A prospective investigation into the epidemiology of in-hospital pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation using the international Utstein reporting style

Factors that influence the self-reported confidence of pediatric residents as team leaders during cardiopulmonary resuscitation: A national survey

Objective

The leadership skills of pediatric residents during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may have major impacts on their performance. These skills should be addressed during the pediatric residency training program. Therefore, we aimed to identify the perceptions of residents regarding their level of confidence in providing or leading a real pediatric CPR code, and to identify different factors that might influence their self-confidence when assuming the role of a team leader during a real CPR.

Design & setting

Cross-sectional paper-based and online electronic surveys were conducted in February 2017, which included all Saudi pediatric residency program trainees.

Interventions

A survey questionnaire was distributed to Saudi pediatric residency trainees throughout the Kingdom. The main aim was to assess their perceived level of confidence when running a real pediatric CPR code either as a team leader or as a team member.

Results

The survey was distributed and sent by email to 1052 residents, where it was received by 640 and 231 responded (response rate = 36%). Almost one-fifth of the respondents (19.5%) did not have a valid pediatric advanced life support (PALS) certificate. The most frequently reported obstacles to life support training were lack of time (45.8%) and its financial cost (22.7%). The mean self-reported confidence as a CPR team member was reported significantly more frequently than being a CPR team leader (mean standard deviation, SD) = 7.8 (2.1) and 6.7 (2.4) respectively, P < .001). The self-reported confidence as a CPR team leader was reported significantly more frequently in males compared with female respondents (mean ± SD = 6.7 ± 2.4 and 5.9 ± 2.4, respectively; P < .013). There was a significant positive effect of recent attendance at a real CPR event on the perceived self-rated confidence of residents as a CPR team leader (P < .001). Residents who reported that they had often assumed a real CPR leadership role had significantly greater perceived self-confidence compared with those who assumed a member role (P < .05). Furthermore, residents without a valid PALS certificate had significantly less confidence in leading CPR teams than their peers who were recently certified (P < .05).

Conclusions

The self-reported confidence as team leader during CPR was higher among residents who were certified in life support courses, exposed to CPR during their training, and those who assumed the role of a team leader during CPR. Our findings suggests the need to incorporate life support training courses and simulation-based mock code programs with an emphasis on the leadership in the curriculum of the pediatric residency training program.

[Value of Pediatric Early Warning Score in identifying the condition of critically ill children]

OBJECTIVE

To study the value of Pediatric Early Warning Score (PEWS) in identifying the condition of critically ill children.

METHODS

A total of 120 children who were transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) from the general ward during hospitalization or admitted to the PICU after emergency treatment in the Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from January to December, 2016 were enrolled as the PICU group. The other 120 children who were admitted to the general ward in the hospital were used as the control group. According to the disease type, the PICU group was further divided into two subgroups: respiratory/circulatory system diseases (n=55) and nervous/other system diseases (n=65). The PEWS score on admission was recorded, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the value of PEWS in evaluating patients' condition.

RESULTS

The PICU group had a significantly higher PEWS score than the control group (P<0.05). The respiratory/circulatory system disease subgroup had a significantly higher PEWS score than the nervous/other system disease subgroup (P<0.05). In predicting whether the child was admitted to the PICU, PEWS had a sensitivity of 85%, a specificity of 95%, and an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.951 (95% confidence interval: 0.923-0.980) at the optimal cut-off value of 3.5 (PEWS score). The AUC of PEWS was 0.768 in the nervous/other system disease subgroup and 0.968 in the respiratory/circulatory system disease subgroup. The mortality rate of children with a PEWS score of >6, 4-6 and ≤3 was 40%, 21% and 0 respectively (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

PEWS can well identify disease severity in critically ill children, and it has different sensitivities in children with different varieties of diseases. PEWS has a good value in predicting children's prognosis.

Design and Deployment of a Pediatric Cardiac Arrest Surveillance System

Objective

We aimed to increase detection of pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) events and collection of physiologic and performance data for use in quality improvement (QI) efforts.

Materials and Methods

We developed a workflow-driven surveillance system that leveraged organizational information technology systems to trigger CPR detection and analysis processes. We characterized detection by notification source, type, location, and year, and compared it to previous methods of detection.

Results

From 1/1/2013 through 12/31/2015, there were 2,986 unique notifications associated with 2,145 events, 317 requiring CPR. PICU and PEDS-ED accounted for 65% of CPR events, whereas floor care areas were responsible for only 3% of events. 100% of PEDS-OR and >70% of PICU CPR events would not have been included in QI efforts. Performance data from both defibrillator and bedside monitor increased annually. (2013: 1%; 2014: 18%; 2015: 27%).

Discussion

After deployment of this system, detection has increased ∼9-fold and performance data collection increased annually. Had the system not been deployed, 100% of PEDS-OR and 50–70% of PICU, NICU, and PEDS-ED events would have been missed.

Conclusion

By leveraging hospital information technology and medical device data, identification of pediatric cardiac arrest with an associated increased capture in the proportion of objective performance data is possible.

Modification and Assessment of the Bedside Pediatric Early Warning Score in the Pediatric Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Population

OBJECTIVES

To determine the validity of the Bedside Pediatric Early Warning Score system in the hematopoietic cell transplant population, and to determine if the addition of weight gain further strengthens the association with need for PICU admission.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study of pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant patients from 2009 to 2016. Daily Pediatric Early Warning Score and weights were collected during hospitalization. Logistic regression was used to identify associations between maximum Pediatric Early Warning Score or Pediatric Early Warning Score plus weight gain and the need for PICU intervention. The primary outcome was need for PICU intervention; secondary outcomes included mortality and intubation.

SETTING

A large quaternary free-standing children's hospital.

PATIENTS

One-hundred two pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant recipients.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Of the 102 hematopoietic cell transplant patients included in the study, 29 were admitted to the PICU. The median peak Pediatric Early Warning Score was 11 (interquartile range, 8-13) in the PICU admission cohort, compared with 4 (interquartile range, 3-5) in the cohort without a PICU admission (p < 0.0001). Pediatric Early Warning Score greater than or equal to 8 had a sensitivity of 76% and a specificity of 90%. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve was 0.83. There was a high negative predictive value at this Pediatric Early Warning Score of 90%. When Pediatric Early Warning Score greater than or equal to 8 and weight gain greater than or equal to 7% were compared together, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve increased to 0.88.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, a Pediatric Early Warning Score greater than or equal to 8 was associated with PICU admission, having a moderately high sensitivity and high specificity. This study adds to literature supporting Pediatric Early Warning Score monitoring for hematopoietic cell transplant patients. Combining weight gain with Pediatric Early Warning Score improved the discriminative ability of the model to predict the need for critical care, suggesting that incorporation of weight gain into Pediatric Early Warning Score may be beneficial for monitoring of hematopoietic cell transplant patients.

Singapore Paediatric Resuscitation Guidelines 2016

We present the revised 2016 Singapore paediatric resuscitation guidelines. The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation's Pediatric Taskforce Consensus Statements on Science and Treatment Recommendations, as well as the updated resuscitation guidelines from the American Heart Association and European Resuscitation Council released in October 2015, were debated and discussed by the workgroup. The final recommendations for the Singapore Paediatric Resuscitation Guidelines 2016 were derived after carefully reviewing the current available evidence in the literature and balancing it with local clinical practice.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Infants and Children With Cardiac Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

Cardiac arrest occurs at a higher rate in children with heart disease than in healthy children. Pediatric basic life support and advanced life support guidelines focus on delivering high-quality resuscitation in children with normal hearts. The complexity and variability in pediatric heart disease pose unique challenges during resuscitation. A writing group appointed by the American Heart Association reviewed the literature addressing resuscitation in children with heart disease. MEDLINE and Google Scholar databases were searched from 1966 to 2015, cross-referencing pediatric heart disease with pertinent resuscitation search terms. The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association classification of recommendations and levels of evidence for practice guidelines were used. The recommendations in this statement concur with the critical components of the 2015 American Heart Association pediatric basic life support and pediatric advanced life support guidelines and are meant to serve as a resuscitation supplement. This statement is meant for caregivers of children with heart disease in the prehospital and in-hospital settings. Understanding the anatomy and physiology of the high-risk pediatric cardiac population will promote early recognition and treatment of decompensation to prevent cardiac arrest, increase survival from cardiac arrest by providing high-quality resuscitations, and improve outcomes with postresuscitation care.

Effect of a Pediatric Early Warning System on All-Cause Mortality in Hospitalized Pediatric Patients: The EPOCH Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE

There is limited evidence that the use of severity of illness scores in pediatric patients can facilitate timely admission to the intensive care unit or improve patient outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effect of the Bedside Paediatric Early Warning System (BedsidePEWS) on all-cause hospital mortality and late admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), cardiac arrest, and ICU resource use.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

A multicenter cluster randomized trial of 21 hospitals located in 7 countries (Belgium, Canada, England, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, and the Netherlands) that provided inpatient pediatric care for infants (gestational age ≥37 weeks) to teenagers (aged ≤18 years). Participating hospitals had continuous physician staffing and subspecialized pediatric services. Patient enrollment began on February 28, 2011, and ended on June 21, 2015. Follow-up ended on July 19, 2015.

INTERVENTIONS

The BedsidePEWS intervention (10 hospitals) was compared with usual care (no severity of illness score; 11 hospitals).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary outcome was all-cause hospital mortality. The secondary outcome was a significant clinical deterioration event, which was defined as a composite outcome reflecting late ICU admission. Regression analyses accounted for hospital-level clustering and baseline rates.

RESULTS

Among 144 539 patient discharges at 21 randomized hospitals, there were 559 443 patient-days and 144 539 patients (100%) completed the trial. All-cause hospital mortality was 1.93 per 1000 patient discharges at hospitals with BedsidePEWS and 1.56 per 1000 patient discharges at hospitals with usual care (adjusted between-group rate difference, 0.01 [95% CI, -0.80 to 0.81 per 1000 patient discharges]; adjusted odds ratio, 1.01 [95% CI, 0.61 to 1.69]; P = .96). Significant clinical deterioration events occurred during 0.50 per 1000 patient-days at hospitals with BedsidePEWS vs 0.84 per 1000 patient-days at hospitals with usual care (adjusted between-group rate difference, -0.34 [95% CI, -0.73 to 0.05 per 1000 patient-days]; adjusted rate ratio, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.61 to 0.97]; P = .03).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Implementation of the Bedside Paediatric Early Warning System compared with usual care did not significantly decrease all-cause mortality among hospitalized pediatric patients. These findings do not support the use of this system to reduce mortality.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01260831.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in congenital heart disease

This review article will discuss the indications for and outcomes of neonates with congenital heart disease who receive extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. Most commonly, ECMO is used as a perioperative bridge to recovery or temporary support for those after cardiac arrest or near arrest in patients with congenital or acquired heart disease. What had historically been considered a contraindication to ECMO, is evolving and more of the sickest and most complicated babies are cared for on ECMO. Given that, it is imperative for aggressive survellience for long-term morbidity in survivors, particularly neurodevelopmental outcomes.

24 vs. 72 hours of hypothermia for pediatric cardiac arrest: A pilot, randomized controlled trial

AIM

Children surviving cardiac arrest (CA) lack proven neuroprotective therapies. The role of biomarkers in assessing response to interventions is unknown. We hypothesized that 72 versus 24 h of hypothermia (HT) would produce more favorable biomarker profiles after pediatric CA.

METHODS

This single center pilot randomized trial tested HT (33 ± 1 °C) for 24 vs. 72 h in 34 children with CA. Children comatose after return of circulation aged 1 week to 17 years and treated with HT by their physician were eligible. Serum was collected twice daily on days 1-4 and once on day 7. Mortality was assessed at 6 months.

RESULTS

Patient characteristics, baseline biomarker concentrations, and adverse events were similar between groups. Eight (47%) and 4 (24%) children died in the 24 h and 72 h groups, p = .3. Serum neuron specific enolase (NSE) concentration was increased in the 24 vs. 72 h group at 84 h-96 h (median [interquartile range] 47.7 [3.9, 79.9] vs. 1.4 [0.0, 11.1] ng/ml, p = .02) and on day 7 (18.2 [3.2, 74.0] vs. 2.6 [0.0, 12.8] ng/ml, p = .047). Serum S100b was increased in the 24 h vs. 72 h group at 12 h-24 h, 36 h-84 h, and on day 7, all p < 0.05. HT duration was associated with S100b (but not NSE or MBP) concentration on day 7 in multivariate analyses.

CONCLUSION

Serum biomarkers show promise as theragnostic tools in pediatric CA. Our biomarker and safety data also suggest that 72 h duration after pediatric CA warrants additional exploration.

Neurobehavioural outcomes in children after In-Hospital cardiac arrest

AIM

Children who remain comatose after in-hospital cardiac arrest (IH-CA) resuscitation are at risk for poor neurological outcome. We report results of detailed neurobehavioural testing in paediatric IH-CA survivors, initially comatose after return of circulation, and enrolled in THAPCA-IH, a clinical trial that evaluated two targeted temperature management interventions (hypothermia, 33.0 °C or normothermia, 36.8 °C; NCT00880087).

METHODS

Children, aged 2 days to <18 years, were enrolled in THAPCA-IH from 2009 to 2015; primary trial outcome (survival with favorable neurobehavioural outcome) did not differ between groups. Pre-IH-CA neurobehavioural functioning, measured with the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition (VABS-II) was evaluated soon after enrollment; this report includes only children with broadly normal pre-IH-CA scores (VABS-II composite scores ≥70; 269 enrolled). VABS-II was re-administered 3 and 12 months later. Cognitive testing was completed at 12 months.

RESULTS

Follow-ups were obtained on 125 of 135 eligible one-year survivors. Seventy-seven percent (96/125) had VABS-II scores ≥70 at 12 months; cognitive composites were ≥2SD of mean in 59%. VABS-II composite, domain, and most subdomain scores declined between pre-IH-CA and 3-month, and pre-IH-CA and 12-month assessments (composite means declined about 1 SD at 3 and 12 months, p < 0.005); 3 and 12-month scores were strongly correlated (r = 0.72, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In paediatric IH-CA survivors at high risk for unfavorable outcomes, the majority demonstrated significant declines in neurobehavioural functioning, across multiple functional domains, with similar functioning at 3 and 12 months. About three-quarters attained VABS-II functional performance composite scores within the broadly normal range.

Incidence and prognosis of nosocomial infection after recovering of cardiac arrest in children

OBJECTIVE

to analyze the incidence of infection in children who have suffered an in-hospital cardiac arrest (CA) and the association with mortality.

METHODS

A retrospective unicenter observational study on a prospective database with children between one month and 16 years old, who have suffered an in-hospital CA was performed. Clinical, analytical and monitorization data, treatment, mortality and cause of death were recorded.

RESULTS

57 children were studied (57.6% males). Recovery of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) was achieved in 50 children (87.7%) and 32 (59.3%) survived. After ROSC, 28 patients (56% of those who achieved ROSC) were diagnosed of infection. There were not significant differences in mortality between patients infected (42.9%) and uninfected (27.3%) p=0.374. Only one died in consequence of a sepsis with multiorganic failure.

CONCLUSIONS

The frequency of infection in children after recovering of a cardiac arrest is high. There were no statistically significant differences in mortality between patients with and without infection after ROSC.

Improved Clinical Performance and Teamwork of Pediatric Interprofessional Resuscitation Teams With a Simulation-Based Educational Intervention

OBJECTIVES

To measure the effect of a 1-day team training course for pediatric interprofessional resuscitation team members on adherence to Pediatric Advanced Life Support guidelines, team efficiency, and teamwork in a simulated clinical environment.

DESIGN

Multicenter prospective interventional study.

SETTING

Four tertiary-care children's hospitals in Canada from June 2011 to January 2015.

SUBJECTS

Interprofessional pediatric resuscitation teams including resident physicians, ICU nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and registered respiratory therapists (n = 300; 51 teams).

INTERVENTIONS

A 1-day simulation-based team training course was delivered, involving an interactive lecture, group discussions, and four simulated resuscitation scenarios, each followed by a debriefing. The first scenario of the day (PRE) was conducted prior to any team training. The final scenario of the day (POST) was the same scenario, with a slightly modified patient history. All scenarios included standardized distractors designed to elicit and challenge specific teamwork behaviors.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Primary outcome measure was change (before and after training) in adherence to Pediatric Advanced Life Support guidelines, as measured by the Clinical Performance Tool. Secondary outcome measures were as follows: 1) change in times to initiation of chest compressions and defibrillation and 2) teamwork performance, as measured by the Clinical Teamwork Scale. Correlation between Clinical Performance Tool and Clinical Teamwork Scale scores was also analyzed. Teams significantly improved Clinical Performance Tool scores (67.3-79.6%; p < 0.0001), time to initiation of chest compressions (60.8-27.1 s; p < 0.0001), time to defibrillation (164.8-122.0 s; p < 0.0001), and Clinical Teamwork Scale scores (56.0-71.8%; p < 0.0001). A positive correlation was found between Clinical Performance Tool and Clinical Teamwork Scale (R = 0.281; p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Participation in a simulation-based team training educational intervention significantly improved surrogate measures of clinical performance, time to initiation of key clinical tasks, and teamwork during simulated pediatric resuscitation. A positive correlation between clinical and teamwork performance suggests that effective teamwork improves clinical performance of resuscitation teams.

Google Glass for Residents Dealing With Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Arrest: A Randomized, Controlled, Simulation-Based Study

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether real-time video communication between the first responder and a remote intensivist via Google Glass improves the management of a simulated in-hospital pediatric cardiopulmonary arrest before the arrival of the ICU team.

DESIGN

Randomized controlled study.

SETTING

Children's hospital at a tertiary care academic medical center.

SUBJECTS

Forty-two first-year pediatric residents.

INTERVENTIONS

Pediatric residents were evaluated during two consecutive simulated pediatric cardiopulmonary arrests with a high-fidelity manikin. During the second evaluation, the residents in the Google Glass group were allowed to seek help from a remote intensivist at any time by activating real-time video communication. The residents in the control group were asked to provide usual care.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

The main outcome measures were the proportion of time for which the manikin received no ventilation (no-blow fraction) or no compression (no-flow fraction). In the first evaluation, overall no-blow and no-flow fractions were 74% and 95%, respectively. During the second evaluation, no-blow and no-flow fractions were similar between the two groups. Insufflations were more effective (p = 0.04), and the technique (p = 0.02) and rate (p < 0.001) of chest compression were more appropriate in the Google Glass group than in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

Real-time video communication between the first responder and a remote intensivist through Google Glass did not decrease no-blow and no-flow fractions during the first 5 minutes of a simulated pediatric cardiopulmonary arrest but improved the quality of the insufflations and chest compressions provided.

Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) is used for patients in isolated or combined cardiopulmonary failures. The use of ECLS to rescue patients with cardiac arrest that is refractory to conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation has been shown to improve survival in many patient populations. Increasing recognition of the survival benefit associated with extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) has led to increased use of ECPR during the past decade. This review provides an overview of ECPR utilization; population-based clinical outcomes, resource utilization and costs associated this advanced form of life support therapy.

Irrational Exuberance: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation as Fetish

The Institute of Medicine and the American Heart Association have issued a "call to action" to expand the performance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in response to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Widespread advertising campaigns have been created to encourage more members of the lay public to undergo training in the technique of closed-chest compression-only CPR, based upon extolling the virtues of rapid initiation of resuscitation, untempered by information about the often distressing outcomes, and hailing the "improved" results when nonprofessional bystanders are involved. We describe this misrepresentation of CPR as a highly effective treatment as the fetishization of this valuable, but often inappropriately used, therapy. We propose that the medical profession has an ethical duty to inform the public through education campaigns about the procedure's limitations in the out-of-hospital setting and the narrow clinical indications for which it has been demonstrated to have a reasonable probability of producing favorable outcomes.

Survival Rates Following Pediatric In-Hospital Cardiac Arrests During Nights and Weekends

IMPORTANCE

Nearly 6000 hospitalized children in the United States receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) annually. Little is known about whether the survival of these children is influenced by the time of the event (eg, nighttime or weekends). Differences in survival could have important implications for hospital staffing, training, and resource allocation.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether outcomes after pediatric in-hospital cardiac arrests differ during nights and weekends compared with days/evenings and weekdays.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This study included a total of 354 hospitals participating in the American Heart Association's Get With the Guidelines-Resuscitation registry from January 1, 2000, to December 12, 2012. Index cases (12 404 children) from all children younger than 18 years of age receiving CPR for at least 2 minutes were included. Data analysis was performed in December 2014 and June 2016. We aggregated hourly blocks of time, using previously defined time intervals of day/evening and night, as well as weekend. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the effect of independent variables on survival to hospital discharge. We used a combination of a priori variables based on previous literature (including age, first documented rhythm, location of event in hospital, extracorporeal CPR, and hypotension as the cause of arrest), as well as variables that were identified in bivariate generalized estimating equation models, and maintained significance of P ≤ .15 in the final multivariable models.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary outcome measure was survival to hospital discharge, and secondary outcomes included return of circulation lasting more than 20 minutes and 24-hour survival.

RESULTS

Of 12 404 children (56.0% were male), 8731 (70.4%) experienced a return of circulation lasting more than 20 minutes, 7248 (58.4%) survived for 24 hours, and 4488 (36.2%) survived to hospital discharge. After adjusting for potential confounders, we found that the rate of survival to hospital discharge was lower during nights than during days/evenings (adjusted odds ratio, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.80-0.97]; P = .007) but was not different between weekends and weekdays (adjusted odds ratio, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.84-1.01]; P = .09).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The rate of survival to hospital discharge was lower for pediatric CPR events occurring at night than for CPR events occurring during daytime and evening hours, even after adjusting for many potentially confounding patient-, event-, and hospital-related factors.

Validation of the Children's Hospital Early Warning System for Critical Deterioration Recognition

OBJECTIVE

Early warning scores, such as the Children's Hospital Early Warning Score (CHEWS), are used by hospitals to identify patients at risk for critical deterioration and trigger clinicians to intervene and prevent further deterioration. This study's objectives were to validate the CHEWS and to compare the CHEWS to the previously validated Brighton Pediatric Early Warning Score (PEWS) for early detection of critical deterioration in hospitalized, non-cardiac patients at a pediatric hospital.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A retrospective cohort study reviewed medical and surgical patients at a quaternary academic pediatric hospital. CHEWS scores and abstracted PEWS scores were obtained on cases (n=360) and a randomly selected comparison sample (n=776). Specificity, sensitivity, area under the receiver-operating characteristic curves (AUROC) and early warning times were calculated for both scoring tools.

RESULTS

The AUROC for CHEWS was 0.902 compared to 0.798 for PEWS (p<0.001). Sensitivity for scores ≥3 was 91.4% for CHEWS and 73.6% for PEWS with specificity of 67.8% for CHEWS and 88.5% for PEWS. Sensitivity for scores ≥5 was 75.6% for CHEWS and 38.9% for PEWS with specificity of 88.5% for CHEWS and 93.9% for PEWS. The early warning time from critical score (≥5) to critical deterioration was 3.8h for CHEWS versus 0.6h for PEWS (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

The CHEWS system demonstrated higher discrimination, higher sensitivity and longer early warning time than the PEWS for identifying children at risk for critical deterioration.

Characteristics and Risk Factors for Mortality in Paediatric In-Hospital Cardiac Events in Singapore: Retrospective Single Centre Experience

Introduction: There is limited data on paediatric resuscitation outcomes in Asia. We aimed to describe outcomes of paediatric in-hospital cardiac arrests (IHCA) and peri-resuscitation factors associated with mortality in our institution. Materials and Methods: Using data from our hospital’s code registry from 2009 to 2014, we analysed all patients younger than 18 years of age with IHCA who required cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Exposure variables were obtained from clinical demographics, CPR and post-resuscitation data. Outcomes measured were: survival after initial CPR event and survival to hospital discharge. We analysed categorical and continuous variables with Fisher’s exact and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests respectively. Statistical significance was taken as P <0.05. Results: We identified 51 patients in the study period. Median age of patients was 1.9 (interquartile range [IQR]: 0.3, 5.5) years. Twenty-six (51%) patients had bradycardia as the first-recorded rhythm. The most common pre-existing medical condition was respiratory-related (n = 25, 48%). Thirty-eight (75%) achieved sustained return of spontaneous circulation, 24 (47%) survived to paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) discharge and 23 (45%) survived to hospital discharge. Risk factors for hospital mortality included: age, duration of CPR, adrenaline, calcium or bicarbonate administration during CPR, Paediatric Index of Mortality (PIM)-II scores, first recorded post-resuscitation pH and hyperglycaemia within 24 hours of resuscitation. Conclusion: We demonstrated an association between clinical demographics (age, PIM-II scores), CPR variables (duration of CPR and administration of adrenaline, calcium or bicarbonate) and post-resuscitation laboratory results (first recorded pH and hyperglycaemia within 24 hours) with PICU survival. The availability and quality of post-resuscitation care may have implications on survival after paediatric IHCA. Key words: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Child, Infant

Ventricular Fibrillation-Induced Cardiac Arrest Results in Regional Cardiac Injury Preferentially in Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery Territory in Piglet Model

Objective. Decreased cardiac function after resuscitation from cardiac arrest (CA) results from global ischemia of the myocardium. In the evolution of postarrest myocardial dysfunction, preferential involvement of any coronary arterial territory is not known. We hypothesized that there is no preferential involvement of any coronary artery during electrical induced ventricular fibrillation (VF) in piglet model. Design. Prospective, randomized controlled study. Methods. 12 piglets were randomized to baseline and electrical induced VF. After 5 min, the animals were resuscitated according to AHA PALS guidelines. After return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), animals were observed for an additional 4 hours prior to cardiac MRI. Data (mean ± SD) was analyzed using unpaired t-test; p value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. Segmental wall motion (mm; baseline versus postarrest group) in segment 7 (left anterior descending (LAD)) was 4.68 ± 0.54 versus 3.31 ± 0.64, p = 0.0026. In segment 13, it was 3.82 ± 0.96 versus 2.58 ± 0.82, p = 0.02. In segment 14, it was 2.42 ± 0.44 versus 1.29 ± 0.99, p = 0.028. Conclusion. Postarrest myocardial dysfunction resulted in segmental wall motion defects in the LAD territory. There were no perfusion defects in the involved segments.

Different Respiratory Rates during Resuscitation in a Pediatric Animal Model of Asphyxial Cardiac Arrest

Aims

Actual resuscitation guidelines recommend 10 respirations per minute (rpm) for advanced pediatric life support. This respiratory rate (RR) is much lower than what is physiological for children. The aim of this study is to compare changes in ventilation, oxygenation, haemodynamics and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) rates with three RR.

Methods

An experimental model of asphyxial cardiac arrest (CA) in 46 piglets (around 9.5 kg) was performed. Resuscitation with three different RR (10, 20 and 30 rpm) was carried out. Haemodynamics and gasometrical data were obtained at 3, 9, 18 and 24 minutes after beginning of resuscitation. Measurements were compared between the three groups.

Results

No statistical differences were found in ROSC rate between the three RR (37.5%, 46.6% and 60% in the 10, 20 and 30 rpm group respectively P = 0.51). 20 and 30 rpm groups had lower PaCO2 values than 10 rpm group at 3 minutes (58 and 55 mmHg vs 75 mmHg P = 0.08). 30 rpm group had higher PaO2 (61 mmHg) at 3 minutes than 20 and 10 rpm groups (53 and 45 mmHg P = 0.05). No significant differences were found in haemodynamics or tissue perfusion between hyperventilated (PaCO2 <30 mmHg), normoventilated (30–50 mmHg) and hypoventilated (>50 mmHg) animals. PaO₂ was significantly higher in hyperventilated (PaO₂ 153 mmHg) than in normoventilated (79 mmHg) and hypoventilated (47 mmHg) piglets (P<0.001).

Conclusions

Our study confirms the hypothesis that higher RR achieves better oxygenation and ventilation without affecting haemodynamics. A higher RR is associated but not significantly with better ROSC rates.

Outcomes Following Single and Recurrent In-Hospital Cardiac Arrests in Children With Heart Disease: A Report From American Heart Association's Get With the Guidelines Registry-Resuscitation

OBJECTIVES

Little is known regarding patient characteristics and outcomes associated with cardiac arrest in hospitalized children with underlying heart disease. We described clinical characteristics and in-hospital outcomes in cardiac patients with both single and recurrent cardiac arrests.

DESIGN

Retrospective analysis evaluating characteristics and outcomes in single versus recurrent arrest groups in unadjusted and adjusted analyses.

SETTING

American Heart Association's Get with the Guidelines-Resuscitation registry (2000-2010).

PATIENTS

Children younger than 18 years, identified with medical or surgical cardiac disease and one or more in-hospital cardiac arrest.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS

One thousand eight hundred and eighty-nine patients with 2,387 cardiac arrests from 157 centers met inclusion criteria: 1,546 (82%) with a single arrest and 343 (18%) with a recurrent arrest. More than two thirds of recurrent cardiac arrests occurred in ICUs, and those with recurrent arrest had a higher prevalence of baseline comorbidities (e.g., more likely to be mechanically ventilated and receiving vasoactive infusions). Overall survival to hospital discharge was 51%, and was lower in the recurrent versus single arrest group (41% vs 53%; p < 0.001). In analysis adjusted for baseline comorbidities, there was no longer a statistically significant association between recurrent arrest and survival (odds ratio, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.33-1.63; p = 0.45). In stratified analysis, the relationship between recurrent arrest and lower survival was more prominent in the surgical-cardiac (odds ratio, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.14-1.11; p = 0.09) versus medical-cardiac (odds ratio, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.28-3.30; p = 0.95) group.

CONCLUSIONS

In this large multicenter study, half of pediatric cardiac patients who suffered a cardiac arrest survived to hospital discharge. Lower survival in the group with recurrent arrest may be explained in part by the higher prevalence of baseline comorbidities in these patients, and surgical cardiac patients appeared to be at greatest risk. Further study is necessary to develop strategies to reduce subsequent mortality in these high-risk patients.

Survival and neurological outcome following in-hospital paediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation in North India

BACKGROUND

Data on outcome of children undergoing in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in low- and middle-income countries are scarce.

AIMS

To describe the clinical profile and outcome of children undergoing in-hospital CPR.

METHODS

This prospective observational study was undertaken in the Advanced Pediatric Center, PGIMER, Chandigarh. All patients aged 1 month to 12 years who underwent in-hospital CPR between July 2010 and March 2011 were included. Data were recorded using the 'Utstein style'. Outcome variables included 'sustained return of spontaneous circulation' (ROSC), survival at discharge and neurological outcome at 1 year.

RESULTS

The incidence of in-hospital CPR in all hospital admissions (n = 4654) was 6.7% (n = 314). 64.6% (n = 203) achieved ROSC, 14% (n = 44) survived to hospital discharge and 11.1% (n = 35) survived at 1 year. Three-quarters of survivors had a good neurological outcome at 1-year follow-up. Sixty per cent of patients were malnourished. The Median Pediatric Risk of Mortality-III (PRISM-III) score was 16 (IQR 9-25). Sepsis (71%), respiratory (39.5%) and neurological (31.5%) illness were the most common diagnoses. The most common initial arrhythmia was bradycardia (52.2%). On multivariate logistic regression, duration of CPR, diagnosis of sepsis and requirement for vasoactive support prior to arrest were independent predictors of decreased hospital survival.

CONCLUSIONS

The requirement for in-hospital CPR is common in PGIMER. ROSC was achieved in two-thirds of children, but mortality was higher than in high-income countries because of delayed presentation, malnutrition and severity of illness. CPR >15 min was associated with death. Survivors had good long-term neurological outcome, demonstrating the value of timely CPR.

Validation of a Pediatric Early Warning Score in Hospitalized Pediatric Oncology and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Patients

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the correlation of a Pediatric Early Warning Score with unplanned transfer to the PICU in hospitalized oncology and hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients.

DESIGN

We performed a retrospective matched case-control study, comparing the highest documented Pediatric Early Warning Score within 24 hours prior to unplanned PICU transfers in hospitalized pediatric oncology and hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients between September 2011 and December 2013. Controls were patients who remained on the inpatient unit and were matched 2:1 using age, condition (oncology vs hematopoietic stem cell transplant), and length of hospital stay. Pediatric Early Warning Scores were documented by nursing staff at least every 4 hours as part of routine care. Need for transfer was determined by a PICU physician called to evaluate the patient.

SETTING

A large tertiary/quaternary free-standing academic children's hospital.

PATIENTS

One hundred ten hospitalized pediatric oncology patients (42 oncology, 68 hematopoietic stem cell transplant) requiring unplanned PICU transfer and 220 matched controls.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Using the highest score in the 24 hours prior to transfer for cases and a matched time period for controls, the Pediatric Early Warning Score was highly correlated with the need for PICU transfer overall (area under the receiver operating characteristic = 0.96), and in the oncology and hematopoietic stem cell transplant groups individually (area under the receiver operating characteristic = 0.95 and 0.96, respectively). The difference in Pediatric Early Warning Score results between the cases and controls was noted as early as 24 hours prior to PICU admission. Seventeen patients died (15.4%). Patients with higher Pediatric Early Warning Scores prior to transfer had increased PICU mortality (p = 0.028) and length of stay (p = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrate that our institution's Pediatric Early Warning Score is highly correlated with the need for unplanned PICU transfer in hospitalized oncology and hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients. Furthermore, we found an association between higher scores and PICU mortality. This is the first validation of a Pediatric Early Warning Score specific to the pediatric oncology and hematopoietic stem cell transplant populations, and supports the use of Pediatric Early Warning Scores as a method of early identification of clinical deterioration in this high-risk population.

Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (E-CPR) During Pediatric In-Hospital Cardiopulmonary Arrest Is Associated With Improved Survival to Discharge: A Report from the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines-Resuscitation (GWTG-R) Registry

BACKGROUND

Although extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (E-CPR) can result in survival after failed conventional CPR (C-CPR), no large, systematic comparison of pediatric E-CPR and continued C-CPR has been reported.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Consecutive patients <18 years old with CPR events ≥10 minutes in duration reported to the Get With the Guidelines-Resuscitation registry between January 2000 and December 2011 were identified. Hospitals were grouped by teaching status and location. Primary outcome was survival to discharge. Regression modeling was performed, conditioning on hospital groups. A secondary analysis was performed with the use of propensity score matching. Of 3756 evaluable patients, 591 (16%) received E-CPR and 3165 (84%) received C-CPR only. Survival to hospital discharge and survival with favorable neurological outcome (Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category score of 1-3 or unchanged from admission) were greater for E-CPR (40% [237 of 591] and 27% [133 of 496]) versus C-CPR patients (27% [862 of 3165] and 18% [512 of 2840]). Odds ratios (ORs) for survival to hospital discharge and survival with favorable neurological outcome were greater for E-CPR versus C-CPR. After adjustment for covariates, patients receiving E-CPR had higher odds of survival to discharge (OR, 2.80; 95% confidence interval, 2.13-3.69; P<0.001) and survival with favorable neurological outcome (OR, 2.64; 95% confidence interval, 1.91-3.64; P<0.001) than patients who received C-CPR. This association persisted when analyzed by propensity score-matched cohorts (OR, 1.70; 95% confidence interval, 1.33-2.18; P<0.001; and OR, 1.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.31-2.41; P<0.001, respectively].

CONCLUSION

For children with in-hospital CPR of ≥10 minutes duration, E-CPR was associated with improved survival to hospital discharge and survival with favorable neurological outcome compared with C-CPR.

Standard instruction versus simulation: Educating registered nurses in the early recognition of patient deterioration in paediatric critical care

Identifying and stabilising deterioration in a child with significant clinical compromise is both a challenging and necessary role of the paediatric critical care nurse. Within adult critical care research, high fidelity patient simulation (HFPS) has been shown to positively impact learner outcomes regarding identification and management of a deteriorating patient; however, there is a paucity of evidence examining the use of HFPS in paediatric nursing education. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of HFPS on nurses' self-efficacy and knowledge for recognising and managing paediatric deterioration. Further, participants' perceptions of the learning experiences specific to the identification and management of a deteriorating child were also explored. Registered nurses working in a tertiary-referral paediatric critical care unit were recruited for this quasi-experimental study. Using a pre-test/post-test control-group design, participants were assigned to one of two learning experiences: HFPS or standard instruction. Following the learning experience, nurses were also invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. 30 nurses participated in the study (control n=15, experiment n=15). Participants in the HFPS intervention were most likely to demonstrate an increase in both perceived self-efficacy (p=<0.01) and knowledge (p=<0.01). No statistically significant change was observed in control group scores. The mean difference in self-efficacy gain score between the two groups was 5.67 score units higher for the experiment group compared to the control. HFPS also yielded higher follow-up knowledge scores (p=0.01) compared to standard instruction. Ten nurses participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis of the interview data identified four themes: self-awareness, hands-on learning, teamwork, and maximising learning. The results of this study suggest that HFPS can positively influence nurses' self-efficacy and knowledge test scores specific to the recognition and management of paediatric deterioration.

Using Time Series Analysis to Predict Cardiac Arrest in a PICU

OBJECTIVES

To build and test cardiac arrest prediction models in a PICU, using time series analysis as input, and to measure changes in prediction accuracy attributable to different classes of time series data.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Thirty-one bed academic PICU that provides care for medical and general surgical (not congenital heart surgery) patients.

SUBJECTS

Patients experiencing a cardiac arrest in the PICU and requiring external cardiac massage for at least 2 minutes.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

One hundred three cases of cardiac arrest and 109 control cases were used to prepare a baseline dataset that consisted of 1,025 variables in four data classes: multivariate, raw time series, clinical calculations, and time series trend analysis. We trained 20 arrest prediction models using a matrix of five feature sets (combinations of data classes) with four modeling algorithms: linear regression, decision tree, neural network, and support vector machine. The reference model (multivariate data with regression algorithm) had an accuracy of 78% and 87% area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. The best model (multivariate + trend analysis data with support vector machine algorithm) had an accuracy of 94% and 98% area under the receiver operating characteristic curve.

CONCLUSIONS

Cardiac arrest predictions based on a traditional model built with multivariate data and a regression algorithm misclassified cases 3.7 times more frequently than predictions that included time series trend analysis and built with a support vector machine algorithm. Although the final model lacks the specificity necessary for clinical application, we have demonstrated how information from time series data can be used to increase the accuracy of clinical prediction models.

Evaluation of Electronic Medical Record Vital Sign Data Versus a Commercially Available Acuity Score in Predicting Need for Critical Intervention at a Tertiary Children's Hospital

OBJECTIVES

Evaluate the ability of vital sign data versus a commercially available acuity score adapted for children (pediatric Rothman Index) to predict need for critical intervention in hospitalized pediatric patients to form the foundation for an automated early warning system.

DESIGN

Retrospective review of electronic medical record data.

SETTING

Academic children's hospital.

PATIENTS

A total of 220 hospitalized children 6.7 ± 6.7 years old experiencing a cardiopulmonary arrest (condition A) and/or requiring urgent intervention with transfer (condition C) to the ICU between January 2006 and July 2011.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Physiologic data 24 hours preceding the event were extracted from the electronic medical record. Vital sign predictors were constructed using combinations of age-adjusted abnormalities in heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, respiratory rate, and peripheral oxygen saturation to predict impending deterioration. Sensitivity and specificity were determined for vital sign-based predictors by using 1:1 age-matched and sex-matched non-ICU control patients. Sensitivity and specificity for a model consisting of any two vital sign measurements simultaneously outside of age-adjusted normal ranges for condition A, condition C, and condition A or C were 64% and 54%, 57% and 53%, and 59% and 54%, respectively. The pediatric Rothman Index (added to the electronic medical record in April 2009) was evaluated in a subset of these patients (n = 131) and 16,138 hospitalized unmatched non-ICU control patients for the ability to predict condition A or C, and receiver operating characteristic curves were generated. Sensitivity and specificity for a pediatric Rothman Index cutoff of 40 for condition A, condition C, and condition A or C were 56% and 99%, 13% and 99%, and 28% and 99%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

A model consisting of simultaneous vital sign abnormalities and the pediatric Rothman Index predict condition A or C in the 24-hour period prior to the event. Vital sign only prediction models have higher sensitivity than the pediatric Rothman Index but are associated with a high false-positive rate. The high specificity of the pediatric Rothman Index merits prospective evaluation as an electronic adjunct to human-triggered early warning systems.

Prevalence and Predictors of Gastrostomy Tube and Tracheostomy Placement in Anoxic/Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathic Survivors of In-Hospital Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in the United States

Introduction

Current prevalence estimates of gastrostomy tube (GT) /tracheostomy placement in hospitalized patients with anoxic/hypoxic ischemic encephalopathic injury (AHIE) post cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) are unknown. We sought, to estimate the prevalence of AHIE in hospitalized patients who had CPR and to identify patient/hospital level factors that predict the performance of GT/tracheostomy in those with AHIE.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (years 2004–2010). All patients who developed AHIE following CPR were included. In this cohort the odds of having GT and tracheostomy was computed by multivariable logistic regression analysis. Patient and hospital level factors were the independent variables.

Results

During the study period, a total of 686,578 CPR events occurred in hospitalized patients. Of these, 94,336 (13.7%) patients developed AHIE. In this AHIE cohort, 6.8% received GT and 8.3% tracheostomy. When compared to the 40–49 yrs age group, those aged >70 yrs were associated with lower odds for GT (OR = 0.65, 95% CI:0.53–0.80, p<0.0001). Those aged <18 years & those >60 years were associated with lower odds for having tracheostomy when compared to the 40–49 years group (p<0.0001). Each one unit increase in co-morbid burden was associated with higher odds for having GT (OR = 1.23,p<0.0001) or tracheostomy (OR = 1.17, p<0.0001). Blacks, Hispanics, Asians/Pacific Islanders, and other races were associated with higher odds for having GT or tracheostomy when compared to whites (p<0.05). Hospitals located in northeastern regions were associated with higher odds for performing GT (OR = 1.48, p<0.0001) or tracheostomy (OR = 1.63, p<0.0001) when compared to those in Western regions. Teaching hospitals (TH) were associated with higher odds for performing tracheostomy when compared to non-TH (OR = 1.36, 1.20–1.54, p<0.0001).

Conclusions

AHIE injury occurs in a significant number of in-hospital arrests requiring CPR. Certain predictors of GT/ Tracheostomy placement are identified. Patients in teaching hospitals were more likely to receive tracheostomy than their counterparts.

Factors associated with interhospital transfer of children with respiratory failure from level II to level I pediatric intensive care units

PURPOSE

Of all sources of admission to level I pediatric intensive care units (PICUs), interhospital transfer admissions from level II PICUs carry the highest mortality and resource use burden. We sought to investigate factors associated with transfer of children with respiratory failure from level II to level I PICUs.

METHODS

A case-control study was conducted among children with respiratory failure admitted to 6 level II PICUs between January 1, 1997, and December 31, 2007, with frequency matching of 466 nontransferred children (controls) to 187 transferred children (cases).

RESULTS

Among 653 children, transferred children were younger and had more comorbidities. After multivariable analysis, transferred children were more likely to have comorbidities (odds ratio [OR], 2.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.36-2.98) and receive escalated care including high-frequency ventilation (OR, 2.57; 95% CI, 1.04-6.37) and surfactant therapy (OR, 5.33; 95% CI, 1.35-21.0).

CONCLUSIONS

The study identified patient-level and process-of-care factors associated with transfer from level II to level I PICUs. These findings highlight the influence of escalated care on transfer decision making for critically ill children in respiratory failure.

Evaluating processes of care and outcomes of children in hospital (EPOCH): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background

The prevention of near and actual cardiopulmonary arrest in hospitalized children is a patient safety imperative. Prevention is contingent upon the timely identification, referral and treatment of children who are deteriorating clinically. We designed and validated a documentation-based system of care to permit identification and referral as well as facilitate provision of timely treatment. We called it the Bedside Paediatric Early Warning System (BedsidePEWS). Here we describe the rationale for the design, intervention and outcomes of the study entitled Evaluating Processes and Outcomes of Children in Hospital (EPOCH).

Methods/Design

EPOCH is a cluster-randomized trial of the BedsidePEWS. The unit of randomization is the participating hospital. Eligible hospitals have a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), are anticipated to have organizational stability throughout the study, are not using a severity of illness score in hospital wards and are willing to be randomized. Patients are >37 weeks gestational age and <18 years and are hospitalized in inpatient ward areas during all or part of their hospital admission.

Randomization is to either BedsidePEWS or control (no severity of illness score) in a 1:1 ratio within two strata (<200, ≥200 hospital beds). All-cause hospital mortality is the selected primary outcome. It is objective, independent of do-not-resuscitate status and can be reliably measured. The secondary outcomes include (1) clinical outcomes: clinical deterioration, severity of illness at and during ICU admission, and potentially preventable cardiac arrest; (2) processes of care outcomes: immediate calls for assistance, hospital and ICU readmission, and perceptions of healthcare professionals; and (3) resource utilization: ICU days and use of ICU therapies.

Discussion

Following funding by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and local ethical approvals, site enrollment started in 2010 and was closed in February 2014. Patient enrollment is anticipated to be complete in July 2015. The results of EPOCH will strengthen the scientific basis for local, regional, provincial and national decision-making and for the recommendations of national and international bodies. If negative, the costs of hospital-wide implementation can be avoided. If positive, EPOCH will have provided a scientific justification for the major system-level changes required for implementation.

Trial registration: NCT01260831 ClinicalTrials.gov date: 14 December 2010.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-015-0712-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Intraarrest rhythms and rhythm conversion in asphyxial cardiac arrest

OBJECTIVES

The objective was to analyze the cardiac arrest rhythms presenting during asphyxial cardiac arrest (ACA).

METHODS

Asphyxial cardiac arrest was induced in 30 Landrace large white piglets, aged 12 to 15 weeks and with a mean (±SD) weight of 20 (±2) kg. After the onset of cardiac arrest, the animals were left untreated for 4 minutes, after which cardiopulmonary resuscitation was commenced. Heart rhythms were monitored from the onset of asphyxia until return of spontaneous circulation or death.

RESULTS

After endotracheal tube clamping and prior to cardiac arrest, normal sinus rhythm was noted in 14 animals, atrial fibrillation in two animals, Mobitz II atrioventricular block in 10 animals, and third-degree atrioventricular block in four animals. At the onset of cardiac arrest, seven animals had ventricular fibrillation (VF), two had asystole, and 21 had pulseless electrical activity (PEA). During the 4-minute period of untreated arrest, however, significant changes in the monitored rhythm were noted; at the end of the fourth minute, 19 animals had VF, two animals had asystole, and nine animals had PEA.

CONCLUSIONS

The most common rhythm after 4 minutes of untreated ACA was VF, while in 57% of animals, PEA was spontaneously converted to VF during the cardiac arrest interval.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation for in-hospital events in the emergency department: A comparison of adult and pediatric outcomes and care processes

OBJECTIVES

To compare outcomes from in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the emergency department (ED) for pediatric and adult patients and to identify factors associated with differences in outcomes between children and adults.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of the Get With The Guidelines--Resuscitation database from January 1, 2000 to September 30, 2010. All patients with CPR initiated in the ED requiring chest compressions for ≥ 2 min were eligible; trauma patients were excluded. Patients were divided into children (<18 yo) and adults (≥ 18 yo). Patient, event, treatment, and hospital factors were analyzed for association with outcomes. Univariate analysis was performed comparing children and adults. Multivariate analysis was used to determine factors associated with outcomes.

RESULTS

16,834 events occurred in 608 centers (16,245 adult, 537 pediatric). Adults had more frequent return of spontaneous circulation (53% vs 47%, p = 0.02), 24h survival (35% vs 30%, p = 0.02), and survival to discharge (23% vs 20%, p = NS) than children. Children were less frequently monitored (62% vs 82%) or witnessed (79% vs 88%), had longer duration (24 m vs 17 m), more epinephrine doses (3 vs 2), and more frequent intubation attempts (64% vs 55%) than adults. There were no differences in time to compressions, vasopressor administration, or defibrillation between children and adults. On multivariate analysis, age had no association with outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Survival following CPR in the ED is similar for adults and children. While univariate differences exist between children and adults, neither age nor specific processes of care are independently associated with outcomes.

Sodium bicarbonate use during in-hospital pediatric pulseless cardiac arrest - a report from the American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines(®)-Resuscitation

BACKGROUND

Despite limited recommendations for using sodium bicarbonate (SB) during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), we hypothesized that SB continues to be used frequently during pediatric in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) and that its use varies by hospital-specific, patient-specific, and event-specific characteristics.

METHODS

We analyzed 3719 pediatric (<18 years) index pulseless CPR events from the American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines-Resuscitation database from 1/2000 to 9/2010.

RESULTS

SB was used in 2536 (68%) of 3719 CPR events. Incidence of SB use between 2000 and 2005 vs. 2006 and 2010 was 71.1% vs. 66.2% (P=0.002). The primary outcome was survival to discharge. Secondary outcomes included 24-h survival and neurologic outcome. Multivariable logistic regression analyzed the association between SB use and outcomes. SB had increased use an ICU location, metabolic/electrolyte disturbance, prolonged CPR, pVT/VF, and concurrently with other pharmacologic interventions. Adjusting for confounding factors, SB use was associated with decreased 24-h survival (aOR 0.83, 95% CI: 0.69, 0.99) and decreased survival to discharge (aOR 0.80; 95% CI: 0.65, 0.97). Inclusion of metabolic/electrolyte abnormalities, hyperkalemia, and toxicologic abnormalities only (n=674), SB use was not associated with worse outcomes or unfavorable neurologic outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

SB is used frequently during pediatric pulseless IHCA, yet there is a significant trend toward less routine use over the last decade. Because SB is more likely to be used in an ICU, with prolonged CPR, and concurrently with other pharmacologic interventions; its use during CPR may be associated with poor prognosis due to an association with "last ditch" efforts of resuscitation rather than causation.

In-hospital pediatric cardiac arrest in Honduras

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to analyze the characteristic and the prognostic factors of in-hospital pediatric cardiac arrest (CA) in a public hospital Honduras.

METHODS

A prospective observational study was performed on pediatric in-hospital CA as a part of a multicenter international study. One hundred forty-six children were studied. The primary end point was survival at hospital discharge. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the influence of each factor on mortality.

RESULTS

Cardiac arrest occurred in the emergency department in 66.9%. Respiratory diseases and sepsis were predominant causes of CA. Return of spontaneous circulation was achieved in 60% of patients, and 22.6% survived to hospital discharge. The factors related with mortality were nonrespiratory cause of CA (odds ratio [OR], 2.55; P = 0.045), adrenaline administration (OR, 4.96; P = 0.008), and a duration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation more than 10 minutes (OR, 3.40; P = 0.012).

CONCLUSIONS

In-hospital CA in children in a developing country has low survival. Patients with nonrespiratory causes and those who need adrenaline administration and prolonged resuscitation had worse prognosis.

Post return of spontaneous circulation factors associated with mortality in pediatric in-hospital cardiac arrest: a prospective multicenter multinational observational study

INTRODUCTION

Most studies have analyzed pre-arrest and resuscitation factors associated with mortality after cardiac arrest (CA) in children, but many patients that reach return of spontaneous circulation die within the next days or weeks. The objective of our study was to analyze post-return of spontaneous circulation factors associated with in-hospital mortality after cardiac arrest in children.

METHODS

A prospective multicenter, multinational, observational study in 48 hospitals from 12 countries was performed. A total of 502 children aged between 1 month and 18 years with in-hospital cardiac arrest were analyzed. The primary endpoint was survival to hospital discharge. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the influence of each post-return of spontaneous circulation factor on mortality.

RESULTS

Return of spontaneous circulation was achieved in 69.5% of patients; 39.2% survived to hospital discharge and 88.9% of survivors had good neurological outcome. In the univariate analysis, post- return of spontaneous circulation factors related with mortality were pH, base deficit, lactic acid, bicarbonate, FiO2, need for inotropic support, inotropic index, dose of dopamine and dobutamine at 1 hour and at 24 hours after return of spontaneous circulation as well as Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and total hospital length of stay. In the multivariate analysis factors associated with mortality at 1 hour after return of spontaneous circulation were PaCO2 < 30 mmHg and >50 mmHg, inotropic index >14 and lactic acid >5 mmol/L. Factors associated with mortality at 24 hours after return of spontaneous circulation were PaCO2 > 50 mmHg, inotropic index >14 and FiO2 ≥ 0.80.

CONCLUSIONS

Secondary in-hospital mortality among the initial survivors of CA is high. Hypoventilation, hyperventilation, FiO2 ≥ 0.80, the need for high doses of inotropic support, and high levels of lactic acid were the most important post-return of spontaneous circulation factors associated with in-hospital mortality in children in our population.