Viewing an ultra-brief chest compression only video improves some measures of bystander CPR performance and responsiveness at a mass gathering event.

BACKGROUND: CPR training at mass gathering events is an important part of health initiatives to improve cardiac arrest survival. However, it is unclear whether training lay bystanders using an ultra-brief video at a mass gathering event improves CPR quality and responsiveness. OBJECTIVE: To determine if showing a chest-compression only (CCO) Ultra-Brief Video (UBV) at a mass gathering event is effective in teaching lay bystanders CCO-CPR. METHODS: Prospective control trial in adults (age >18) who attended either a women's University of Arizona or a men's Phoenix Suns basketball game. Participants were evaluated using a standardized cardiac arrest scenario with Laerdal Skillreporter™ mannequins. CPR responsiveness (calling 911, time to calling 911, starting compressions within two minutes) and quality (compression rate, depth, hands-off time) were assessed for participants and data collected at Baseline and Post-intervention. Different participants were tested before and after the exposure of the UBV. Data were analyzed via the intention to treat principle using logistic regression for binary outcomes and median regression for continuous outcomes, controlling for clustering by venue. RESULTS: A total of 96 people were consented (Baseline=45; Post intervention=51). CPR responsiveness post intervention improved with faster time to calling 911 (s) and time to starting compressions (sec). Likewise, CPR quality improved with deeper compressions and improved hands-off time. CONCLUSIONS: Showing a UBV at a mass gathering sporting event is associated with improved CPR responsiveness and performance for lay bystanders. This data provides further support for the use of mass media interventions.

Viewing a brief chest-compression-only CPR video improves bystander CPR performance and responsiveness in high school students: A cluster randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: CPR training in schools is a public health initiative to improve out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival. It is unclear whether brief video training in students improves CPR quality and responsiveness and skills retention. OBJECTIVES: Determine if a brief video is as effective as classroom instruction for chest compression-only (CCO) CPR training in high school students. METHODS: This was a prospective cluster-randomized controlled trial with three study arms: control (sham video), brief video (BV), and CCO-CPR class. Students were randomized and clustered based on their classrooms and evaluated using a standardized OHCA scenario measuring CPR quality (compression rate, depth, hands-off time) and responsiveness (calling 911, time to calling 911, starting compressions within 2min). Data was collected at baseline, post-intervention and 2 months. Generalized linear mixed models were used to analyze outcome data, accounting for repeated measures for each individual and clustering by class. RESULTS: 179 students (14-18 years) were consented in 7 classrooms (clusters). At post-intervention and 2 months, BV and CCO class students called 911 more frequently and sooner, started chest compressions earlier, and had improved chest compression rates and hands-off time compared to baseline. Chest compression depth improved significantly from baseline in the CCO class, but not in the BV group post-intervention and at 2 months. CONCLUSIONS: Brief CPR video training resulted in improved CPR quality and responsiveness in high school students. Compression depth only improved with traditional class training. This suggests brief educational interventions are beneficial to improve CPR responsiveness but psychomotor training is important for CPR quality.

When should you test for and treat hypoglycemia in prehospital seizure patients?

OBJECTIVES: Seizure is a frequent reason for activating the Emergency Medical System (EMS). Little is known about the frequency of seizure caused by hypoglycemia, yet many EMS protocols require glucose testing prior to treatment. We hypothesized that hypoglycemia is rare among EMS seizure patients and glucose testing results in delayed administration of benzodiazepines. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of a national ambulance service database encompassing 140 ALS capable EMS systems spanning 40 states and Washington DC. All prehospital calls from August 1, 2010 through December 31, 2012 with a primary or secondary impression of seizure that resulted in patient treatment or transport were included. Median regression with robust and cluster (EMS agency) adjusted standard errors was used to determine if time to benzodiazepine administration was significantly related to blood glucose testing. RESULTS: Of 2,052,534 total calls, 76,584 (3.7%) were for seizure with 53,505 (69.9%) of these having a glucose measurement recorded. Hypoglycemia (blood glucose <60 mg/dL) was present in 638 (1.2%; CI: 1.1, 1.3) patients and 478 (0.9%; CI: 0.8, 1.0) were treated with a glucose product. A benzodiazepine was administered to 73 (11.4%; CI: 9.0, 13.9) of the 638 hypoglycemic patients. Treatment of seizure patients with a benzodiazepine occurred in 6,389 (8.3%; CI: 8.1, 8.5) cases and treatment with a glucose product occurred in 975 (1.3%; CI: 1.2, 1.4) cases. Multivariable median regression showed that obtaining a blood glucose measurement prior to benzodiazepine administration compared to no glucose measurement or glucose measurement after benzodiazepine administration was independently associated with a 2.1 minute (CI: 1.5, 2.8) and 5.9 minute (CI: 5.3, 6.6) delay to benzodiazepine administration by EMS, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of hypoglycemia were very low in patients treated by EMS for seizure. Glucose testing prior to benzodiazepine administration significantly increased the median time to benzodiazepine administration. Given the importance of rapid treatment of seizure in actively seizing patients, measurement of blood glucose prior to treating a seizure with a benzodiazepine is not supported by our study. EMS seizure protocols should be revisited.

Does the experience of the writer affect the evaluative components on the standardized letter of recommendation in emergency medicine?

BACKGROUND: The Standardized Letter of Recommendation (SLOR) was developed in an attempt to standardize the evaluation of applicants to an emergency medicine (EM) residency. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to determine whether the Global Assessment Score (GAS) and Likelihood of Matching Assessment (LOMA) of the SLOR for applicants applying to an EM residency are affected by the experience of the letter writer. We describe the distribution of GAS and LOMA grades and compare the GAS and LOMA scores to length of time an applicant knew the letter writer and number of EM rotations. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of all SLORs written for all applicants applying to three EM residency programs for the 2012 match. Median number of letters written the previous year were compared across the four GAS and LOMA scores using an equality of medians test and test for trend to see if higher scores on the GAS and LOMA were associated with less experienced letter writers. Distributions of the scores were determined and length of time a letter writer knew an applicant and number of EM rotations were compared with GAS and LOMA scores. RESULTS: There were 917 applicants representing 27.6% of the total applicant pool for the 2012 United States EM residency match and 1253 SLORs for GAS and 1246 for LOMA were analyzed. The highest scores on the GAS and LOMA were associated with the lowest median number of letters written the previous year (equality of medians test across groups, p < 0.001; test for trend, p < 0.001). Less than 3% received the lowest score for GAS and LOMA. Among letter writers that knew an applicant for more than 1 year, 45.3% gave a GAS score of "Outstanding" and 53.4% gave a LOMA of "Very Competitive" compared with 31.7% and 39.6%, respectively, if the letter writer knew them 1 year or less (p = 0.002; p = 0.005). Number of EM rotations was not associated with GAS and LOMA scores. CONCLUSIONS: SLORs written by less experienced letter writers were more likely to have a GAS of "Outstanding" (p < 0.001) and a LOMA of "Very Competitive" (p < 0.001) than more experienced letter writers. The overall distribution of GAS and LOMA was heavily weighted to the highest scores. The length of time a letter writer knew an applicant was significantly associated with GAS and LOMA scores.

A comparison of the prehospital motor component of the Glasgow coma scale (mGCS) to the prehospital total GCS (tGCS) as a prehospital risk adjustment measure for trauma patients.

OBJECTIVE: This study compared the prehospital motor component subscale of the Glasgow Coma Scale (mGCS) to the prehospital total GCS (tGCS) score for its ability to predict the need for intubation, survival to hospital discharge, and neurosurgical intervention in trauma patients. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of an urban level 1 trauma registry. All trauma patients presenting to the trauma center emergency department via emergency medical services from July 2008 through June 2010 were included. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) analysis was used to compare the predictive ability of the prehospital mGCS to tGCS for three outcomes: intubation, survival to hospital discharge, and neurosurgical intervention. Two subgroups (patients with injury severity score [ISS] ≥ 16 and traumatic brain injury [TBI] [head abbreviated injury score (AIS) ≥ 3]) were analyzed. An a priori statistically significant absolute difference of 0.050 in AUC between mGCS and tGCS for these clinical outcomes was used as a clinically significant difference. Multiple imputation was used for missing prehospital GCS data. RESULTS: There were 9,816 patients, of which 4% were intubated, 3.8% had neurosurgical intervention, and 97.1% survived to hospital discharge. The absolute difference in AUC (prehospital tGCS minus mGCS) for all cases was statistically significant for all three outcomes but did not reach the clinical significance threshold: survival = 0.010 (95% CI: 0.002-0.018), intubation = 0.018 (95% CI: 0.011-0.024), and neurosurgical intervention = 0.019 (95% CI: 0.007-0.029). The difference in AUC between tGCS and mGCS for the subgroups ISS ≥ 16 (n = 1,151) and TBI (n = 1,165) did not reach clinical significance for the three outcomes. The discriminatory ability of the prehospital mGCS was good for survival (AUC: all patients = 0.89, ISS ≥ 16 = 0.84, traumatic brain injury = 0.86) excellent for intubation (AUC: all patients = 0.95, ISS ≥ 16 = 0.91, traumatic brain injury = 0.91), and poor for neurosurgical intervention (AUC: all patients = 0.67, ISS ≥ 16 = 0.57, traumatic brain injury = 0.60). CONCLUSION: The prehospital mGCS appears have good discriminatory power and is equivalent to the prehospital tGCS for predicting intubation and survival to hospital discharge in this trauma population as a whole, those with ISS ≥ 16, or TBI.

Risk adjustment measures and outcome measures for prehospital trauma research: recommendations from the emergency medical services outcomes project (EMSOP).

OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to conduct a comprehensive, systematic review of the literature for risk adjustment measures (RAMs) and outcome measures (OMs) for prehospital trauma research and to use a structured expert panel process to recommend measures for use in future emergency medical services (EMS) trauma outcomes research. METHODS: A systematic literature search and review was performed identifying the published studies evaluating RAMs and OMs for prehospital injury research. An explicit structured review of all articles pertaining to each measure was conducted using the previously established methodology developed by the Canadian Physiotherapy Association ("Physical Rehabilitation Outcome Measures"). RESULTS: Among the 4,885 articles reviewed, 96 RAMs and/or OMs were identified from the existing literature (January 1958 to February 2010). Only one measure, the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), currently meets Level 1 quality of evidence status and a Category 1 (strong) recommendation for use in EMS trauma research. Twelve RAMs or OMs received Category 2 status (promising, but not sufficient current evidence to strongly recommend), including the motor component of GCS, simplified motor score (SMS), the simplified verbal score (SVS), the revised trauma score (RTS), the prehospital index (PHI), EMS provider judgment, the revised trauma index (RTI), the rapid acute physiology score (RAPS), the rapid emergency medicine score (REMS), the field trauma triage (FTT), the pediatric triage rule, and the out-of-hospital decision rule for pediatrics. CONCLUSIONS: Using a previously published process, a structured literature review, and consensus expert panel opinion, only the GCS can currently be firmly recommended as a specific RAM or OM for prehospital trauma research (along with core measures that have already been established and published). This effort highlights the paucity of reliable, validated RAMs and OMs currently available for outcomes research in the prehospital setting and hopefully will encourage additional, methodologically sound evaluations of the promising, Category 2 RAMs and OMs, as well as the development of new measures.