen intoxication based on patients' history alone, simply due to the lack of a rapid acetaminophen laboratory test. We performed a 20-month study of intoxication patients to determine the correlation between the history of patients and serum laboratory tests for acetaminophen. METHODS: We took blood samples from 280 intoxication patients to evaluate whether laboratory findings detected traces of acetaminophen in the sample. Patients were then treated according to their history. Laboratory results came out after patients'discharge. Agreement between patients' history and laboratory results were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 280 intoxicated patients enrolled, 38 patients had positive serum acetaminophen concentrations; 18 out of 38 patients did not represent a history suggesting acetaminophen intoxication. One patient without the history showed toxic serum acetaminophen concentration. Among the patients with the history, two patients with toxic serum acetaminophen concentration did not receive N-acetylcysteine (NAC) treatment due to their low reported doses, while other 2 patients without significant serum acetaminophen concentration did receive NAC treatment due to their high reported doses. CONCLUSION: This study showed a good overall agreement between history and laboratory test results. However, some cases showed inconsistencies between their history and laboratory test results. Therefore, in treating intoxication patients, a laboratory test of acetaminophen with rapid results should be available in most domestic emergency departments.

Is the Modified AIMS65 Score Suitable for Distinguishing the Low Risk Group and the High Risk Group for Patients with Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding?

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to increase the performance of the AIMS65 score in the prediction of outcomes in upper gastrointestinal bleeding by modifying the AIMS65 score. METHODS: Data were collected retrospectively between January 2015 and June 2015. A total of 212 adult patients, who visited the emergency department with an upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage during this period were included for analysis. High risk patients were defined as follows: those who needed an endoscopic or surgical hemostasis, suffered rebleeding, hospitalized in an intensive care unit, and those who were deceased within 30 days or required a blood transfusion. The seven parameters of the modified AIMS65 score were as follows: Albumin levels, international normalized ratio (prothrombin time), altered mental status, systolic blood pressure, age>65 years, hemoglobin levels, and heart rate. RESULTS: The high-risk group was comprised of 163 patients, while the low risk group was comprised of 49 patients. The areas under the curve for AIMS65 and modified AIMS65 scores were 0.727 (95% confidence interval, 0.662-0.786) and 0.847 (95% confidence interval, 0.791-0.892), respectively, which were significantly different (p<0.001). The AIMS65 score had a sensitivity of 53.0% and a specificity of 78.5% at a score of 0. The modified AIMS65 score had a sensitivity of 22.4% and a specificity of 99.3% at a score of 0. For the modified AIMS65 score of 3 or lower, the sensitivity was 97.9% with a specificity of 21.4%. CONCLUSION: The modified AIMS65 score was effective in distinguishing between the low-risk group and the high-risk group among patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Effect of Hospitalization Decision by Emergency Physicians on Patient's Emergency Department Length of Stay: Before and After Study using Historical Control

PURPOSE: This study analyzed the effects of the hospitalization decisions made by emergency physicians (EP) on the emergency department length of stay (ED-LOS). METHODS: From March 2016, the hospitalization decisions of six internal medicine departments were made by EP, which has been implemented gradually since 2015. Through a retrospective electronic record review, the ED-LOS between EP hospitalization decision departments (group A) and others (group B) was analyzed and the ED-LOS before and after the hospitalization decision method change was compared (2014 vs. 2016). RESULTS: Compared to 2014, in 2016, the ED-LOS in departments that hospitalization decision made by EP was reduced significantly (median with interquartile range; 478.0 minutes [319.0 to 900.5 minutes] vs. 259.0 minutes [177.0 to 384.0 minutes]; p < 0.001). In addition, the ED-LOS in Group A was reduced more than in Group B (219.0 minutes (45.8%) vs. 30.0 minutes (10.2%). CONCLUSION: ED-LOS can be reduced by the EP hospitalization decisions.

Reduction of intra-hospital transport time using the easy tube arrange device

OBJECTIVE: Critically ill patients sometimes require transport to another location. Longer intra-hospital transport time increases the risk of hemodynamic instability and associated complications. Therefore, reducing intra-hospital transport time is critical. Our objective was to evaluate whether or not a new device the easy tube arrange device (ETAD) has the potential to reduce intra-hospital transport time of critically ill patients. METHODS: We enrolled volunteers for this prospective randomized controlled study. Each participant arranged four, five, and six fluid tubings, monitoring lines, and therapeutic equipment on a cardiopulmonary resuscitation training mannequin (Resusci Anne). The time required to arrange the fluid tubings for intra-hospital transport using two different methods was evaluated. RESULTS: The median time to arrange four, five, and six fluid tubings was 86.00 (76.50 to 98.50), 96.00 (86.00 to 113.00), and 115.50 (93.00 to 130.75) seconds, respectively, using the conventional method and 60.50 (52.50 to 72.75), 69.00 (57.75 to 80.80), and 72.50 (64.75 to 90.50) seconds using the ETAD (all P<0.001). The total duration (for preparing the basic setting and organizing before and after the transport) was 280.00 (268.75 to 293.00), 315.50 (304.75 to 330.75), and 338.00 (319.50 to 360.25) seconds for four, five, and six fluid tubings, respectively, using the conventional method and 274.50 (261.75 to 289.25), 288.00 (271.75 to 298.25), and 301.00 (284.50 to 310.75) seconds, respectively, using the new method (P=0.024, P<0.001, and P<0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: The ETAD was convenient to use, reduced the time to arrange medical tubings, and is expected to assist medical staff during intra-hospital transport.

Direction of the J-Tip of the Guidewire to Decrease the Malposition Rate of an Internal Jugular Vein Catheter / 대한구급학회지

BACKGROUND: We hypothesized that the direction of the J-tip of the guidewire during insertion into the internal jugular vein (IJV) might determine its ultimate location. METHODS: In this study, 300 patients between the ages of 18 and 99 years who required central venous catheterization via IJV in the emergency department enrolled for randomization. IVJ catheterization was successful in 285 of 300 patients. An independent operator randomly prefixed the direction of the J-tip of the guidewire to one of three directions. Based on the direction of the J-tip, patients were allocated into three groups: the J-tip medial-directed group (Group A), the lateral-directed group (Group B), or the downward-directed group (Group C). Postoperative chest radiography was performed on all patients in order to visualize the location of the catheter tip. A catheter is considered malpositioned if it is not located in the superior vena cava or right atrium. RESULTS: Of the total malpositioned catheter tips (8 of 285; 2.8%), the majority (5 of 8; 62.5%) entered the contralateral subclavian vein, 2 (25.0%) were complicated by looping, and 1 (12.5%) entered the ipsilateral subclavian vein. According to the direction of the J-tip of the guidewire, the incidence of malpositioning of the catheter tip was 4 of 92 in Group A (4.3%), 4 of 96 in Group B (4.2%), and there were no malpositions in Group C. There were no significant differences among the three groups (p = 0.114). CONCLUSIONS: The direction of the J-tip of the guidewire had no statistically significant effect on incidence of malpositioned tips.

Video Recording Analysis of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Quality in a Wide Regional Emergency Medical Center

PURPOSE: Maintaining the quality of CPR is connected with improvement in survival rates, but CPR performance in the field does not always fulfill the guidelines. Therefore, many ways to obtain the quality of CPR have been studied and tried, including CPR education, manikin training, mechanical CPR, audio-visible feedback system, and video-recording system, et cetera. The aim of our study is to determine how CPR procedures are actually performed on the scene by real-time video recording. METHODS: Digital video of CPR cases was obtained from April 2014 to March 2015 in a wide regional emergency medical center. The video was analyzed by two physicians in the emergency department. We evaluated quality of major CPR variables including compression rate, hands-off time, chest compression fraction, ventilation rate, et cetera. RESULTS: A total of 52 cases were analyzed. Mean chest compression rate was 122.43+/-10.74/min, and mean ventilation rate was 7.47+/-2.58/min. Performance of adequate compression-to-ventilation ratio before insertion of advanced airway was 37%. Mean recognition to compression time was 31.31+/-27.32 seconds, and proportion of chest compression interruption time exceeding 10 seconds was 7.6%. Mean chest compression fraction was 91.12+/- 0.4%. In five out of 25 cases of defibrillation, chest compression was interrupted during charging, resulting in prolongation of chest compression interruption time. CONCLUSION: In this study, overall performance met the qualification of AHA guidelines. However, poor compliance was observed for some parameters. Continuous education and feedback are required in order to make an improvement in these areas.

Direction of the J-Tip of the Guidewire to Decrease the Malposition Rate of an Internal Jugular Vein Catheter / 대한중환자의학회지

BACKGROUND: We hypothesized that the direction of the J-tip of the guidewire during insertion into the internal jugular vein (IJV) might determine its ultimate location. METHODS: In this study, 300 patients between the ages of 18 and 99 years who required central venous catheterization via IJV in the emergency department enrolled for randomization. IVJ catheterization was successful in 285 of 300 patients. An independent operator randomly prefixed the direction of the J-tip of the guidewire to one of three directions. Based on the direction of the J-tip, patients were allocated into three groups: the J-tip medial-directed group (Group A), the lateral-directed group (Group B), or the downward-directed group (Group C). Postoperative chest radiography was performed on all patients in order to visualize the location of the catheter tip. A catheter is considered malpositioned if it is not located in the superior vena cava or right atrium. RESULTS: Of the total malpositioned catheter tips (8 of 285; 2.8%), the majority (5 of 8; 62.5%) entered the contralateral subclavian vein, 2 (25.0%) were complicated by looping, and 1 (12.5%) entered the ipsilateral subclavian vein. According to the direction of the J-tip of the guidewire, the incidence of malpositioning of the catheter tip was 4 of 92 in Group A (4.3%), 4 of 96 in Group B (4.2%), and there were no malpositions in Group C. There were no significant differences among the three groups (p = 0.114). CONCLUSIONS: The direction of the J-tip of the guidewire had no statistically significant effect on incidence of malpositioned tips.

Comparison of Tidal Volume with Conventional Resuscitator and Newly-designed Resuscitator during Chest Compression

PURPOSE: A conventional resuscitator is used as first-line equipment during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). However, resuscitation providers have difficulty in achieving adequate tidal volume during ventilation by conventional resuscitator (CR). This study was conducted to evaluate the usefulness of the newly-designed resuscitator (NR) during chest compression. METHODS: Fifty nine individuals participated in this study. NR was produced by insertion of a silicon implant in the CR. The NR was set at a tidal volume of 500 mL. Subjects completed four procedures: CR without compression, NR without compression, CR with compression, and NR with compression. Individual characteristics were obtained and the results were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: The mean volumes for the CR without compression were 482.03 mL, NR without compression 513.71 mL, CR with compression 461.93 mL, and NR with compression 496.12 mL. When the two types of resuscitators were used during chest compression, success rate of CR of 64.4% was observed, and success rate of NR was 94.9% (p<0.01). The physical aspects including hand size, volume, and grip power showed no correlation with the volume that we delivered. CONCLUSION: The NR can approximate the exact tidal volume and may be useful in preventing possible complications from inappropriately delivered tidal volumes.

ACLS Ventilation Skills-Education Effect of Compression Adjusted Ventilation: A Manikin Study

PURPOSE: Previous study demonstrated that compression adjusted ventilation (CAV) is helpful in maintaining an adequate ventilation rate during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). We conducted this study in order to verify that CAV is also a useful educational method for maintenance of an adequate ventilation rate. METHODS: Volunteers who received education on CPR guidelines were randomly assigned to two groups. In the conventional ventilation (CV) group, participants performed ventilation in accordance with conventional guidelines. In the CAV group, the ventilation rate was adjusted in line with the compression rate (one ventilation per 12 chest compressions). Then, participants performed CPR using a cardiac arrest model with an advanced airway. They performed chest compression and ventilation. All participants performed CPR immediately after their instruction (test 1) and performed it again after four weeks (test 2). RESULTS: Data were collected from 60 participants. In the CAV group, proportion of adequacy of ventilation rates was higher compared with the CV group in both test 1 (CV: 18.8% vs. CAV: 57.1%, p=0.001) and test 2 (CV: 25.0% vs. CAV: 71.4%, p<0.001). In addition, no significant difference was observed between the compression rates of the two groups in test 1. However, in test 2, a significant decline was observed in the CV group (p=0.003). CONCLUSION: CAV is a more useful educational method for maintenance of an adequate ventilation rate.

Could One-Hand Compression for a Small Child Cause Intra-abdominal Injuries?

PURPOSE: We examined the question of whether one-hand chest compression for a small child could compress intraabdominal organs. METHODS: We retrospectively examined medical charts and multidirectional computed tomography (MDCT) images obtained from children aged 1 to 18 years who presented to the hospital from March 2002 to March 2012. We measured the length of the sternum (Stotal) and the length of the lower half of the sternum (Stotal/2~X). We also measured the distance from the diaphragm to the midpoint of the sternum (Stotal/2~D) and half the width of an adult hand (Wtotal/2). Finally, we counted the number of instances at each age in which Stotal/2~X and Stotal/2~D were less than Wtotal/2. RESULTS: This study included records and MDCT images for 301 children with a mean age of 12.05+/-5.59 years. We also enrolled 47 adult rescuers (25 men, 53.2%) with a mean age of 23.20+/-2.13 years. The mean Wtotal/2 was 4.62+/-0.46 cm. All 1-year-old children had Stotal/2~X and Stotal/2~D less than Wtotal/2. Among children aged 2 years, six (60.0%) had Stotal/2~X and Stotal/2~D less than Wtotal/2. Among children aged 3 years, four (26.7%) had Stotal/2~X and Stotal/2~D less than Wtotal/2, and among those aged 4 years, two (13.3%) had Stotal/2~X and Stotal/2~D less than Wtotal/2. However, Stotal/2~X and Stotal/2~D were greater than Wtotal/2 in children aged 5 years or more. CONCLUSION: Our measurements indicate that one-hand chest compression for a small child could cause intraabdominal organ injury.

Bedside Ultrasound for the Diagnosis of Bowel Necrosis in a Patient with an Altered Mental Status

Bowel necrosis generally requires an immediate operation and causes a high mortality rate. Unfortunately, in patients with altered consciousness, diagnosis can be very difficult. In our case, a 45-year-old male, with an altered mentality due to brain injury (from head trauma) and alcohol intoxication, was brought into our emergency department. Due to his altered state, he had no initial complaints about any other symptoms besides a headache. After a physical examination, no other signs were observed, except for swelling on the head. However, a worsening of wide anion gap metabolic acidosis was observed upon laboratory examination. A bedside ultrasound was performed to evaluate the reason for this metabolic acidosis, and pneumatosis intestinalis and hepatic portal venous gas was observed. Eventually bowel necrosis was diagnosed, an emergency operation was executed, and the patient recovered.

Comparison of Compression Adjusted Ventilation to Conventional Ventilation: For Adequate Ventilation Rate During Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

PURPOSE: The objective of this study is to determine whether application of ventilation in line with compression rate in performance of CPR for cardiac arrest patients was helpful in maintaining an adequate ventilation rate. METHODS: Volunteers who received education on the revised 2010 CPR guidelines were randomly assigned to either a conventional ventilation (CV) group or a compression-adjusted ventilation (CAV) group. During performance of CPR, compression rate and ventilation rate were measured every minute, and the participants' roles were changed every two minutes; CPR was performed for a total of eight minutes. RESULTS: A total of 57 volunteers participated in this study. No statistically significant difference was observed between the compression rate of the CV group and that of the CAV group. However, regarding adequacy of the ventilation rate, greater improvement was observed in the CAV group, compared with the CV group (adequate ventilation: 86.2% vs. 46.4%, p<0.001). In addition, the median value of the ventilation rate was 8.4/min (IQR: 7.7-9.6) in the CV group and 9.5/min (IQR: 9.0-10.0) in the CAV group (p=0.003). CONCLUSION: When no other valid approach is available, use of the CAV method is conducive to maintenance of an adequate ventilation rate.

Research of the Health Care Provider's Cognition Regarding DNAR (Do-not-Attempt-Resuscitate) in the Emergency Department

PURPOSE: Arguments are continuously raised with regard to life support therapy performed on dying patients who cannot be recovered through treatment. Therefore, this study surveyed doctors and nurses working in emergency departments in order to investigate their awareness on DNAR (Do-Not-Attempt-Resuscitate) and the changes in patient management provided after DNAR. METHODS: We conducted a survey of health care provider's cognition regarding DNAR in six emergency departments. RESULTS: A total of 54 doctors and 148 nurses participated in the survey; 75.7% of participants indicated that patient management was changed after DNAR. No difference in answers with regard to what should be maintained after DNAR was observed between doctors and nurses. However, in answers for what is maintained in practice, differences were observed for the following items: 'vital sign check' (87% vs. 97.3%, p=0.004), 'input/output control' (75.9% vs. 91.2%, p=0.004), 'vasopressor' (33.3% vs. 57.4%, p=0.002), and 'antibiotics or blood products' (53.7% vs. 74.3%, p=0.005). CONCLUSION: Both doctors and nurses thought that patient management was changed after DNAR. However, differences in some opinions were observed between the two groups. In order to overcome such differences, it is important for health care providers to carry out more discussions in relation to DNAR and to develop appropriate guidelines for Korean society.

The Safety of Bolus Infusion Through Intraosseous Access Using the EZ-IO in Terms of Extraosseous Flow

PURPOSE: We evaluated the safety of bolus infusion through intraosseous access using the EZ-IO in adults in terms of extraosseous flow. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study of adults (over age 18) in whom intraosseous access through the tibia was performed by emergency physicians or residents from June 2010 to June 2011. We used ultrasonography to confirm extraosseous flow during infusion of 80 mL normal saline with a 4 mL/s flow rate through intraosseous access, immediately after confirmation of intraosseous needle insertion using conventional methods. Finally, we recorded any complications that occurred immediately in the area of intraosseous access. RESULTS: Of 30 patients enrolled in the study, 22(73.3%) were male and eight (26.7%) were female. The mean age of study participants was 62.78+/-15.68 years; mean cortical thickness of participants' tibias was 0.27+/-0.03 cm. The mean time required for performance of the intraosseous access procedure was 16.00+/-4.65 s; success rate on the first attempt, 100.0%. No immediate complications, including swelling or extraosseous flow at the area of intraosseous access, were observed. CONCLUSION: In this study, bolus infusion though intraosseous access using the EZ-IO in adults in emergency departments was a safe option in terms of extraosseous flow.

Validity of Corrected Flow Time (FTc) as a Predictor of Fluid Responsiveness in Patients with Sepsis-induced Hypotension

PURPOSE: To determine the validity of corrected flow time (FTc) as a predictor of fluid responsiveness for patients with sepsis-induced hypotension in the emergency department. METHODS: A total of 26 adult patients, who presented in the emergency department with sepsis-induced hypotension with spontaneous breathing, were enrolled in this prospective, interventional study. These patients were monitored by Esophageal Doppler (ED); FTc, central venous pressure (CVP), stroke volume index (SVI), and inferior vena cava diameter (IVCD) were measured before and after fluid challenge. Responsiveness to fluid challenge was defined as an SVI increase> or =10%. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed and compared to evaluate the overall performance of preload indices (CVP, FTc, IVCD) in terms of predicting fluid responsiveness. RESULTS: Of the hemodynamic parameters initially measured, there were statistically significant differences in FTc and CVP between the responsive and unresponsive groups. Before and after fluid challenge, noticeable changes were observed in mean arterial pressure (MAP), CVP and IVCD between the two groups. Only the responsive group demonstrated statistical difference in FTc. The areas under the curves for FTc (0.870; 95% CIs, 0.708-0.979; p=.009) were significantly greater than those for CVP and IVCD. CONCLUSION: The corrected flow time (FTc) method may be a good predictor of fluid responsiveness relative to sepsis-induced hypotension for patients in the emergency department.

Validity of Corrected Flow Time (FTc) as a Predictor of Fluid Responsiveness in Patients with Sepsis-induced Hypotension

PURPOSE: To determine the validity of corrected flow time (FTc) as a predictor of fluid responsiveness for patients with sepsis-induced hypotension in the emergency department. METHODS: A total of 26 adult patients, who presented in the emergency department with sepsis-induced hypotension with spontaneous breathing, were enrolled in this prospective, interventional study. These patients were monitored by Esophageal Doppler (ED); FTc, central venous pressure (CVP), stroke volume index (SVI), and inferior vena cava diameter (IVCD) were measured before and after fluid challenge. Responsiveness to fluid challenge was defined as an SVI increase> or =10%. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed and compared to evaluate the overall performance of preload indices (CVP, FTc, IVCD) in terms of predicting fluid responsiveness. RESULTS: Of the hemodynamic parameters initially measured, there were statistically significant differences in FTc and CVP between the responsive and unresponsive groups. Before and after fluid challenge, noticeable changes were observed in mean arterial pressure (MAP), CVP and IVCD between the two groups. Only the responsive group demonstrated statistical difference in FTc. The areas under the curves for FTc (0.870; 95% CIs, 0.708-0.979; p=.009) were significantly greater than those for CVP and IVCD. CONCLUSION: The corrected flow time (FTc) method may be a good predictor of fluid responsiveness relative to sepsis-induced hypotension for patients in the emergency department.