Prehospital tracheal intubations by anaesthetist-staffed critical care teams: a prospective observational multicentre study.

BACKGROUND: Prehospital tracheal intubation is a potentially lifesaving intervention, but is associated with prolonged time on-scene. Some services strongly advocate performing the procedure outside of the ambulance or aircraft, while others also perform the procedure inside the vehicle. This study was designed as a non-inferiority trial registering the rate of successful tracheal intubation and incidence of complications performed by a critical care team either inside or outside an ambulance or helicopter. METHODS: This observational multicentre study was performed between March 2020 and September 2021 and involved 12 anaesthetist-staffed critical care teams providing emergency medical services by helicopter in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The primary outcome was first-pass successful tracheal intubations. RESULTS: Of the 422 drug-assisted tracheal intubations examined, 240 (57%) took place in the cabin of the ambulance or helicopter. The rate of first-pass success was 89.2% for intubations in-cabin vs 86.3% outside. This difference of 2.9% (confidence interval -2.4% to 8.2%) (two sided 10%, including 0, but not the non-inferiority limit Δ=-4.5) fulfils our criteria for non-inferiority, but not significant superiority. These results withstand after performing a propensity score analysis. The mean on-scene time associated with the helicopter in-cabin procedures (27 min) was significantly shorter than for outside the cabin (32 min, P=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Both in-cabin and outside the cabin, prehospital tracheal intubation by anaesthetists was performed with a high success rate. The mean on-scene time was shorter in the in-cabin helicopter cohort. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04206566.

The combined use of three widely available biochemical markers as predictor of organ failure in critically ill patients.

BACKGROUND: We hypothesized that lactate dehydrogenase, LDH/albumin ratio in combination with or without magnesium (Mg(2+)) could predict organ failure in critically ill adult patients. The aim of this study was to describe a new risk index for organ failure or mortality in critically ill patients based on a combination of these routinely available biochemical plasma biomarkers. METHODS: Patients ≥ 18 years admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) were screened. Albumin and LDH were analyzed at the time of admission to ICU (n = 347). Organ failure assessed with 'Sequential Organ Failure Assessment' (SOFA) score was used, and 30-day mortality was recorded. The predictive value of the test was calculated using the areas under the receiving operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: The LDH/albumin ratio was higher in patients who developed organ failure as compared to those who did not (p < 0.001). The areas under the ROC curve were 0.77 both for prediction of multiple organ failure and for 30-day mortality. In a subgroup of patients (n = 183) admitted to ICU from the emergency department, the predictive values were 0.86 and 0.80, respectively. CONCLUSION: The LDH/albumin ratio at ICU admission was associated with the development of multiple organ failure and 30-day mortality in this prospective study. The clinical value of this biomarker as a predictor of organ failure in critically ill patients is yet to be defined.