Cardiac arrest in adult intensive care units in the Medellin metropolitan area, Colombia: observational study / Paro cardiaco en las unidades de cuidado intensivo de adultos del área metropolitana de Medellín, Colombia. Estudio observacional

Abstract Introduction: In-hospital cardiac arrest (CA) is a rare but life-threatening event. However, the epidemiology of this event in intensive care units (ICU) is not clear. Objective: To determine the clinical characteristics of CA in adult patients hospitalized in several ICU of the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley, Colombia, over a period of 1 year. Methods: Observational study for a limited period of 1 year for adult patients with CA in the ICU of the hospitals of the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley, Colombia: San Vicente Foundation University Hospital, IPS University, and Manuel Uribe Ángel Hospital. Results: Of 3710 eligible patients who were treated in 91 beds, 646 CA events occurred during this period, of which 151 were candidates for resuscitation maneuvers. The overall incidence of CA in the ICU was 17.1%, without differences between the 3 hospitals included and the incidence of resuscitable CA was 39.9 cases per 1000 admissions to the ICU. The most common CA rhythm was asystole 54.3% and the overall survival at hospital discharge was 3.3%. Conclusion: In the analyzed ICU, CA was an infrequent event, but it presents a high mortality at discharge from the ICU and hospital. However, the few patients who survive have a good neurological prognosis.

Resumen Introducción: El paro cardiaco intrahospitalario es un evento poco frecuente, pero potencialmente mortal. No obstante, no es clara su epidemiología en las unidades de cuidado intensivos. Objetivo: Determinar las características clínicas del paro cardiorrespiratorio en pacientes adultos hospitalizados en varias unidades de cuidado intensivo (UCI) del Área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá, Colombia, en un período de 12 meses. Métodos: Estudio observacional por período limitado a un año para pacientes adultos con paro cardiorrespiratorio en las UCI de los hospitales del Área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá, Colombia: Hospital Universitario San Vicente Fundación, IPS Universitaria, y Hospital Manuel Uribe Ángel. Resultados: De 3710 pacientes elegibles que fueron atendidos en 91 camas se presentaron en este período 646 eventos de paro cardiorrespiratorio, de los cuales 151 fueron candidatos a man iobras de reanimación. La incidencia global de paro en UCI fue de 17,1% (IC 95%: 15,9%-18,3%), sin diferencias entre los tres hospitales incluidos y una incidencia de paro cardiorrespiratorio susceptible de recibir reanimación cardiopulmonar de 39,9 casos por cada 1000 admisiones a la UCI. El ritmo de paro más común fue la asistolia (54,3%) y la sobrevida global al alta hospitalaria fue de 3,3%. Conclusión: El paro cardiorrespiratorio no fue un evento frecuente en las UCI analizadas, pero presenta una alta mortalidad al alta de UCI y hospitalaria. Sin embargo, los pocos pacientes que logran sobrevivir tienen buen pronóstico neurológico.

Paro cardíaco extrahospitalario. Presentación y supervivencia al ingreso hospitalario en algunos centros urbanos y suburbanos del departamento de Maldonado, Uruguay. Análisis de 12 años / Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Presentation and survival at hospital admission in some urban and suburban centers of the department of Maldonado, Uruguay. 12 year analysis

Resumen: Introducción: no se dispone de un registro de muerte súbita en Uruguay. Extrapolando datos de otros países se estima que fallecen súbitamente entre 2.000 y 3.000 personas cada año, entre cinco y seis veces más que en los accidentes de tránsito. Objetivo: describir la presentación y la supervivencia al ingreso hospitalario (SIH) de los pacientes asistidos por una emergencia médica móvil (EMM) por paro cardíaco extrahospitalario no traumático (PCEH) en algunos centros urbanos y suburbanos del departamento de Maldonado; analizar variables que se asocian a mayor SIH. Material y método: estudio retrospectivo, descriptivo-analítico, de todos los PCEH en pacientes mayores de 14 años asistidos en el período comprendido entre enero de 2005 y agosto de 2017 en el departamento de Maldonado por una EMM. Para el análisis de asociación de variables se realizó test de chi cuadrado para las variables categóricas y test de t para las variables continuas. Resultados: se asistieron 347 pacientes; 242 hombres (69,7%), edad media 66 años (DE±12,5 años) y 105 mujeres (30,3%), edad media 71,6 años (DE±13,5 años), p=0,002. La mediana del tiempo recepción del llamado-arribo fue de 7 minutos. El PCEH se presentó en 82,4% en el hogar. Diez pacientes fueron asistidos con desfibrilador externo automático (DEA). Los ritmos al arribo fueron: asistolia 56,2%, fibrilación ventricular (FV) 29,4%, actividad eléctrica sin pulso (AESP) 13,5% y taquicardia ventricular sin pulso (TVSP) 0,9%. El 44,6% recibió desfibrilación con un promedio de 3,5 descargas por paciente. La SIH fue 21,9%. En el análisis univariado las variables que se asociaron a mayor SIH fueron: vía pública (VP) como lugar del evento (p<0,001), ritmo desfibrilable al arribo (p<0,001) y las edades menores (p<0,001). Conclusiones: el ritmo más frecuente al arribo del equipo de salud fue la asistolia seguido de la FV. La menor edad, la VP como lugar del evento y la presencia de ritmos desfibrilables al arribo de la EMM se asociaron a mayor SIH.

Summary: Introduction: currently there is not a registry of sudden death in Uruguay. Extrapolating data from other countries it is estimated that between 2.000 and 3.000 people die suddenly every year, five or six times more than in traffic accidents. Objective: to describe the presentation of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) assisted by a Mobile Medical Emergency (MME) in some urban and suburban centers in Maldonado; and to analize variables associated with greater survival at hospital admission (SHA). Material and method: a retrospective, descriptive-analytical study of all OHCA in patients older than 14 years assisted in the period between January 2005 and August 2017, in Maldonado department, by a MME was performed. For analysis, the chi-square test was performed for the categorical variables and the t-test for the continuous variables. Results: 347 patients were recruited in the study period. 69,7% were men, with a mean age of 66 years old (SD±12,5 years) and 30,3% were women, mean age 71,6 years old (SD±13,5 years), p=0,002. The median time of call reception-arrival was 7 minutes. The OHCA presented in 82,4% of cases at home. Ten patients were assisted with automatic external defibrillator (AED). The rhythms at arrival were: asystole 56,2%, ventricular fibrillation 29,4%, pulseless electrical activity 13,5% and ventricular tachycardia without pulse 0,9%. 44,6% received defibrillation with an average of 3,5 discharges per patient. SHA was 21,9%. In the univariated analysis, the variables that were associated with higher SHA were: public settings as the site of the event (p <0,001), shockable rhythm at arrival (p <0,001), and younger age (p <0,001). Conclusions: the most frequent rhythm at the arrival of the health team was asystole followed by ventricular fibrillation. Younger age, public settings as the place of the event and the presence of shockable rhythms at the arrival of the MME, were associated with higher SHA.

Does simulated training improve medical students’ knowledge on cardiac life support? A study comparing simulated versus traditional teaching at the International Medical University

Background: At the International Medical University (IMU), a half day cardiac life support teaching session was provided to fourth year medical students which included training on the use of the defibrillator machine, how to handle cardiac or respiratory arrest and drugs used for resuscitation. A new CLS (cardiac life support) training session was introduced and increased to a oneday course where students were given practical training first, which included 5 stations (airway equipment, mega codes, drugs for resuscitation, defibrillator use and cardiac rhythm identification) , MCQ (multiple choice questions) test and a mega code (practical)assessment. Objective: To evaluate the students’ knowledge on cardiac resuscitation after a change in the delivery of the cardiac life support training (CLS). Methodology: Group I, consisted of 82 students taught using the traditional teaching and Group II consisted of 77 students taught using hands on simulation. The students in both groups had an online manual to read prior to the session, were given an identical written exam six months after the CLS training. Group II, however, had an online pre-test. Results: There was a statistical difference in the final mean marks between the two groups with group II scoring higher (67.3) than group 1 (62.1). No significant marks difference was noted between male and female students for both the cohorts. Conclusion: There is a significant difference in medical students’ knowledge when cardiac life support is taught using simulation. IMU has adopted the new teaching method with simulated training for the cardiac life support courses with plans to implement higher fidelity and technology to the existing simulated teaching in other areas of medicine.

The application of pulsatile catheter pump support on cardiac resuscitation in sheep / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective To assess the effect of the pulsatile catheter (PUCA) pump support on cardiac resuscitation in sheep,and to provide a new approach for saving cardiac arrest patients. Methods Cardiac arrest was induced by ventricular fibrillation in 11 sheep. These sheep were divided into three groups including no support (n=3), delayed support (n=2) and immediate support (n=6). Time for cardiac resuscitation and the ratio of success to failure in each group were recorded. Hemodynamic parameters including heart rate (HR), cardiac output (CO), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), central venous pressure(CVP),right ventricular end-diastolic pressure (RVEDP),left atrial pressure (LAP), and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) were monitored and recorded at 5, 60 and 180 min after cardiac resuscitation with PUCA pump. Results Time for cardiac resuscitation in no support group, delayed support group and immediate support group was (38.3±5.8),(43.5±9.2) and (48.7±23.8)minutes, respectively(P＞0.05),and the ratio of success to failure was 0/3,0/2 and 5/1, respectively ( P＜0.05). After cardiac resuscitation with the PUCA pump support, MAP, SBP and DBP increased gradually(P＜0.05).Conclusions PUCA pump can maintain the hemodynamic stability in a sheep model of cardiac arrest,and can thus increase the success rate of cardiac resuscitation. It may be suitable for resuscitating cardiac arrest patients.