Verification of the Optimal Chest Compression Depth for Children in the 2015 American Heart Association Guidelines: Computed Tomography Study.

OBJECTIVE: The 2015 American Heart Association guidelines recommended pediatric rescue chest compressions of at least one-third the anteroposterior diameter of the chest, which equates to approximately 5 cm. This study evaluated the appropriateness of these two types by comparing their safeties in chest compression depth simulated by CT. DESIGN: Retrospective study with data analysis conducted from January 2005 to June 2015 SETTING:: Regional emergency center in South Korea. PATIENTS: Three hundred forty-nine pediatric patients 1-9 years old who had a chest CT scan. INTERVENTIONS: Simulation of chest compression depths by CT. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Internal and external anteroposterior diameter of the chest and residual internal anteroposterior diameter after simulation were measured from CT scans. The safe cutoff levels were differently applied according to age. One-third external anteroposterior diameters were compared with an upper limit of chest compression depth recommended for adults. Primary outcomes were the rates of overcompression to evaluate safety. Overcompression was defined as a negative value of residual internal anteroposterior diameter-age-specific cutoff level. Using a compression of 5-cm depth simulated by chest CT, 16% of all children (55/349) were affected by overcompression. Those 1-3 years old were affected more than those 4-9 years old (p < 0.001). Upon one-third compression of chest anteroposterior depth, only one subject (0.3%) was affected by overcompression. Rate of one-third external anteroposterior diameter greater than 6 cm in children 8 and 9 years old was 16.1% and 33.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A chest compression depth of one-third anteroposterior might be more appropriate than the 5-cm depth chest compression for younger Korean children. But, one-third anteroposterior depth chest compression might induce deep compressions greater than an upper limit of compression depth for adults in older Korean children.

Effectiveness of the sequential organ failure assessment, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II, and simplified acute physiology score II prognostic scoring systems in paraquat-poisoned patients in the intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to assess the ability of the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II scoring systems, as well as the simplified acute physiology score (SAPS) II method to predict group mortality in intensive care unit (ICU) patients who were poisoned with paraquat. This will assist physicians with risk stratification. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The medical records of 244 paraquat-poisoned patients admitted to the ICU from January 2010 to April 2015 were examined retrospectively. The SOFA, APACHE II, and SAPS II scores were calculated based on initial laboratory data in the emergency department and during the first 24 h of ICU admission. The probability of death was calculated for each patient based on the SOFA score, APACHE II score, and SAPS II. The ability of the SOFA score, APACHE II score, and SAPS II method to predict group mortality was assessed using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calibration analyses. RESULTS: A total of 219 patients (mean age, 63 years) were enrolled. Sensitivities, specificities, and accuracies were 58.5%, 86.1%, and 64.0% for the SOFA, respectively; 75.1%, 86.1%, and 77.6% for the APACHE II scoring systems, respectively; and 76.1%, 79.1%, and 76.7% for the SAPS II, respectively. The areas under the curve in the ROC curve analysis for the SOFA score, APACHE II scoring system, and SAPS II were 0.716, 0.850, and 0.835, respectively. CONCLUSION: The SOFA, APACHE II, and SAPS II had different capabilities to discriminate and estimate early in-hospital mortality of paraquat-poisoned patients. Our results show that although the SOFA and SAPS II are easier and more quickly calculated than APACHE II, the APACHE II is superior for predicting mortality. We recommend use of the APACHE II for outcome predictions and risk stratification in paraquat-poisoned patients in the ICU.

Prognostic Factors in Emergency Department Patients with Glyphosate Surfactant Intoxication: Point-of-Care Lactate Testing.

An increasing number of suicide attempts involve the ingestion of glyphosate surfactant; hence, clinical toxicologists may encounter severe cases of glyphosate surfactant intoxication. In several other clinical conditions, serum lactate is used to predict outcome. We investigated the relationship between lactate levels and 30-day mortality from glyphosate surfactant poisoning. This retrospective analysis involved 232 patients who were admitted to the emergency department after acute glyphosate surfactant poisoning between January 2004 and June 2014. We used a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to define the optimal cut-off point for lactate levels. A Kaplan-Meier 30-day survival curve was then analysed in terms of the defined cut-off level. We used multi-variate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis to determine the risk factors for 30-day mortality. Of the 232 patients, 29 died, yielding a case fatality rate of 12.5%. Lactate was significantly higher in non-survivors (6.5 ± 3.1 mmol/L) than in survivors (3.3 ± 2.2 mmol/L; p < 0.001), and elevated lactate was significantly associated with 30-day mortality. The area under the ROC curve of lactate levels was 0.836 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.716-0.869]. Lactate levels higher than 4.7 mmol/L were associated with increased mortality in multi-variable analysis (hazard ratio: 3.2; 95% CI: 1.1-8.7). Besides lactate, age >59 years, corrected QT interval >495 ms and potassium >5.5 mmol/L were independent risk factors for 30-day mortality. Lactate is an independent predictor of 30-day mortality in patients with glyphosate surfactant poisoning. Early measurement of lactate levels may be a simple and practical way to assess the severity of intoxication.

Differences in Hands-off Time According to the Position of a Second Rescuer When Switching Compression in Pre-hospital Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Provided by Two Bystanders: A Randomized, Controlled, Parallel Study.

The change of compressing personnel will inevitably accompany hands off time when cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is performed by two or more rescuers. The present study assessed whether changing compression by a second rescuer located on the opposite side (OS) of the first rescuer can reduce hands-off time compared to CPR on the same side (SS) when CPR is performed by two rescuers. The scenario of this randomized, controlled, parallel simulation study was compression-only CPR by two laypersons in a pre-hospital situation. Considering sex ratio, 64 participants were matched up in 32 teams equally divided into two gender groups, i.e. , homogenous or heterogeneous. Each team was finally allocated to one of two study groups according to the position of changing compression (SS or OS). Every team performed chest compression for 8 min and 10 sec, with chest compression changed every 2 min. The primary endpoint was cumulative hands-off time. Cumulative hands-off time of the SS group was about 2 sec longer than the OS group, and was significant (6.6 ± 2.6 sec vs. 4.5 ± 1.5 sec, P = 0.005). The range of hands off time of the SS group was wider than for the OS group. The mean hands-off times of each rescuer turn significantly shortened with increasing number of turns (P = 0.005). A subgroup analysis in which cumulative hands-off time was divided into three subgroups in 5-sec intervals revealed that about 70% of the SS group was included in subgroups with delayed hands-off time ≥ 5 sec, with only 25% of the OS group included in these subgroups (P = 0.033). Changing compression at the OS of each rescuer reduced hands-off time compared to the SS in prehospital hands-only CPR provided by two bystanders.

Performance of intubation with 4 different airway devices by unskilled rescuers: manikin study.

INTRODUCTION: This study was designed to compare the performances of 4 airway devices in achieving successful ventilation. METHODS: A randomized crossover trial was conducted to evaluate 4 airway devices: laryngeal mask airway (LMA), i-gel (iGEL), PENTAX Airway Scope (AWS), and Macintosh laryngoscope (MCL). Thirty-eight unskilled rescuers performed intubation on a manikin during chest compressions in normal and difficult airway scenarios. The time to ventilation, intubation success rate, and difficulty of intubation were measured. RESULTS: The time to ventilation of the airway devices in the normal scenario had a median value of 8.8 seconds (interquartile range, 7.3-10.5 seconds) for iGEL, 16.1 seconds (13.9-19.3 seconds) for LMA, 30.6 seconds (24.6-37.6 seconds) for AWS, and 35.0 seconds (29.5-45.9 seconds) for MCL. In the difficult airway scenario, the respective time to ventilation was 8.6 seconds (7.8-10.0 seconds), 15.3 seconds (14.3-20.2 seconds), 29.4 seconds (25.7-36.3 seconds) and 59.0 seconds (46.1-103.3 seconds). The success rates were 100% and 100% for LMA, 100% and 100% for iGEL, 97.4% and 94.7% for AWS, and 78.9% and 47.4% for MCL in the normal and difficult airway scenarios. The difficulties of intubation expressed as numerical rating scale were 2.0 and 2.0 (median values) for LMA, 1.0 and 2.0 for iGEL, 3.0 and 3.0 for AWS, and 4.0 and 5.0 for MCL in the normal and difficult airway scenarios, respectively. CONCLUSION: With novice intubators who were unfamiliar with the airway devices, the LMA, iGEL, and AWS were superior to the MCL for establishing an airway without interruption of chest compressions in a manikin study. Intubation with the iGEL was faster and easier than with the other airway devices.

A survey-based study on the protocols for therapeutic hypothermia in cardiac arrest patients in Korea: focusing on the differences between level 1 and 2 centers.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to summarize the therapeutic hypothermia (TH) protocols used in emergency departments (EDs) in Korea and to investigate the differences between level 1 and 2 centers. METHODS: The chief residents from 56 EDs were given a structured survey containing questions on the indications for TH, methods for TH induction, maintaining, and finalizing TH treatments. The participants were divided into 2 groups based on their work place (level 1 vs. level 2 centers). RESULTS: We received 36 responses to the survey. The majority of the participants (94.4%) reported that they routinely used TH. An average of 5.9 (standard deviation, 3.4) and 3.3 (standard deviation, 2.9) TH procedures were performed monthly in level 1 and 2 centers, respectively (P=0.01). The majority of level 1 and 2 centers (80.0% and 73.1%, respectively) had written TH protocols. Rectal (50.0%) and esophageal probes (38.9%) were most commonly used to monitor the patients' body temperatures. Midazolam (80.6%) and remifentanyl (47.2%) were the most commonly used sedatives. For TH induction, external cooling devices (77.8%) and cold saline infusion (66.1%) were predominant. Between level 1 and 2 centers, only the number of TH, the usage of remifentanyl, and application of external cooling device showed significant differences (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study summarizes the TH protocols used in 36 EDs. The majority of study participants performed TH using a written protocol. We observed small number of differences in TH induction and maintenance methods between level 1 and 2 centers.

Survival and neurologic outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients who were transferred after return of spontaneous circulation for integrated post-cardiac arrest syndrome care: the another feasibility of the cardiac arrest center.

It has been proven that safety and efficiency of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients is transported to specialized hospitals that have the capability of performing therapeutic hypothermia (TH). However, the outcome of the patients who have been transferred after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) has not been well evaluated. We conducted a retrospective observational study between January 2010 to March 2012. There were primary outcomes as good neurofunctional status at 1 month and the secondary outcomes as the survivals at 1 month between Samsung Medical Center (SMC) group and transferred group. A total of 91 patients were enrolled this study. There was no statistical difference between good neurologic outcomes between both groups (38% transferred group vs. 40.6% SMC group, P=0.908). There was no statistical difference in 1 month survival between the 2 groups (66% transferred group vs. 75.6% SMC group, P=0.318). In the univariate and multivariate models, the ROSC to induction time and the induction time had no association with good neurologic outcomes. The good neurologic outcome and survival at 1 month had no significant differences between the 2 groups. This finding suggests the possibility of integrated post-cardiac arrest care for OHCA patients who are transferred from other hospitals after ROSC in the cardiac arrest center.

Basic life support skill improvement with newly designed renewal programme: cluster randomised study of small-group-discussion method versus practice-while-watching method.

BACKGROUND: For the basic life support (BLS) renewal course, we have devised a new educational programme entitled a small-group-discussion (SGD) programme using personalised video-based debriefing. OBJECTIVE: We compared the efficacy in BLS skill improvement of the SGD programme with the currently used practice-while-watching (PWW) programme, which uses a standardised education video. METHOD: This was a prospective, cluster randomised study, conducted in a single centre, over 6 months from May 2009 to October 2009. Training was performed in two groups of participants, each group with a different renewal education programme. The efficacy of the programmes was compared using the modified Cardiff test and skill-reporting manikins. RESULTS: Results from 2169 participants were analysed: 1061 in the SGD programme group and 1108 in the PWW programme group. There were no differences between groups on the pretest, either in compression or non-compression skills. However, on the post-test, the SGD programme gave better results for both compression skills and non-compression skills. CONCLUSIONS: The new SGD renewal programme is more effective than the PWW programme for improving skills in BLS renewal training.

Performance assessment of the SOFA, APACHE II scoring system, and SAPS II in intensive care unit organophosphate poisoned patients.

This study assessed the ability of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) and Acute Physiology, Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scoring systems, as well as the Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II method to predict group mortality in intensive care unit (ICU) patients who were poisoned with organophosphate. The medical records of 149 organophosphate poisoned patients admitted to the ICU from September 2006 to December 2012 were retrospectively examined. The SOFA, APACHE II, and SAPS II were calculated based on initial laboratory data in the Emergency Department, and during the first 24 hr of ICU admission. The probability of death was calculated for each patient based on the SOFA score, APACHE II score, and SAPS II equations. The ability to predict group mortality by the SOFA score, APACHE II score, and SAPS II method was assessed using two by two decision matrices and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. A total of 131 patients (mean age, 61 yr) were enrolled. The sensitivities, specificities, and accuracies were 86.2%, 82.4%, and 83.2% for the SOFA score, respectively; 65.5%, 68.6%, and 67.9% for the APACHE II scoring system, respectively; and 86.2%, 77.5%, and 79.4% for the SAPS II, respectively. The areas under the curve in the ROC curve analysis for the SOFA score, APACHE II scoring system, and SAPS II were 0.896, 0.716, and 0.852, respectively. In conclusion, the SOFA, APACHE II, and SAPS II have different capability to discriminate and estimate early in-hospital mortality of organophosphate poisoned patients. The SOFA score is more useful in predicting mortality, and easier and simpler than the APACHE II and SAPS II.

Better lactate clearance associated with good neurologic outcome in survivors who treated with therapeutic hypothermia after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

INTRODUCTION: Several methods have been proposed to evaluate neurological outcome in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients. Blood lactate has been recognized as a reliable prognostic marker for trauma, sepsis, or cardiac arrest. The objective of this study was to examine the association between initial lactate level or lactate clearance and neurologic outcome in OHCA survivors who were treated with therapeutic hypothermia. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included patients who underwent protocol-based 24-hour therapeutic hypothermia after OHCA between January 2010 and March 2012. Serum lactate levels were measured at the start of therapy (0 hours), and after 6 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours. The 6 hour and 12 hour lactate clearance were calculated afterwards. Patients' neurologic outcome was assessed at one month after cardiac arrest; good neurological outcome was defined as Cerebral Performance Category one or two. The primary outcome was an association between initial lactate level and good neurologic outcome. The secondary outcome was an association between lactate clearance and good neurologic outcome in patients with initial lactate level >2.5 mmol/l. RESULTS: Out of the 76 patients enrolled, 34 (44.7%) had a good neurologic outcome. The initial lactate level showed no significant difference between good and poor neurologic outcome groups (6.07 ±4 .09 mmol/L vs 7.13 ± 3.99 mmol/L, P = 0.42), However, lactate levels at 6 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours in the good neurologic outcome group were lower than in the poor neurologic outcome group (3.81 ± 2.81 vs 6.00 ± 3.22 P <0.01, 2.95 ± 2.07 vs 5.00 ± 3.49 P <0.01, 2.17 ± 1.24 vs 3.86 ± 3.92 P <0.01, 1.57 ± 1.02 vs 2.21 ± 1.35 P = 0.03, respectively). The secondary analysis showed that the 6-hour and 12-hour lactate clearance was higher for good neurologic outcome patients (35.3 ± 34.6% vs 6.89 ± 47.4% P = 0.01, 54.5 ± 23.7% vs 25.6 ± 43.7% P <0.01, respectively). After adjusting for potential confounding variables, the 12-hour lactate clearance still showed a statistically significant difference (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: The lactate clearance rate, and not the initial lactate level, was associated with neurological outcome in OHCA patients after therapeutic hypothermia.

The adverse effect of emergency department crowding on compliance with the resuscitation bundle in the management of severe sepsis and septic shock.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of emergency department (ED) crowding on the implementation of tasks in the early resuscitation bundle during acute care of patients with severe sepsis and septic shock, as recommended by the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines. METHODS: We analyzed the sepsis registry from August 2008 to March 2012 for patients presenting to an ED of a tertiary urban hospital and meeting the criteria for severe sepsis or septic shock. The ED occupancy rate, which was defined as the total number of patients in the ED divided by the total number of ED beds, was used for measuring the degree of ED crowding. It was categorized into three groups (low; intermediate; high crowding). The primary endpoint was the overall compliance with the entire resuscitation bundle. RESULTS: A total of 770 patients were enrolled. Of the eligible patients, 276 patients were assigned to the low crowding group, 250 patients to the intermediate crowding group, and 244 patients to the high crowding group (ED occupancy rate: ≤ 115; 116-149; ≥ 150%). There was significant difference in compliance rates among the three groups (31.9% in the low crowding group, 24.4% in the intermediate crowding group, and 16.4% in the high crowding group, P < 0.001). In a multivariate model, the high crowding group had a significant association with lower compliance (adjusted odds ratio (OR), 0.44; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.26 to 0.76; P = 0.003). When the ED occupancy rate was included as a continuous variable in the model, it had also a negative correlation with the overall compliance (OR of 10% increase of the ED occupancy rate, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.84 to 0.96, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: ED crowding was significantly associated with lower compliance with the entire resuscitation bundle and decreased likelihood of the timely implementation of the bundle elements.

Success rates and procedure times of oesophageal temperature probe insertion for therapeutic hypothermia treatment of cardiac arrest according to insertion methods in the emergency department.

PURPOSE: Therapeutic hypothermia has become the standard treatment for unconscious patients in cardiac arrest. Although various body parts, including the oesophagus, rectum, bladder and tympanum, can be used for measurement of the core temperature, the oesophageal temperature is preferred because of its accuracy and stability. We first investigated the success rate and procedure time of oesophageal temperature probe (ETP) insertion according to the insertion method. METHODS: The conventional method involved blind insertion through nasal orifices. The alternative method was insertion with Magill's forceps or long forceps under visualisation using a direct laryngoscope. The new method was performed as follows: (1) insertion of another endotracheal tube (ETT) orally into the oesophagus; (2) insertion of a temperature probe into the hole of the ETT; (3) removal of the ETT. To compare the success rates and procedure times according to the insertion method, we collected data retrospectively from the prospective Samsung Medical Centre hypothermia database and medical records. RESULTS: A total of 91 cases were examined. Insertion was performed using the conventional method in 36 cases, the alternative method in 26, and the new method in 29. Rates of success on the first attempt were 63.9%, 65.4% and 100%, and procedure times were 33.2 ± 13.6, 33.3 ± 17.8 and 27.0 ± 7.9 min, for the conventional, alternative and new methods, respectively. The initial success rates and procedure times were significantly different among the three groups (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The new ETP insertion method had a better first attempt success rate than the conventional method and the alternative method.

Evaluating the accuracy of emergency medicine resident interpretations of abdominal CTs in patients with non-traumatic abdominal pain.

Abdominal computed tomography (CT) is widely used as a diagnostic tool in emergency medicine (EM) to accurately diagnose abdominal pain. EM residents must be able to offer preliminary interpretations of CT imaging. In this study, we evaluated the preliminary interpretation ability of a sample of emergency residents presented with adult abdominal CT images, and compared their results with those of radiology residents. We conducted a prospective observational study from November 16, 2008 to June 30, 2009. During this time, we gathered preliminary interpretations of consecutive abdominal CT made by emergency and radiology residents. We assessed the discrepancy rates of both samples by comparing their findings to the final reports from attending radiologists. A total of 884 cases were enrolled in the present study. The discrepancy rates of emergency and radiology residents were 16.7% and 12.2%, respectively. When female genital organs, peritoneum, adrenal glands, or the musculoskeletal system were abnormal, we found that emergency residents' preliminary interpretations of CT images were insufficient compared to those of radiology residents. Therefore more formal education is needed to emergency residents. If possible, the preliminary interpretations of radiology attending physicians are ideal until improving the ability of interpretations of emergency residents in abdomen CT.

Factors influencing compliance with early resuscitation bundle in the management of severe sepsis and septic shock.

The Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines recommend implementing a 6-h resuscitation bundle, which has been associated with reduced mortality of patients presenting with severe sepsis or septic shock. However, this resuscitation bundle has not yet become a widely implemented treatment protocol. It is still unclear what factors are associated with the rate of compliance with the resuscitation bundle. In this study, we evaluated the potential factors associated with implementation and compliance of a 6-h resuscitation bundle in patients presenting with severe sepsis or septic shock in the emergency department. We conducted a retrospective observational study involving adult patients presenting with severe sepsis or septic shock in the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital during the period between August 2008 and July 2010. The resuscitation bundle consisted of seven interventions according to the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines. The primary outcome measure was the rate of high compliance with the 6-h resuscitation bundle, defined as implementation of more than five of seven interventions. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for the confounding factors. A total of 317 patients were enrolled into the study. One hundred seventy-two patients (54.3%) were assigned to the high compliance group, and 145 patients (45.7%) to the low compliance group. Significant factors associated with high compliance of the 6-h resuscitation bundle were hyperthermia (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.37; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.10-1.70), care from experienced nurses who had 3 or more years of clinical experience (adjusted OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.10-2.58), and care from senior residents or board-certified emergency physicians (adjusted OR, 3.68; 95% CI, 1.68-6.89). Factors related with lower compliance were cryptic shock (adjusted OR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.13-0.52) and higher serum lactate levels (adjusted OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.82-0.98). Furthermore, we found several potential factors that influence compliance with the sepsis resuscitation bundle. To improve the compliance with the resuscitation bundle, interventions focusing on those factors will be needed.

Predicting factors associated with clinical deterioration of sepsis patients with intermediate levels of serum lactate.

Clinical deterioration among hemodynamically stable sepsis patients occurs frequently, and patients with intermediate lactate levels (between 2.0 and 4.0 mmol/L) are particularly at risk for mortality. The aim of this study was to identify factors for predicting early deterioration in sepsis patients with intermediate levels of serum lactate. A retrospective cohort study of adult sepsis patients with lactate levels between 2.0 and 4.0 mmol/L was conducted in the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital between August 2008 and July 2010. The primary outcome was progression to sepsis-induced shock defined as persistent hypotension despite initial fluid challenge or a blood lactate concentration 4 mmol/L or greater within 72 hours of emergency department arrival. Among the 474 patients enrolled in the study, there were 108 cases of sepsis-induced tissue hypoperfusion (22.7%) and 48 deaths (10.1%). In a multivariate regression analysis, independent predictors for progression were hyperthermia, neutropenia, band neutrophils appearance, hyponatremia, blood urea nitrogen level, serum lactate level, and organ failure including respiratory, cardiovascular, and central nervous system. Initial Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score was also associated with progression. In patients with a Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score of 5 or greater, the predicted rate of progression to tissue hypoperfusion was 38.9%. Our study demonstrates potential risk factors, including organ failure, for progression to sepsis-induced tissue hypoperfusion in patients with intermediate levels of serum lactate. We suggest that an early aggressive treatment strategy is needed in patients with these risk factors.