Can CT measured LA diameter predict the presence and the degree of LV Diastolic Dysfunction?

Objective: This study was conducted to determine whether the presence and the degree of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) can be predicted by the simple LA diameter measured on computed tomography (CTLAD). Methods: Among adult patients who underwent both chest CT and echocardiography in the emergency department from January 2020 to December 2021, a retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on patients in whom the time interval between the two tests was less than 24 hours. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic power of CTLAD for echocardiographic LVDD. Results: In a study involving 373 patients, 192 (51.5%) had LVDD. Among them, 122 (63.5%) had grade 1, 61 (31.8%) had grade 2, and 9 (4.7%) had ≥grade 3 LVDD. Median CTLAD values were 4.1cm for grade 1, 4.5cm for grade 2, and 4.9cm for ≥grade 3 LVDD. The AUC value of CTLAD in distinguishing LVDD of ≥grade 1, ≥grade 2 (optimal cutoff ≥4.4cm), and ≥grade 3 (optimal cutoff ≥4.5cm) were 0.588, 0.657 (with sensitivity 61.4%, specificity 66.0%, positive predictive value [PPV] 29.5%, negative predictive value [NPV] 88.1%, odds ratio [OR] 3.1), and 0.834 (with sensitivity 88.9%, specificity 70.1%, PPV 6.8%, NPV 99.6%, OR 18.7), respectively. Conclusion: CTLAD ≥4.4cm can be used as a rough reference value to distinguish LVDD of ≥grade 2, and CTLAD ≥4.5cm can be very reliably distinguish LVDD of ≥grade 3. CTLAD might be very useful parameter in predicting LVDD in environments where echocardiography is not available.

A study on computed tomography cardiothoracic ratio in predicting left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: A cardiothoracic ratio ≥0.50 is widely used as an indicator of cardiomegaly, but associations between the cardiothoracic ratio and left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) have not been investigated previously. We conducted this study to investigate the relationship between cardiothoracic ratio measured using computed tomography (CT) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and to determine the optimal cardiothoracic ratio for predicting left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD). METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed using data from patients who underwent both chest CT and echocardiography at the emergency department from January 1 to December 31, 2021. The patients were classified as normal, or having mild, moderate, and severe LVSD based on their LVEF, and the cardiothoracic ratios of each group were compared. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were used to identify the optimal cardiothoracic ratio for prediction of mild, moderate, and severe LVSD. RESULTS: The final study population included 444 patients. The median CT-measured cardiothoracic ratio was 0.54 for patients with normal LVEF, and 0.60 for patients with LVSD (P<0.001). The optimal CT-measured cardiothoracic ratios for predicting mild, moderate, and severe LVSD were 0.56, 0.59, and 0.60, and their areas under the ROC curve were 0.653, 0.690, and 0.680, and negative predictive values were 90%, 94%, and 98%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The best cutoff value for a CT-measured cardiothoracic ratio suggestive of LVSD was 0.56, which is very different from the 0.50 value typically considered an abnormal cardiothoracic ratio. The CT-measured cardiothoracic ratio ≥0.56 can be used as a rough indicator of mild LVSD, and a ratio <0.60 can exclude severe LVSD with a high degree of confidence.

Clinical study on ureteritis observed in contrast-enhanced computed tomography in the emergency department.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the causes and clinical and laboratory features of patients with ureteritis observed on intravenous contrast-enhanced abdominopelvic computed tomography (APCT) conducted in the emergency department (ED). METHODS: All APCTs conducted in the ED from November 2017 to November 2020 were investigated for the presence of ureteritis. The incidence of ureteritis, presumed cause of ureteritis, and clinical as well as laboratory features of patients with ureteritis were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Ureteritis was observed in 422 out of 7,386 patients (5.7%) who underwent APCTs. The two main reasons for undergoing APCT in the ED were abdominal pain (49%) and infection focus workup (33%). The first major cause of ureteritis was urinary tract infection (UTI) (351 of 422, 83%). Most patients (85%) were febrile, but 208 (59%) exhibited no urinary symptoms such as dysuria, increased frequency, or residual urine sense. The second major cause of ureteritis was ureteral stones (42 of 422, 10%). Thirty-two of 42 patients (76%) had simple obstructive uropathy, while 24% of patients had a combined infection along with an obstruction. Other rare causes were malignancy and the spread of adjacent inflammation. CONCLUSION: Ureteritis was a common finding observed in 5.7% of patients who underwent APCTs at the ED, and most of them were secondary to UTIs and ureteral stones. UTIs can cause ureteritis even without typical symptoms or signs suggestive of UTI, and diagnosis without an APCT can be difficult. More liberal use of APCTs should be considered when the cause of fever is difficult to diagnose.

Clinical investigation on acute pyelonephritis without pyuria: a retrospective observational study.

BACKGRUOUND: The current guidelines for the diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis (APN) recommend that APN be diagnosed based on the clinical features and the presence of pyuria. However, we observed that some of the patients who are diagnosed with APN do not have characteristic clinical features or pyuria at the initial examination. We performed this study to investigate the characteristics of APN without pyuria. METHODS: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted on 391 patients diagnosed with APN based on clinical and radiologic findings, between 2015 and 2019. The clinical features, laboratory results, and computed tomography (CT) findings were compared between patients with normal white blood cell (WBC) counts and those with abnormal WBC counts (WBC of 0-5/high power field [HPF] vs. >5/HPF) in urine. RESULTS: More than 50% of patients with APN had no typical urinary tract symptoms and one-third of them had no costovertebral angle (CVA) tenderness. Eighty-eight patients (22.5%) had normal WBC counts (0-5/HPF) on urine microscopy. There was a negative correlation between pyuria (WBC of >5/HPF) and previous antibiotic use (odds ratio, 0.249; 95% confidence interval, 0.140-0.441; p<0.001), and the probability of pyuria was reduced by 75.1% in patients who took antibiotics before visiting the emergency room. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of APN should not be overlooked even if there are no typical clinical features, or urine microscopic examination is normal. If a patient has already taken antibiotics at the time of diagnosis, imaging studies such as CT should be performed more actively, regardless of the urinalysis results.

Utility of a Modified Oropharyngeal Airway for Performing Tracheal Intubation Using a Fiberoptic Bronchoscope and Video Stylet: A Randomized Crossover Trial Using a Manikin.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess if a modified airway (MA), developed by the authors, would act as a guide and improve the performance of intubation when used with a video stylet (VS) or fiberoptic bronchoscope (FOB) for endotracheal intubation. METHODS: This randomized crossover simulation study using manikins was conducted with 36 novice operators. Time to complete intubation, time to see the glottis, and success rate of intubation of each device were measured and compared with or without use of MA. RESULTS: For intubation using FOB with MA, the median time to complete intubation significantly reduced from 46 to 31 seconds with a medium effect size (p=0.004, r = 0.483), and the median time to see the glottis significantly reduced from 7 to 5 seconds with a medium effect size (p=0.032, r = 0.357). The overall success rate was not statistically different between FOB with MA (33/36, 91.7%) and FOB alone (31/36, 86.1%); however, the cumulative success rate over time for FOB with MA was higher than that for FOB alone (p=0.333). For intubation using VS, there were no differences in the time to see the glottis and time to complete intubation between VS with MA and VS alone (p=0.065 and p=0.926, respectively), and the cumulative success rate was not statistically significant (p=0.594). CONCLUSION: Adjunct use of MA helped reduce time to complete intubation in FOB, but not in VS. If an inexperienced operator uses FOB, it would be helpful to use MA as an adjunct device.

Chronic Gastritis Is Associated with a Decreased High-Density Lipid Level: Histological Features of Gastritis Based on the Updated Sydney System.

Chronic gastritis could activate a systemic inflammatory response that could result in adverse lipid profiles. To determine the severity of chronic gastritis, Helicobacter pylori (HP), mononuclear cell (lymphocytes and plasma cells), and neutrophil scores were assessed on the basis of the updated Sydney system (USS), which is widely used for histological grading. The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between gastric histological features and lipid profile levels. This study included 15,322 males and 5929 females who underwent a health checkup and gastric biopsy at the Kangbuk Samsung Medical Center (KBSMC). We analyzed whether the HP, mononuclear cell, and neutrophil grades according to the USS were related to serum leukocyte count, unhealthy behaviors, and lipid profile levels. Gastritis with HP, neutrophils, or moderate to severe mononuclear cells was associated with an elevated serum leukocyte count. A high leukocyte count was related to increased low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and triglycerides/very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and decreased high-density lipoproteins (HDL). In multivariate analyses, chronic gastritis with HP or moderate to severe mononuclear cells was significantly associated with decreased HDL in males, while mononuclear cells were significantly related to decreased HDL in females. Chronic gastritis was associated with an increased systemic inflammatory response, which was associated with unfavorable lipid profiles, especially low HDL levels.

Characteristics of blood tests in patients with acute cerebral infarction who developed symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage after intravenous administration of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator.

OBJECTIVE: Patients suspected as having acute ischemic stroke usually undergo blood tests, including coagulation-related indexes, because thrombocytopenia and coagulopathy are contraindications for recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) administration. We aimed to identify blood test indexes associated with symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) in patients with acute ischemic stroke who received intravenous rtPA. METHODS: This retrospective observational study included patients diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke who were treated with intravenous rtPA at the emergency department of a tertiary hospital in Seoul between February 2008 and January 2018. Blood test indexes were compared between the sICH and non-sICH groups. Logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic curve analyses were performed. RESULTS: In this study, 375 patients were finally included. Of 375 patients, 42 (11.2%) showed new intracranial hemorrhage on follow-up brain computed tomography, of whom 14 (3.73%) had sICH. Platelet count, aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase levels were significantly different between the sICH and non-sICH groups, and platelet count showed statistical significance in the regression analysis. Significantly lower platelet counts were observed in the sICH group than in the non-sICH group (174,500 vs. 228,000/mm3, P=0.020). The best cutoff platelet count was 195,000/mm3, and patients with platelet counts of <195,000/mm3 had a 5.4- times higher risk of developing sICH than those with platelet counts of ≥195,000/mm3. CONCLUSION: Platelet count was the only independent parameter associated with sICH among the blood test indexes. Mild thrombocytopenia may increase the risk of sICH after intravenous administration of rtPA.

Current Guideline of Chest Compression Depth for Children of All Ages May Be Too Deep for Younger Children.

AIM: To determine whether the chest compression depth of at least 1/3 of the Anteroposterior (AP) diameter of the chest and about 5 cm is appropriate for children of all age groups via chest computed tomography. METHODS: The AP diameter of the chest, anterior chest wall diameter, and compressible diameter (Cd) were measured at the lower half of the sternum for patients aged 1-18 years using chest computed tomography. The mean ratio of 5 cm compression to the Cd of adult patients was used as the lower limit, and the mean ratio of 6 cm compression to the Cd of adult patients was used as the upper limit. Also, the depth of chest compression resulting in a residual depth <1 cm was considered to cause internal injury potentially. With the upper and lower limits, the compression ratios to the Cd were compared when compressions were performed at a depth of 1/3 the AP diameter of the chest and 5 cm for patients aged 1-18 years. RESULTS: Among children aged 1-7 years, compressing 5 cm was deeper than 1/3 the AP diameter. Also, among children aged 1-5 years, 5 cm did not leave a residual depth of 1 cm, potentially causing intrathoracic injury. CONCLUSION: Current pediatric resuscitation guidelines of chest compression depth for children were too deep for younger children aged 1-7 years.

Manikin study showed that counting inflation breaths out loud improved the speed of resuming chest compressions during two-person paediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

AIM: We investigated whether counting inflation breaths out loud during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) led to an earlier resumption of chest compressions. METHODS: In this randomised controlled manikin simulation study, conducted from February 2015 to April 2015, 32 fourth-year Korean medical students, equally divided into study and control groups, performed 10 cycles of 15:2 CPR while administering inflation breaths using a bag mask. The first study participant counted the number of inflation breaths out loud, and the second study participant was told to perform chest compressions as soon as they heard their colleague say two. The control group did not count out loud. The groups were blinded to the study outcomes and put in separate rooms. RESULTS: The median chest compression interruption time was shorter in the study group than the control group (40 vs 46 seconds, p < 0.01, r = 0.70), and the median chest compression fraction (CCF) was higher (68 vs 62%, p < 0.01, r = 0.71). Other quality outcomes related chest compressions and ventilation did not differ between the groups. CONCLUSION: Counting the number of inflation breaths out loud was a simple method that improved the speed of resuming chest compressions and increased CCFs in 15:2 CPR.

Differential diagnoses of magnetic resonance imaging for suspected acute appendicitis in pregnant patients.

BACKGROUND: Accurate and timely diagnosis of acute surgical disease in pregnant patient is challenging. Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most accurate modality to diagnose acute appendicitis in pregnant patients, it is often used as a last resort because of high cost and long scan time. We performed this study to analyze differential diagnoses of appendix MRI and to investigate if there are any blood tests that can predict surgical condition in pregnant patients. METHODS: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted on 46 pregnant patients who underwent non-enhanced appendix MRI in suspicion of acute appendicitis from 2010 to 2016. Differential diagnoses of appendix MRI were analyzed and blood tests were compared between those who had surgical and non-surgical disease. RESULTS: Appendix MRI differentiated two surgical disease; acute appendicitis and ovarian torsion; and various non-surgical conditions such as uterine myoma, hydronephrosis, ureterolithiasis and diverticulitis among clinically suspected acute appendicitis in pregnancy. The diagnostic accuracy of MRI for acute appendicitis in this study was 93.5%. Patients who had surgical disease showed significantly higher WBC count (≥11,000/mm3), proportion of neutrophils in the WBC (≥79.9%), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR≥6.4), levels of C-reactive protein (CRP≥1.82 mg/dL) and bilirubin (≥0.66 mg/dL) than those who had non-surgical disease. CONCLUSION: MRI can reliably differentiate surgical conditions and several blood tests (WBC, proportion of neutrophils in the WBC, NLR, CRP, bilirubin) can help anticipate acute surgical condition among pregnant patients suspected to have acute appendicitis.

Effect of metronome rates on the quality of bag-mask ventilation during metronome-guided 30:2 cardiopulmonary resuscitation: A randomized simulation study.

BACKGROUND: Metronome guidance is a feasible and effective feedback technique to improve the quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The rate of the metronome should be set between 100 to 120 ticks/minute and the speed of ventilation may have crucial effect on the quality of ventilation. We compared three different metronome rates (100, 110, 120 ticks/minute) to investigate its effect on the quality of ventilation during metronome-guided 30:2 CPR. METHODS: This is a prospective, randomized, crossover observational study using a RespiTrainer○r. To simulate 30 chest compressions, one investigator counted from 1 to 30 in cadence with the metronome rate (1 count for every 1 tick), and the participant performed 2 consecutive ventilations immediately following the counting of 30. Thirty physicians performed 5 sets of 2 consecutive (total 10) bag-mask ventilations for each metronome rate. Participants were instructed to squeeze the bag over 2 ticks (1.0 to 1.2 seconds depending on the rate of metronome) and deflate the bag over 2 ticks. The sequence of three different metronome rates was randomized. RESULTS: Mean tidal volume significantly decreased as the metronome rate was increased from 110 ticks/minute to 120 ticks/minute (343±84 mL vs. 294±90 mL, P=0.004). Peak airway pressure significantly increased as metronome rate increased from 100 ticks/minute to 110 ticks/minute (18.7 vs. 21.6 mmHg, P=0.006). CONCLUSION: In metronome-guided 30:2 CPR, a higher metronome rate may adversely affect the quality of bag-mask ventilations. In cases of cardiac arrest where adequate ventilation support is necessary, 100 ticks/minute may be better than 110 or 120 ticks/minute to deliver adequate tidal volume during audio tone guided 30:2 CPR.

Hematologic parameters to predict negative cerebrospinal fluid examination results among neurologically intact patients who underwent lumbar puncture on suspicion of central nervous system infection.

OBJECTIVE: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination is mandatory whenever central nervous system (CNS) infection is suspected. However, pleocytosis is not detected in a substantial number of suspected patients who undergo CSF examination. This study aimed to identify parameters that can aid in predicting negative CSF examination results (defined as a white blood cell count of <5 cells/high-power field). METHODS: The study included 101 neurologically intact patients who underwent lumbar puncture because of suspicion of CNS infection. Patients were divided into negative and positive CSF examination groups, and their initial blood tests were comparatively analyzed. RESULTS: The negative group had a significantly higher proportion of neutrophils in white blood cells (81.5% vs. 75.8%, P=0.012), lower proportion of lymphocytes in white blood cells (9.3% vs. 16.7%, P=0.001), a higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (9.1 vs. 4.4, P=0.001), a lower lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (1.6 vs. 2.4, P=0.008), and a higher C-reactive protein level (21.0 vs. 5.0 mg/L, P<0.001) than the positive group. In the receiver-operating characteristic analysis, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and C-reactive protein had an area under the curve of >0.7, and the best cutoff values were 6.0 (accuracy 70.3%) and 12.7 mg/L (accuracy 76.2%), respectively. CONCLUSION: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio ≥6 and C-reactive protein level ≥12.7 mg/L was significantly associated with negative CSF examination result.

Comparison of the GlideRite to the conventional malleable stylet for endotracheal intubation by the Macintosh laryngoscope: a simulation study using manikins.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of the GlideRite stylet with the conventional malleable stylet (CMS) in endotracheal intubation (ETI) by the Macintosh laryngoscope. METHODS: This study is a randomized, crossover, simulation study. Participants performed ETI using both the GlideRite stylet and the CMS in a normal airway model and a tongue edema model (simulated difficult airway resulting in lower percentage of glottic opening [POGO]). RESULTS: In both the normal and tongue edema models, all 36 participants successfully performed ETI with the two stylets on the first attempt. In the normal airway model, there was no difference in time required for ETI (TETI) or in ease of handling between the two stylets. In the tongue edema model, the TETI using the CMS increased as the POGO score decreased (POGO score was negatively correlated with TETI for the CMS, Spearman's rho=-0.518, P=0.001); this difference was not seen with the GlideRite (rho=-0.208, P=0.224). The TETI was shorter with the GlideRite than with the CMS, however, this difference was not statistically significant (15.1 vs. 18.8 seconds, P=0.385). Ease of handling was superior with the GlideRite compared with the CMS (P=0.006). CONCLUSION: Performance of the GlideRite and the CMS were not different in the normal airway model. However, in the simulated difficult airway model with a low POGO score, the GlideRite performed better than the CMS for direct laryngoscopic intubation.

Serum Procalcitonin: An Independent Predictor of Clinical Outcome in Health Care-Associated Pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: Early prediction of the clinical outcomes for health care-associated pneumonia (HCAP) patients is challenging. OBJECTIVES: This is the first study to evaluate procalcitonin (PCT) as a predictor of outcomes in HCAP patients. METHODS: We conducted an observational study based on data for HCAP patients prospectively collected between 2011 and 2014. Outcome variables were intensive care unit (ICU) admission and 30-day mortality. PCT was categorized into three groups: <0.5, 0.5-2.0, and >2.0 ng/ml. We analysed multiple variables including age, sex, comorbidities, clinical findings, and PCT group to assess their association with outcomes. RESULTS: Of 245 HCAP patients, 99 (40.4%) were admitted to an ICU and 44 (18.0%) died within 30 days. The median PCT level was significantly higher in the ICU admission (1.19 vs. 0.4 ng/ml; p < 0.001) and 30-day mortality (3.3 vs. 0.4 ng/ml; p < 0.001) groups. In multivariate analysis, high PCT (>2.0 ng/ml) was strongly associated with ICU admission [odds ratio 3.734, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.753-7.951; p = 0.001] and 30-day mortality (hazard ratio 2.254, 95% CI 1.250-5.340; p = 0.035). In receiver operating characteristic analysis, PCT had a poor discrimination power regarding ICU admission [0.695 of the area under the curve (AUC)] and a fair discrimination power regarding 30-day mortality in HCAP patients (0.768 of the AUC). CONCLUSIONS: High PCT on admission was strongly associated with ICU admission and 30-day mortality in HCAP patients. However, application of PCT alone seems to be limited to predicting outcomes.

Diffusion-weighted imaging-fluid-attenuated inversion recovery mismatch is associated with better neurologic response to intravenous thrombolytic therapy in acute ischemic stroke patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate differences in the effect of intravenous (IV) thrombolysis regarding the mismatch of diffusion-weighted imaging-fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (DWI-FLAIR) among acute ischemic stroke patients who visited the emergency department (ED) within 3 hours from the onset of symptoms. METHODS: Among ED patients presenting with an acute ischemic stroke between January 2011 and May 2013 at a tertiary hospital, those who underwent magnetic resonance imaging before IV thrombolytic therapy were included in this retrospective study. Patients were divided into DWI-FLAIR mismatch and match groups. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores obtained initially, 24 hours after thrombolytic therapy, and on discharge, and early neurologic improvement (ENI) and major neurologic improvement (MNI) were compared. RESULTS: During the study period, 50 of the 213 acute ischemic stroke patients who presented to the ED were included. The DWI-FLAIR mismatch group showed a statistically significantly greater reduction in NIHSS both at 24 hours after thrombolytic therapy and upon discharge than did the match group (5.5 vs. 1.2, P<0.001; 6.0 vs. 2.3, P<0.01, respectively). Moreover, ENI and MNI were significantly greater for the DWI-FLAIR mismatch group than for the match group (27/36 vs. 2/14, P<0.001; 12/36 vs. 0/14, P=0.012, respectively). CONCLUSION: Among acute ischemic stroke patients who visited the ED within 3 hours from the onset of symptoms, patients who showed DWI-FLAIR mismatch showed a significantly better response to IV thrombolytic therapy than did the DWI-FLAIR match group in terms of neurologic outcome.

A vertical two-thumb technique is superior to the two-thumb encircling technique for infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

AIM: The two-thumb encircling (TTE) technique often results in suboptimal cardiac compression and does not meet the requirements of current resuscitation guidelines. We compared this technique with the vertical two-thumb (VTT) technique, our novel modification of the TTE technique. METHODS: This was a prospective randomised crossover simulation study of out-of-hospital infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Participants who had completed a basic life support course performed 10 cycles of cardiac compressions on a manikin for each technique. RESULTS: We enrolled 36 medical doctors who had applied for a hospital internship in this study. The VTT generated significantly higher pressure than the TTE and the pressure difference ranged from 26.8 to 62.9 mmHg for each cycle, with a mean difference of 43.5 mmHg (95% CI, 37.8-49.2). The difference in pressure showed a tendency to increase with increasing cycles of cardiac compressions. The participants' heart and respiratory rate was higher with the VTT, but they said that it was easier to perform cardiac compressions with this technique. CONCLUSION: The VTT technique generated more pressure than the TTE technique in a simulated model of infant out-of-hospital CPR. It can provide an alternative compression technique for effective infant CPR, especially for the rescuers with small hands or a weak grip.

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.

Utility of the Pentax-AWS in performing tracheal intubation while wearing chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear personal protective equipment: a randomised crossover trial using a manikin.

INTRODUCTION: Following a chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear (CBRN) incident, prompt establishment of an advanced airway is required for patients with respiratory failure within the warm zone, while wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). Previous studies reported that intubation attempts were prolonged, and incidence of esophageal intubation was increased with conventional Macintosh laryngoscope (McL), while wearing CBRN-PPE. Pentax-AWS (AWS), a recently introduced portable video laryngoscope, was compared with the McL to test its utility for tracheal intubation while wearing CBRN-PPE. METHODS: 31 participants performed unsuited and suited intubations on an advanced life support simulator. The sequence of intubating devices and PPE wearing were randomised. Time to complete tracheal intubation (primary end point), time to see the vocal cords, overall success rate, percentage of glottic opening, dental compression and ease of intubation were measured. RESULTS: Suited intubations required significantly longer time to complete intubation than unsuited intubations, in both McL and AWS (22.2 vs 26.4 s, 14.2 vs 18.2 s, respectively). However, suited AWS intubations required shorter time to complete tracheal intubation than unsuited McL intubations (18.2 vs 22.2 s). In secondary outcomes, moreover, suited intubations using the AWS compared favourably with unsuited intubations using the McL. CONCLUSIONS: Although the CBRN-PPE adversely affected time required to complete tracheal intubation with the AWS, suited intubations using the AWS were even superior to unsuited intubations using the McL. The AWS should be a promising device to perform tracheal intubation while wearing the CBRN-PPE.

The duration of acute health problems in people involved with the cleanup operation of the Hebei Spirit oil spill.

The authors investigated the duration of health problems of people involved with cleanup efforts for the Hebei Spirit oil spill, which occurred in December 2007 in Taean County, South Korea. The study identified risk factors correlated with the continuation of symptoms. Approximately one year after the accident, 442 people who had participated in the cleanup operation were examined. Data regarding demographic information, risk factors, and the continuation and duration of any symptoms were obtained. Eye symptoms (9.7 months), headaches (8.4 months), skin symptoms (8.3 months), and neurovestibular symptoms (6.9 months) had a relatively longer duration than did back pain (1.8 months) or respiratory symptoms (2.1 months). In particular, the remission of headaches had a negative correlation with female gender (HR 0.57, 0.34-0.95, 95% CI), and remission of eye symptoms had a negative correlation with the total hours of daily participation in the cleanup operation (HR 0.24, 0.06-0.95, 95% CI).

Basic life support skill retention of medical interns and the effect of clinical experience of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the level of basic life support (BLS) skill retention of medical interns 6 and 12 months after BLS education and analyse the correlation between clinical experience of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and BLS skill retention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The baseline performance of BLS skills in medical doctors during their internship was tested immediately after the BLS provider course. The subjects were divided into two groups, which were tested using the same method after 6 months or after 12 months. Data on the subjects' CPR experience were collected through CPR records--specifically, the number of CPR experiences and the feedback given by the CPR team leaders. To evaluate BLS skill retention, baseline BLS skill performance was compared with the skill performances measured after 6 or 12 months. RESULTS: Fifty-six subjects were enrolled in the 6 month group and 36 in the 12 month group. For non-compression skills, the points for skills declined from 12 to 6 points in the 6 month group and from 12 to 6 points in the 12 month group and the declines in both groups were statistically significant. For compression skills, in the 12 month group, the hands-off time improved from 9.9 s to 8.7 s, with statistical significance. In the multivariate linear regression test, the number of times feedback was given had a statistical relationship with improvement in hands-off time in the 12 month group (coefficient 0.58, 95% CI 0.12 to 1.05). CONCLUSIONS: In medical doctors, the compression skills were well preserved, but the retention of non-compression skills was poor.