Cardiopulmonary resuscitation in an average brazilian intensive care unit: should we perform less or better?

Abstract Introduction: Few data can be found about cardiac arrest in the intensive care unit outside reference centers in third world countries. Objective: To study epidemiology and prognostic factors associated with cardiac arrest in the intensive care unit (ICU) in an average Brazilian center. Methods: Between June 2011 and July 2014, 302 cases of cardiac arrest in the intensive care unit were prospectively evaluated in 273 patients (age: 68.9 ± 15 years) admitted in three mixed units. Data regarding cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation were collected in an "Utstein style" form and epidemiologic data was prospectively obtained. Factors associated with do not resuscitate orders, return of spontaneous circulation and survival were studied using binary logistic regression. Statistical package software used was SPSS 19.0 (IBM Inc., USA). Results: Among 302 cardiac arrests, 230 (76.3%) had their initial rhythm recorded and 141 (61.3%) was in asystole, 62 (27%) in pulseless electric activity (PEA) and 27 had a shockable rhythm (11.7%). In 109 (36.1%) cases, cardiac arrest had a suspected reversible cause. Most frequent suspected cardiac arrest causes were hypotension (n=98; 32.5%), multiple (19.2%) and hypoxemia (17.5%). Sixty (19.9%) cardiac arrests had do not resuscitate orders. Prior left ventricle dysfunction was the only predictor of do not resuscitate order (OR: 3.1 [CI=1.03-9.4]; P=0.04). Among patients that received cardiopulmonary resuscitation, 59 (24.4%) achieved return of spontaneous circulation and 12 survived to discharge (5.6%). Initial shockable rhythm was the only return of spontaneous circulation predictor (OR: 24.9 (2.4-257); P=0.007) and survival (OR: 4.6 (1.4-15); P=0.01). Conclusion: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation rate was high considering ICU patients, so was mortality. Prior left ventricular dysfunction was a predictor of do not resuscitate order. Initial shockable rhythm was a predictor of return of spontaneous circulation and survival.

Cohort study on the factors associated with survival post-cardiac arrest / Estudo de coorte dos fatores associados à sobrevivência pós-parada cardiorrespiratória

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Cardiac arrest is a common occurrence, and even with efficient emergency treatment, it is associated with a poor prognosis. Identification of predictors of survival after cardiopulmonary resuscitation may provide important information for the healthcare team and family. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with the survival of patients treated for cardiac arrest, after a one-year follow-up period. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective cohort study conducted in the emergency department of a Brazilian university hospital. METHODS: The inclusion criterion was that the patients presented cardiac arrest that was treated in the emergency department (n = 285). Data were collected using the In-hospital Utstein Style template. Cox regression was used to determine which variables were associated with the survival rate (with 95% significance level). RESULTS: After one year, the survival rate was low. Among the patients treated, 39.6% experienced a return of spontaneous circulation; 18.6% survived for 24 hours and of these, 5.6% were discharged and 4.5% were alive after one year of follow-up. Patients with pulseless electrical activity were half as likely to survive as patients with ventricular fibrillation. For patients with asystole, the survival rate was 3.5 times lower than that of patients with pulseless electrical activity. CONCLUSIONS: The initial cardiac rhythm was the best predictor of patient survival. Compared with ventricular fibrillation, pulseless electrical activity was associated with shorter survival times. In turn, compared with pulseless electrical activity, asystole was associated with an even lower survival rate.

CONTEXTO E OBJETIVO: A parada cardiorrespiratória é comum e, mesmo com tratamentos de emergência eficientes, associa-se a prognósticos ruins. A identificação de fatores preditores de sobrevivência após ressuscitação cardiopulmonar pode fornecer informações importantes para equipe de saúde e familiares. O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar fatores associados à sobrevivência, após um ano de seguimento, de pacientes atendidos em parada cardiorrespiratória. DESENHO E LOCAL: Estudo de coorte prospectivo realizado no serviço de emergência de um hospital universitário. MÉTODOS: O critério de inclusão foi o atendimento de paciente em parada cardiorrespiratória no serviço de emergência (n = 285). Os dados foram coletados por meio do modelo In-hospital Utstein Style. Para verificar quais variáveis associaram-se à sobrevida, utilizou-se regressão de Cox (nível de significância 95%). RESULTADOS: Após um ano, a sobrevida foi baixa. Dos pacientes atendidos, 39,6% tiveram retorno da circulação espontânea, 18,6% sobreviveram até as primeiras 24 horas, sendo que, destes, 5,6% obtiveram alta hospitalar e 4,5% permaneceram vivos após um ano de seguimento. Pacientes com atividade elétrica sem pulso apresentaram duas vezes menos chances de sobreviver que aqueles com fibrilação ventricular. Nos pacientes com assistolia, as taxas de sobrevida foram 3,5 menores quando comparados aos com atividade elétrica sem pulso. CONCLUSÕES: O ritmo cardíaco inicial foi o fator preditor que melhor explicou a sobrevida. O ritmo de atividade elétrica sem pulso associou-se a menor sobrevida quando comparado a fibrilação ventricular, enquanto o ritmo de assistolia relacionou-se a ainda menor sobrevivência em relação à atividade elétrica sem pulso.

Sobrevivência a parada cardiorrespiratória intra-hospitalar: revisão integrativa da literatura / Survival of in-hospital cardiorrespiratory arrest: integrative review of the literature

Muitas são as vidas perdidas por Parada Cardiorrespiratória (PCR) em ambiente intra-hospitalar, porém existem poucos estudos a respeito. O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar as evidências disponíveis na literatura sobre a sobrevivência a PCR intra-hospitalar. Revisão integrativa da literatura realizada a partir da questão norteadora: quais são as evidências científicas disponíveis na literatura relacionadas à sobrevivência a PCR intra-hospitalar? A partir dos descritores "Parada Cardíaca", "Ressuscitação cardiopulmonar" e "Sobrevivência". Os estudos selecionados foram sistematizados nas categorias: análise das taxas de sobrevivência; fatores relacionados com a sobrevivência e taxas de sobrevivência. Diante dos resultados observou-se poucas publicações sobre o tema, taxas variáveis de sobrevivência, estudos com delineamentos divergentes e ausência de estudos nacionais, destacando-se o uso de registros Utstein Style nas pesquisas. Pode-se concluir que a divulgação de diretrizes tem contribuído com melhoria da sobrevivência mundialmente, no cenário brasileiro ainda é preciso ampliar os registros sobre sua prática e resultados.

Many lives are lost by Cardiorrespiratory Arrest (CA) in-hospital, but there are few studies about it. The objective of this study was to identify the available evidence in the literature about in-hospital CA survival. An integrative review of the literature conducted from the guiding question: what is the scientific evidence available in the literature related to survival of in-hospital CA? From the descriptors "Cardiac Arrest", "Cardiopulmonary ressuscitation" and "Survival". Selected studies were systematized in the categories: survival rate analysis; factors related to survival and survival rates. As a result, we observed few publications about the theme, varying survival rates, studies with divergent designs and absence of national studies, highlighting the use of Utstein Style registries in the studies. We concluded that guidelines advertisement have been contributing to global survival improvements, and in the Brazilian setting, there is a need to broaden registries about their practices and results.

Epidemiology and Outcomes in Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Report from the NEDIS-Based Cardiac Arrest Registry in Korea

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a significant issue affecting national health policies. The National Emergency Department Information System for Cardiac Arrest (NEDIS-CA) consortium managed a prospective registry of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) at the emergency department (ED) level. We analyzed the NEDIS-CA data from 29 participating hospitals from January 2008 to July 2009. The primary outcomes were incidence of OHCA and final survival outcomes at discharge. Factors influencing survival outcomes were assessed as secondary outcomes. The implementation of advanced emergency management (drugs, endotracheal intubation) and post-cardiac arrest care (therapeutic hypothermia, coronary intervention) was also investigated. A total of 4,156 resuscitation-attempted OHCAs were included, of which 401 (9.6%) patients survived to discharge and 79 (1.9%) were discharged with good neurologic outcomes. During the study period, there were 1,662,470 ED visits in participant hospitals; therefore, the estimated number of resuscitation-attempted CAs was 1 per 400 ED visits (0.25%). Factors improving survival outcomes included younger age, witnessed collapse, onset in a public place, a shockable rhythm in the pre-hospital setting, and applied advanced resuscitation care. We found that active advanced multidisciplinary resuscitation efforts influenced improvement in the survival rate. Resuscitation by public witnesses improved the short-term outcomes (return of spontaneous circulation, survival admission) but did not increase the survival to discharge rate. Strategies are required to reinforce the chain of survival and high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation in Korea.

The Scene Time Interval and Basic Life Support Termination of Resuscitation Rule in Adult Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

We validated the basic life support termination of resuscitation (BLS TOR) rule retrospectively using Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) data of metropolitan emergency medical service (EMS) in Korea. We also tested it by investigating the scene time interval for supplementing the BLS TOR rule. OHCA database of Seoul (January 2011 to December 2012) was used, which is composed of ambulance data and hospital medical record review. EMS-treated OHCA and 19 yr or older victims were enrolled, after excluding cases occurred in the ambulance and with incomplete information. The primary and secondary outcomes were hospital mortality and poor neurologic outcome. After calculating the sensitivity (SS), specificity (SP), and the positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV), tested the rule according to the scene time interval group for sensitivity analysis. Of total 4,835 analyzed patients, 3,361 (69.5%) cases met all 3 criteria of the BLS TOR rule. Of these, 3,224 (95.9%) were dead at discharge (SS,73.5%; SP,69.6%; PPV,95.9%; NPV, 21.3%) and 3,342 (99.4%) showed poor neurologic outcome at discharge (SS, 75.2%; SP, 89.9%; PPV, 99.4%; NPV, 11.5%). The cut-off scene time intervals for 100% SS and PPV were more than 20 min for survival to discharge and more than 14 min for good neurological recovery. The BLS TOR rule showed relatively lower SS and PPV in OHCA data in Seoul, Korea.

Epidemiological and Survival Trends of Pediatric Cardiac Arrests in Emergency Departments in Korea: A Cross-sectional, Nationwide Report

Cardiac arrest (CA) in children is associated with high mortality rates. In Korea, cohort studies regarding the outcomes of pediatric CAs are lacking, especially in emergency departments (EDs) or in-hospital settings. This study was conducted to examine the trends in epidemiology and survival outcomes in children with resuscitation-attempted CAs using data from a cross-sectional, national, ED-based clinical registry. We extracted cases in which cardiopulmonary resuscitation and/or manual defibrillation were performed according to treatment codes using the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS) from 2008 to 2012. The total number of ED visits registered in the NEDIS during the 5-yr evaluation period was 20,424,530; among these, there were 2,970 resuscitation-attempted CAs in children. The annual rates of pediatric CAs per 1,000 ED visits showed an upward trend from 2.81 in 2009 to 3.62 in 2012 (P for trend = 0.045). The median number of estimated pediatric CAs at each ED was 7.8 (25th to 75th percentile, 4 to 13) per year. The overall rates for admission survival and discharge survival were 35.2% and 12.8%, respectively. The survival outcome of adults increased substantially over the past 5 yr (11.8% in 2008, 11.7% in 2010, and 13.6% in 2012; P for trend = 0.001); however, the results for children did not improve (13.6% in 2008, 11.4% in 2010, and 13.7% in 2012; P for trend = 0.870). Conclusively, we found that the overall incidence of pediatric CAs in EDs increased substantially over the past 5 yr, but without significantly higher survival outcomes.

Aplicación de la escala de riesgo de mortalidad pediátrica (PRISM): en una unidad de terapia intensiva pediátrica venezolana / Application of the pediatric risk of mortality (PRISM): in a venezuelan pediatric intensive care unit

El PRISM es una escala de predicción del riesgo de mortalidad pediátrica, basada en la inestabilidad fisiológica, la cual refleja directamente el riesgo de mortalidad. Determinar si esta escala es un buen predictor de mortalidad en los pacientes ingresados en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Pediátricos del Hospital Dr. Miguel Pérez Carreño. En el período de un año fueron recogidas las variables fisiológicas al ingreso. Se aplicó el PRISM, obteniéndose el puntaje y el porcentaje de riesgo de mortalidad. Se utilizó estadística básica descriptiva, la prueba de diferencia de medias t de Student y la de contraste chi cuadrado. Fueron ingresados 119 pacientes de ambos sexos con edades compredidas entre 1 y 144 meses. La mortalidad observada fue de 18.5 por ciento. La media del PRISM fue de 14.92. Se encontró asociación entre la mortalidad observada y la esperada. El PRISM es una buena escala de predicción de mortalidad en nuestra población pediátrica.

PRISM is a pediatric mortality risk prediction scale based on the fact that physiologic instability directly reflects the risk of mortality. We used PRISM in all the patients admitted to our pediatric intensive care unit in order to determine if this scale is applicable to our pediatric population. All physiologic parameters were recorded on admission for a period of one year. PRISM was used to determine the number of points in the scale as well as the mortality risk percentage. Basic descriptive statistics was used to calculate the means, t Student and chi square. 119 patients with ages between 1 and 144 months and of both genders were admitted. Observed mortality was 18,5%. PRISM mean was 14,92. There was a association between the observed and predicted mortality. PRISM is a good mortality risk prediction scale in our pediatric population.

Coma anóxico-isquémico en 46 pacientes: Evolución a treinta días y su relación con los reflejos de tronco / The absence of brainstem reflexes does not predict short term mortality in anoxic ischemic coma

Background: Anoxic-ischemic coma has a poor outcome with a high rate of mortality and morbidity. Therefore, clinical predictors of prognosis are needed for therapeutic decision-making. Patients and methods: Prospective analysis of 46 patients, 31 male, age range 19-85 years, with anoxic-ischemic coma following cardiac arrest. All the patients included in our study remained comatose with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of six or less points, after their stabilization in the Intensive Care Unit. They were evaluated clinically using the pupillary light reflex, corneal reflex and vestibulo-ocular reflex testing, induced by caloric stimulation with cold water. Survival was evaluated using life tables. All patients were followed until the thirtieth day after the anoxic-ischemic event. Results: Thirty five patients (76%) died within the next twenty-nine days, 8 patients (18%) reached the vegetative state, 2 patients (4%) achieved a recovery with disability, and only 1 patient (2%) was discharged without sequelae. One day, five and 30 days survival rates were 89, 53 and 29%, respectively. The abolition of all brainstem reflexes was not a predictor of mortality. Conclusion: Thirty day survival in this group of patients was 29% and the absence of brainstem reflexes was not a predictor of mortality.

Fatores prognósticos de sobrevida pós-reanimação cardiorrespiratória cerebral em hospital geral / In-hospital post-cardiopulmonary-cerebral resuscitation survival prognostic factors

OBJETIVO: Analisar as características clínicas e demográficas dos pacientes que receberam reanimação cardiorrespiratória e detectar fatores prognósticos de sobrevivência a curto e longo prazo. MÉTODOS: Analisamos, prospectivamente, 452 pacientes que receberam reanimação em hospitais gerais de Salvador. Utilizou-se análise uni, bivariada e estratificada nas associações entre as variáveis e a curva de sobrevida de Kaplan-Meier e a regressão de Cox para análise de nove anos de evolução. RESULTADOS: A idade variou de 14 a 93 anos, media de 54,11 anos; predominou o sexo masculino; metade dos pacientes tinha ao menos uma doença de base, enfermidade cardiovascular foi etiologia responsável em metade dos casos. Parada cardíaca foi testemunhada em 77 por cento dos casos e em apenas 69 por cento dos pacientes foi iniciada imediatamente a reanimação. O ritmo cardíaco inicial não foi diagnosticado em 59 por cento dos pacientes. Assistolia foi o ritmo mais freqüente (42 por cento), seguida de arritmia ventricular (35 por cento). A sobrevida imediata foi de 24 por cento e sobrevida à alta hospitalar de 5 por cento. Foram identificados como fatores prognósticos em curto prazo: etiologia da parada; diagnóstico do ritmo cardíaco inicial; fibrilação ou taquicardia ventricular como mecanismo de parada; tempo estimado préreanimação menor ou igual a 5 minutos e, tempo de reanimação menor ou igual a 15 minutos. Os fatores prognósticos de sobrevivência em nove anos de evolução foram: não ter recebido epinefrina; ser reanimado em hospital privado e tempo de reanimação menor ou igual a 15 minutos. CONCLUSÃO: Os dados observados podem servir de subsídios para os profissionais de saúde decidir quando iniciar ou parar uma reanimação no ambiente hospitalar.

Fatores prognósticos dos resultados de ressuscitaçäo cardiopulmonar em um hospital de cardiologia / Prognostic factors of the results of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a cardiology hospital

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the early and late results of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a cardiology hospital and to try to detect prognostic determinants of both short- and long-term survival. METHODS: A series of 557 patients who suffered cardiorespiratory arrest (CRA) at the Dante Pazzanese Cardiology Institute over a period of 5 years was analyzed to examine factors predicting successful resuscitation and long-term survival. RESULTS: Ressuscitation maneuvers were tried in 536 patients; 281 patients (52.4 percent) died immediately, and 164 patients (30.6 percent) survived for than 24 hours. The 87 patients who survived for more than 1 month after CRA were compared with nonsurvivors. Coronary disease, cardiomyopathy, and valvular disease had a better prognosis. Primary arrhythmia occurred in 73.5 percent of the >1-month survivor group and heart failure occurred in 12.6 percent of this group. In those patients in whom the initial mechanism of CRA was ventricular fibrillation, 33.3 percent survived for more than 1 month, but of those with ventricular asystole only 4.3 percent survived. None of the 10 patients with electromechanical dissociation survived. There was worse prognosis in patients included in the extreme age groups (zero to 10 years and 70 years or more). The best results occurred when the cardiac arrest took place in the catheterization laboratories. The worst results occurred in the intensive care unit and the hemodialysis room. CONCLUSION: The results in our series may serve as a helpful guide to physicians with the difficult task of deciding when not to resuscitate or when to stop resuscitation efforts

Survival after cardiopulmonary resuscitation in an urban Indian hospital.

BACKGROUND: Survival after cardiopulmonary resuscitation depends upon the quality of pre-hospital support, availability of resuscitation equipment and the competence of the resuscitator. There are few data on the prognosis of patients undergoing such resuscitation in India. METHODS: In a retrospective analysis of 215 resuscitations done in a 125-bed community hospital between January 1995 and November 1997, return of spontaneous circulation and survival to discharge were evaluated. Multivariate methods were used to identify the predictors of successful outcome. RESULTS: Of all the patients, 14.4% were alive at discharge. Survival after a cardiorespiratory arrest in the hospital was 18.4%, which was significantly better than survival after pre-hospital events (5.9%; p = 0.027). Multivariate predictors of survival at discharge were resuscitation duration of less than 20 minutes [odds ratio (95% confidence limit): 32.6 (6.5-164.3)], presentation with ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation [odds ratio: 18.5 (4.4-77.9)], in-hospital cardiorespiratory arrest [odds ratio: 5.2 (1.2-21.6)] and female sex [odds ratio: 3.2 (1.1-9.6)]. Bystander resuscitation, though rarely provided, increased survival at discharge (p = 0.026). CONCLUSIONS: With 5.5 resuscitation attempts needed for one live discharge after in-hospital cardiorespiratory arrest and 17 attempts to save a life after pre-hospital events, our outcomes are comparable to those reported from developed nations. A return of pulse after shorter durations of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia as the abnormal presenting rhythm, in-hospital location of cardiorespiratory (CR) arrest and female sex were independent predictors of live discharge. Age and aetiology of CR arrest did not influence the outcome.

Resucitación cardiopulmonar en pacientes hospitalizados / Cardiopulmonary resuscitation in hospitalized patients

Antecedentes: La introducción de la reanimación cardiopulmonar (RCP) en pacientes ambulatorios ha demostrado ser de utilidad, mientras que en pacientes hospitalizados los resultados han sido poco satisfactorios. El objetivo de nuestro trabajo fue identificar variables pronósticas que puedan afectar los resultados inmediato y final de la RCP para hacer un uso más racional de éste procedimiento. Materiales y métodos: Fueron estudiados prospectivamente todos los pacientes internados que tuvieron paro cardio-respiratorio (PCR) y recibieron RCP en un hospital de la comunidad y se analizaron 9 variables que pudieran influir en los resultados. Se hizo el análisis estadístico con el test de Chi-Cuadrado. Resultados: Se analizaron 127 casos de PCR, 54 (43 por ciento) fueron resucitados exitosamente; 20 (16 por ciento) sobrevivieron el alta de la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos (UCI) y 14 (11 por ciento) permanecieron vivos a los 3 meses del PCR, sólo 12 (9 por ciento) fueron dados de alta del Hospital. Los factores pronósticos favorables que se identificaron fueon los siguientes: la localización del PCR, la corta duración de la RCP, un ritmo inicial diferente de la asistolia, la ausencia de falla orgánica previa y un tiempo breve de internación pre-RCP. Conclusiones: Nuestro trabajo confirma que el resultado de la RCP en pacientes hospitalizados es pobre. La identificación de los factores pronósticos permiten un uso más racional de la RCP. El mayor número de éxitos de este procedimiento fue obtenido fuera del área de cuidado crítico, con lo que se reafirma la necesidad de contar con un equipo entrenado en esta técnica que pueda operar las 24 horas en todas las áreas del hospital

Delta-PCO2: um indicador precoce de sobrevida após ressuscitaçäo cardiopulmonar de animais submetidos à parada cardíaca por asfixia / Delta-PCO2: an early indicator of survival after cardiopulmonary resuscitation of animals submitted to heart arrest by asphyxia

Manobras de ressuscitaçao cardiopulmonar (RCP) freqüentemente sao prolongadas por períodos variáveis de tempo, geralmente baseadas em dados clínicos empíricos. O presente trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de determinar um parâmetro objetivo preditivo de sobrevida na reanimaçao cardiorrespiratória. Quarenta e oito caes mestiços foram submetidos a asfixia pelo clampeamento do tubo endotraqueal e ressuscitados por compressao torácica externa e ventilaçào mecânica com ar atmosférico. Amostras de sangue venoso misto e de sangue arterial foram colhidos para gasometria um, cinco, dez, quinze e vinte minutos após o início das manobras de ressuscitaçao. Dezessete animais (GRUPO I) recuperaram a circulaçao espontânea (CE) e se mantiveram vivos até 40 minutos após início da RCP. Vinte e um animais (Grupo II) nao recuperaram a CE e morreram. Os outros dez animais foram excluídos porque havia dados faltantes ou porque a CE foi transitória. Com a RCP o Grupo I apresentou progressivo aumento de PCO2 arterial (PaCO2) e uma reduçao na PCO2 venosa (PvCO2). O Grupo II monstrou uma reduçao precoce na PaCO2 e um aumento simultâneo de PvCO2. O gradiente veno-arterial de PCO2 (delta-PCO2) foi significativamente diferente já a partir dos cinco minutos de RCP. Durante a RCP, o débito cardíaco pelas manobras é insuficiente para se ajustar à ventilaçao alveolar simultaneamente produzida, resultando em alcalose respiratória arterial e estagnaçao de CO2 com acidose respiratória no sangue venoso e nos tecidos. O gradiente veno-arterial de PCO2 como parâmetro único é o mais sensível e precoce índice prognóstico de sobrevida após RCP na asfixia experimental. A despeito de diferenças entre espécies, o delta-PCO2 pode ser considerado como uma variável precoce indicadora de sobrevida ou de morte na ressuscitaçao cardiopulmonar.