The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: An individual patient data meta-analysis.

AIM: Prior studies have reported increased out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) incidence and lower survival during the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated how the COVID-19 pandemic affected OHCA incidence, bystander CPR rate and patients' outcomes, accounting for regional COVID-19 incidence and OHCA characteristics. METHODS: Individual patient data meta-analysis of studies which provided a comparison of OHCA incidence during the first pandemic wave (COVID-period) with a reference period of the previous year(s) (pre-COVID period). We computed COVID-19 incidence per 100,000 inhabitants in each of 97 regions per each week and divided it into its quartiles. RESULTS: We considered a total of 49,882 patients in 10 studies. OHCA incidence increased significantly compared to previous years in regions where weekly COVID-19 incidence was in the fourth quartile (>136/100,000/week), and patients in these regions had a lower odds of bystander CPR (OR 0.49, 95%CI 0.29-0.81, p = 0.005). Overall, the COVID-period was associated with an increase in medical etiology (89.2% vs 87.5%, p < 0.001) and OHCAs at home (74.7% vs 67.4%, p < 0.001), and a decrease in shockable initial rhythm (16.5% vs 20.3%, p < 0.001). The COVID-period was independently associated with pre-hospital death (OR 1.73, 95%CI 1.55-1.93, p < 0.001) and negatively associated with survival to hospital admission (OR 0.68, 95%CI 0.64-0.72, p < 0.001) and survival to discharge (OR 0.50, 95%CI 0.46-0.54, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: During the first COVID-19 pandemic wave, there was higher OHCA incidence and lower bystander CPR rate in regions with a high-burden of COVID-19. COVID-19 was also associated with a change in patient characteristics and lower survival independently of COVID-19 incidence in the region where OHCA occurred.

Analysis of road traffic accidents involving standing electric scooters reported in newspapers in Italy.

OBJECTIVE: As the use of electric scooters increased in Italy in the last years, we aimed to estimate the burden of accidents caused by this micro-mobility vehicle and identify characteristics, severity, and type of injuries. METHODS: We conducted a case series analysis of news reports about electric scooter crashes occurring in Italy from January 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020. Events were included when a road traffic accident involved an electric scooter and caused damages or injuries to the driver or others. RESULTS: We identified 96 road accidents involving electric scooters in Italy. The mean age of patients was 30 ± 16 years, and 79% (n = 71/90) were male. Of the 96 patients, only two (2%) were driving an electric scooter with a helmet, and three (3%) were driving while intoxicated. In 68% (n = 62/94) of cases, the incident was caused by a collision with another vehicle or a pedestrian, and 30% (n = 18/96) were transported with life-threatening injuries to the emergency department. In 15% (n = 14/96), the emergency medical service physician was dispatched to the scene. Head trauma was the most common injury (60%, n = 32/53). Patients who had life-threatening conditions were more likely to have head trauma than those who did not (82% [n = 9/11] vs. 55% [n = 23/42], P = 0.10). Polytrauma was significantly more common in patients with life-threatening conditions than in patients with no life-threatening conditions (36% [n = 4/11] vs. 5% [n = 2/42], P < 0.01). Fifteen percent of patients (n = 12/81) were admitted to the intensive care unit; only one death was reported. CONCLUSION: Road traffic accidents involving electric scooters often result in serious injuries, including head trauma and polytrauma, necessitating the involvement of an emergency medical service physician and intensive care unit admission in a non-negligible percentage of instances.

Outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and a direct mechanism of cardiac arrest in infected patients was hypothesized. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. METHODS: PubMed and EMBASE were searched up to April 05, 2021. We included studies comparing out-of-hospital cardiac arrests patients with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection versus noninfected patients. The primary outcome was survival at hospital discharge or at 30 days. Secondary outcomes included return of spontaneous circulation, cardiac arrest witnessed and occurring at home, bystander-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation, proportion of nonshockable rhythm and resuscitation attempted, and ambulance arrival time. RESULTS: In the ten included studies, 18% (1341/7545) of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occurred in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and SARS-CoV-2 infection had reduced rates of survival (16/856 [1.9%] vs. 153/2344 [6.5%]; odds ratio (OR) = 0.33; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.17-0.65; P = 0.001; I2 = 28%) and return of spontaneous circulation (188/861 [22%] vs. 640/2403 [27%]; OR = 0.75; 95% CI, 0.65-0.86; P < 0.001; I2 = 0%) when compared to noninfected patients. Ambulance arrived later (15 ± 10 vs. 13 ± 7.5 min; mean difference = 1.64; 95% CI, 0.41-2.88; P = 0.009; I2 = 61%) and nonshockable rhythms (744/803 [93%] vs. 1828/2217 [82%]; OR = 2.79; 95% CI, 2.08-3.73; P < 0.001; I2 = 0%) occurred more frequently. SARS-CoV-2 positive patients suffered a cardiac arrest at home more frequently (1186/1263 [94%] vs. 3598/4055 [89%]; OR = 1.86; 95% CI, 1.45-2.40; P<0.001; I2 = 0%) but witnessed rate (486/890 [55%] vs. 1385/2475 [56%]; OR = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.82-1.14; P = 0.63; I2 = 0%) and bystander-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation rate (439/828 [53%] vs. 1164/2304 [51%]; OR = 0.95; 95% CI, 0.73-1.24; P = 0.70; I2 = 53%) were similar. CONCLUSIONS: One-fifth of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients had SARS-CoV-2 infection. These patients had low rates of return of spontaneous circulation and survival and were characterized by higher nonshockable rhythms but similar bystander-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation rate. REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO - CRD42021243540.

Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on out-of-hospital cardiac arrests: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: In addition to the directly attributed mortality, COVID-19 is also likely to increase mortality indirectly. In this systematic review, we investigate the direct and indirect effects of COVID-19 on out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. METHODS: We searched PubMed, BioMedCentral, Embase and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for studies comparing out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occurring during the pandemic and a non-pandemic period. Risk of bias was assessed with the ROBINS-I tool. The primary endpoint was return of spontaneous circulation. Secondary endpoints were bystander-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation, survival to hospital discharge, and survival with favourable neurological outcome. RESULTS: We identified six studies. In two studies, rates of return of spontaneous circulation and survival to hospital discharge decreased significantly during the pandemic. Especially in Europe, bystander-witnessed cases, bystander-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation and resuscitation attempted by emergency medical services were reduced during the pandemic. Also, ambulance response times were significantly delayed across all studies and patients presenting with non-shockable rhythms increased in two studies. In 2020, 3.9-5.9% of tested patients were SARS-CoV-2 positive and 4.8-26% had suggestive symptoms (fever and cough or dyspnoea). CONCLUSIONS: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests had worse short-term outcomes during the pandemic than a non-pandemic period suggesting direct effects of COVID-19 infection and indirect effects from lockdown and disruption of healthcare systems. Patients at high risk of deterioration should be identified outside the hospital to promptly initiate treatment and reduce fatalities. Study registration PROSPERO CRD42020195794.

Is Helicopter Really Faster Than Ambulance? The Padua Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Station Experience.

OBJECTIVE: Helicopter transport plays a fundamental role in modern health systems, and, yet, it is not been the focus of scientific research, especially in Italy. Our objective was to analyze Padua helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) station operations to discover whether this resource has been used correctly and advantageously. METHODS: The study was conducted considering 115 helicopter air ambulance operations minutes in 2018. Additionally, using geographic information systems and estimated ambulance data, a comparison was drawn between air and ground emergency medical services. RESULTS: Interfacility transports involved mainly adults. There were 65 (56.52%) "acute transports," 49 (42.61%) "back transports," and 1 "hyperspecialized care transport" (0.87%). The average route distance was 44.23 km; the modal class was 25 to 30 km. The average mission time was 1 hour 26 minutes; the modal class was 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. The Pearson correlation coefficient between flying/traveling time and the route length was 0.92 for helicopter and 0.94 for ambulance, and between mission time and route length, it was 0.05 for helicopter and 0.94 for ambulance. CONCLUSION: Helicopters are not always the fastest mode of transporting patients, and journey time is variable. Because of the importance of rapid response in emergency situations, we propose not to use helicopters for transports less than 50 km in distance.

Site-selection criteria for the Einstein Telescope.

The Einstein Telescope (ET) is a proposed next-generation, underground gravitational-wave detector to be based in Europe. It will provide about an order of magnitude sensitivity increase with respect to the currently operating detectors and, also extend the observation band targeting frequencies as low as 3 Hz. One of the first decisions that needs to be made is about the future ET site following an in-depth site characterization. Site evaluation and selection is a complicated process, which takes into account science, financial, political, and socio-economic criteria. In this paper, we provide an overview of the site-selection criteria for ET, provide a formalism to evaluate the direct impact of environmental noise on ET sensitivity, and outline the necessary elements of a site-characterization campaign.

The Rise of New Alcoholic Games Among Adolescents and the Consequences in the Emergency Department: Observational Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: The links between the internet and teenager behavior are difficult situations to control and may lead to the development of new and excessive methods of drinking alcohol during alcoholic games. Findings indicate that reported cases are very useful sources for better understanding of alcoholic games, yielding successful measures promoting health among adolescents. Admittance of adolescents to hospital emergency departments (EDs) after consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol has become the norm in developed countries. The harmful effects of acute alcohol abuse are reported in this paper. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work was to investigate the close connections between new drinking behaviors among adolescents and study the increase in new alcoholic games, together with the challenges that cause acute alcohol intoxication, the influence of the internet and social networks, and their consequences for public health services. METHODS: Data came from prehospital and intrahospital admissions attributable to alcohol consumption. From 2013 to 2015, 3742 patients were admitted to EDs due to acute alcohol intoxication: 830 of them were aged 15 to 30 years, and 225 were adolescents and young adults between 15 and 20 years who had been playing alcoholic games. Retrospectively, diagnostic data associated with extrahospital anamneses were selected by one of the hospital management information systems, Qlik. As a result of our previous experience, questionnaires and face-to-face interviews were performed at a later stage, when a clinical audit for intoxicated adolescent patients was described, with the overall goal of establishing a potential methodological workflow and adding important information to research carried out so far. RESULTS: Between 2013 and 2015, 830 young patients aged 15 to 30 years were admitted to EDs for acute alcohol intoxication. About 20% (166/830) of the sample confirmed that they had drunk more than 5 alcoholic units within 2 hours twice during the past 30 days as a result of binge drinking. Referring to new alcoholic games, 41% of the sample stated that they knew what neknomination is and also that at least one of their friends had accepted this challenge, describing symptoms such as vomiting, headache, altered behavior, increased talkativeness, and sociability. The median value of the weighted average cost of the diagnosis-related group relating to interventions provided by hospitals was the same for both genders, €46,091 (US $56,497; minimum €17,349 and maximum €46,091). CONCLUSIONS: Drinking games encourage young people to consume large quantities of alcohol within a short period of time putting them at risk of alcohol poisoning, which can potentially lead to accidental injuries, unsafe sex, suicide, sexual assault, and traffic accidents. The spread of these games through the internet and social networks is becoming a serious health problem facing physicians and medical professionals every day, especially in the ED; for this reason, it is necessary to be aware of the risks represented by such behaviors in order to recognize and identify preliminary symptoms and develop useful prevention programs. The strategic role of emergency services is to monitor and define the problem right from the start in order to control the epidemic, support planning, coordinate the delivery of assistance in the emergency phase, and provide medical education. Hospital-based interdisciplinary health care researchers collected specific data on hazardous drinking practices linked to evaluation of increased alcohol-related consequences and cases admitted to the ED.

Intralipid in acute caffeine intoxication: a case report.

Caffeine is arguably the most widely used stimulant drug in the world. Here we describe a suicide attempt involving caffeine overdose whereby the patient's severe intoxication was successfully treated with the prompt infusion of Intralipid. A 19-year-old man was found in an agitated state at home by the volunteer emergency team about 1 h after the intentional ingestion of 40 g of caffeine (tablets). His consciousness decreased rapidly, followed quickly by seizures, and electrocardiographic monitoring showed ventricular fibrillation. Advanced life support maneuvers were started immediately, with the patient defibrillated 10 times and administered 5 mg epinephrine in total and 300 + 150 mg of amiodarone (as well as lidocaine and magnesium sulfate). The cardiac rhythm eventually evolved to asystole, necessitating the intravenous injection of epinephrine to achieve the return of spontaneous circulation. However, critical hemodynamic instability persisted, with the patient's cardiac rhythm alternating between refractory irregular narrow complex tachycardia and wide complex tachycardia associated with hypotension. In an attempt to restore stability we administered three successive doses of Intralipid (120 + 250 + 100 mg), which successfully prevented a severe cardiovascular collapse due to a supra-lethal plasma caffeine level (>120 mg/L after lipid emulsion). The patient survived without any neurologic complications and was transferred to a psychiatric ward a few days later. The case emphasizes the efficacy of intravenous lipid emulsion in the resuscitation of patients from non-local anesthetic systemic toxicity. Intralipid appears to act initially as a vehicle that carries the stimulant drug away from heart and brain to less well-perfused organs (scavenging mechanism) and then, with a sufficient drop in the caffeine concentration, possibly as a tonic to the depressed heart.