A multiple logistic regression analysis of in-hospital factors related to survival at six months in patients resuscitated from out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation

Clinical laboratory findings associated with in-hospital mortality

The diagnostic approach and the clinical management of critically ill patients is challenging. The recognition of biomarkers related to in-hospital mortality is of importance for identification of patients at increased risk of death. Many prediction models assessing the severity of illness and likelihood of hospital survival were developed using logistic regression analyses. These models include several laboratory parameters, such as white blood cell counts, serum bilirubin, serum albumin, blood glucose, serum electrolytes and markers which reflect acid-base disturbances. Recently, several other biomarkers, including troponin, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), N-terminal proBNP, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, cholesterol and coagulation related markers have emerged as clinically useful tools for risk stratification and mortality prediction of heterogeneous and more specific subgroups of critically ill patients. More investigations are required to verify whether risk stratification based on mortality-related biomarkers may translate into targeted treatment strategies to improve clinical outcome of the critical illness. Biomarkers which are related to in-hospital mortality are highlighted in the current review.

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) consensus on science with treatment recommendations for pediatric and neonatal patients: pediatric basic and advanced life support

This publication contains the pediatric and neonatal sections of the 2005 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations (COSTR). The consensus process that produced this document was sponsored by the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR). ILCOR was formed in 1993 and consists of representatives of resuscitation councils from all over the world. Its mission is to identify and review international science and knowledge relevant to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and emergency cardiovascular care (ECC) and to generate consensus on treatment recommendations. ECC includes all responses necessary to treat life-threatening cardiovascular and respiratory events. The COSTR document presents international consensus statements on the science of resuscitation. ILCOR member organizations are each publishing resuscitation guidelines that are consistent with the science in this consensus document, but they also take into consideration geographic, economic, and system differences in practice and the regional availability of medical devices and drugs. The American Heart Association (AHA) pediatric and the American Academy of Pediatrics/AHA neonatal sections of the resuscitation guidelines are reprinted in this issue of Pediatrics (see pages e978-e988). The 2005 evidence evaluation process began shortly after publication of the 2000 International Guidelines for CPR and ECC. The process included topic identification, expert topic review, discussion and debate at 6 international meetings, further review, and debate within ILCOR member organizations and ultimate approval by the member organizations, an Editorial Board, and peer reviewers. The complete COSTR document was published simultaneously in Circulation (International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. 2005 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations. Circulation. 2005;112(suppl):73-90) and Resuscitation (International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. 2005 International Consensus Conference on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations. Resuscitation. 2005;67:271-291). Readers are encouraged to review the 2005 COSTR document in its entirety. It can be accessed through the CPR and ECC link at the AHA Web site: www.americanheart.org. The complete publication represents the largest evaluation of resuscitation literature ever published and contains electronic links to more detailed information about the international collaborative process. To organize the evidence evaluation, ILCOR representatives established 6 task forces: basic life support, advanced life support, acute coronary syndromes, pediatric life support, neonatal life support, and an interdisciplinary task force to consider overlapping topics such as educational issues. The AHA established additional task forces on stroke and, in collaboration with the American Red Cross, a task force on first aid. Each task force identified topics requiring evaluation and appointed international experts to review them. A detailed worksheet template was created to help the experts document their literature review, evaluate studies, determine levels of evidence, develop treatment recommendations, and disclose conflicts of interest. Two evidence evaluation experts reviewed all worksheets and assisted the worksheet reviewers to ensure that the worksheets met a consistently high standard. A total of 281 experts completed 403 worksheets on 275 topics, reviewing more than 22000 published studies. In December 2004 the evidence review and summary portions of the evidence evaluation worksheets, with worksheet author conflict of interest statements, were posted on the Internet at www.C2005.org, where readers can continue to access them. Journal advertisements and e-mails invited public comment. Two hundred forty-nine worksheet authors (141 from the United States and 108 from 17 other countries) and additional invited experts and reviewers attended the 2005 International Consensus Conference for presentation, discussion, and debate of the evidence. All 380 participants at the conference received electronic copies of the worksheets. Internet access was available to all conference participants during the conference to facilitate real-time verification of the literature. Expert reviewers presented topics in plenary, concurrent, and poster conference sessions with strict adherence to a novel and rigorous conflict of interest process. Presenters and participants then debated the evidence, conclusions, and draft summary statements. Wording of science statements and treatment recommendations was refined after further review by ILCOR member organizations and the international editorial board. This format ensured that the final document represented a truly international consensus process. The COSTR manuscript was ultimately approved by all ILCOR member organizations and by an international editorial board. The AHA Science Advisory and Coordinating Committee and the editor of Circulation obtained peer reviews of this document before it was accepted for publication. The most important changes in recommendations for pediatric resuscitation since the last ILCOR review in 2000 include: Increased emphasis on performing high quality CPR: "Push hard, push fast, minimize interruptions of chest compression; allow full chest recoil, and don't provide excessive ventilation" Recommended chest compression-ventilation ratio: For lone rescuers with victims of all ages: 30:2 For health care providers performing 2-rescuer CPR for infants and children: 15:2 (except 3:1 for neonates) Either a 2- or 1-hand technique is acceptable for chest compressions in children Use of 1 shock followed by immediate CPR is recommended for each defibrillation attempt, instead of 3 stacked shocks Biphasic shocks with an automated external defibrillator (AED) are acceptable for children 1 year of age. Attenuated shocks using child cables or activation of a key or switch are recommended in children <8 years old. Routine use of high-dose intravenous (IV) epinephrine is no longer recommended. Intravascular (IV and intraosseous) route of drug administration is preferred to the endotracheal route. Cuffed endotracheal tubes can be used in infants and children provided correct tube size and cuff inflation pressure are used. Exhaled CO2 detection is recommended for confirmation of endotracheal tube placement. Consider induced hypothermia for 12 to 24 hours in patients who remain comatose following resuscitation. Some of the most important changes in recommendations for neonatal resuscitation since the last ILCOR review in 2000 include less emphasis on using 100% oxygen when initiating resuscitation, de-emphasis of the need for routine intrapartum oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal suctioning for infants born to mothers with meconium staining of amniotic fluid, proven value of occlusive wrapping of very low birth weight infants <28 weeks' gestation to reduce heat loss, preference for the IV versus the endotracheal route for epinephrine, and an increased emphasis on parental autonomy at the threshold of viability. The scientific evidence supporting these recommendations is summarized in the neonatal document (see pages e978-e988).

Performance of department staff in the window between discovery of collapse to cardiac arrest team arrival

INTRODUCTION

Guideline-directed therapy during the first minutes of resuscitation may be life saving. This study assessed the performance of American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines by trained departmental staff in the period between discovery of collapse and emergency team arrival.

METHODS

Over a period of 24 months, departmental performance prior to the arrival of the emergency team (median 180 s) was assessed by debriefings conducted within 24h of each event in a 740-bed tertiary hospital with a dedicated certified resuscitation team. Outcome measures were failure to meet AHA treatment recommendations (primary) and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC)/survival to hospital discharge (secondary).

RESULTS

Two hundred and forty four events were included (216 patients). Mean age was 69+/-17 years; 45% were women. The underlying causes of collapse were mainly cardiac (39%) or respiratory (32%). Residents conducted most of the resuscitations (69%) prior to the arrival of the emergency team. Basic diagnostic measures such as assessments of pulse and rhythm were not performed in 19 and 33% of events. Therapeutic measures such as positive pressure ventilation, chest compressions and defibrillation were not provided according to the guidelines in 17, 12 and 44% of the events. ROSC occurred in 62% of events; 54% of VF/VT, 30% of asystole, 22% of PEA and 76% of bradyarrhythmias/severe bradycardias. Survival to hospital discharge was 37% overall and 41% for patients found in VF/VT (n=33).

CONCLUSIONS

Trained departmental staff performed poorly in the moments between patient discovery and arrival of the emergency team. Since patient outcomes were comparable to those described in the literature, poor resuscitation performance may be commonplace in hospitals where ward personnel are expected to deliver advanced life support prior to arrival of the emergency team.

Post resuscitation care: what are the therapeutic alternatives and what do we know?

A large proportion of deaths in the Western World are caused by ischaemic heart disease. Among these patients a majority die outside hospital due to sudden cardiac death. The prognosis among these patients is in general, poor. However, a significant proportion are admitted to a hospital ward alive. The proportion of patients who survive the hospital phase of an out of hospital cardiac arrest varies considerably. Several treatment strategies are applicable during the post resuscitation care phase, but the level of evidence is weak for most of them. Four treatments are recommended for selected patients based on relatively good clinical evidence: therapeutic hypothermia, beta-blockers, coronary artery bypass grafting, and an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. The patient's cerebral function might influence implementation of the latter two alternatives. There is some evidence for revascularisation treatment in patients with suspected myocardial infarction. On pathophysiological grounds, an early coronary angiogram is a reasonable alternative. Further randomised clinical trials of other post resuscitation therapies are essential.

Post-discharge survival following pre-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest due to cardiac aetiology: temporal trends and impact of changes in clinical management

AIMS

To determine whether survival after discharge following pre-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest has improved.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The Heartstart Register was used to identify all 1659 patients discharged alive from Scottish hospitals during 1991-01 following pre-hospital arrest due to cardiac aetiology. The cohort was split into tertiles using year of arrest. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine risk of death relative to 1991-93. Patients who survived cardiopulmonary arrest in 1997-01 were less likely to die from any cause (unadjusted HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.48-0.75, P<0.001) or cardiac disease (unadjusted HR 0.50, 95% CI 0.38-0.65, P<0.001). After adjustment for case-mix, there remained significant declines in all-cause (adjusted HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.50-0.78, P<0.001) and cardiac death (adjusted HR 0.52, 95% CI 0.39-0.68, P<0.001). Clinical management had improved, with increased use of thrombolysis (47-63%, chi2 trend, P<0.001), beta-blockers (28-53%, chi2 trend, P<0.001), ACE-inhibitors (48-69%, chi2 trend, P<0.001), and anti-thrombotics (79-88%, chi2 trend, P<001). Adjustment for recorded changes in management attenuated the decline in all-cause death (adjusted HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.60-0.98, P=0.03).

CONCLUSION

Survival following cardiopulmonary arrest has improved after adjusting for changes in case-mix. Better clinical management has contributed to this improvement.

Recommended guidelines for reviewing, reporting, and conducting research on post-resuscitation care: The Utstein style

The aim of this report is to establish recommendations for reviewing, reporting, and conducting research during the post-resuscitation period in hospital. It defines data that are needed for research and more specialised registries and therefore supplements the recently updated Utstein template for resuscitation registries. The updated Utstein template and the out-of-hospital "Chain of Survival" describe factors of importance for successful resuscitation up until return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Several factors in the in-hospital phase after ROSC are also likely to affect the ultimate outcome of the patient. Large differences in survival to hospital discharge for patients admitted alive are reported between hospitals. Therapeutic hypothermia has been demonstrated to improve the outcome, and other factors such as blood glucose, haemodynamics, ventilatory support, etc., might also influence the result. No generally accepted, scientifically based protocol exists for the post-resuscitation period in hospital, other than general brain-oriented intensive care. There is little published information on this in-hospital phase. This statement is the result of a scientific consensus development process started as a symposium by a task force at the Utstein Abbey, Norway, in September 2003. Suggested data are defined as core and supplementary and include the following categories: pre-arrest co-morbidity and functional status, cause of death, patients' quality of life, in-hospital system factors, investigations and treatment, and physiological data at various time points during the first three days after admission. It is hoped that the publication of these recommendations will encourage research into the in-hospital post-resuscitation phase, which we propose should be included in the chain-of-survival as a fifth ring. Following these recommendations should enable better understanding of the impact of different in-hospital treatment strategies on outcome.

A history of diabetes is associated with an adverse outcome among patients admitted to hospital alive after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

BACKGROUND

Factors of importance for the outcome among patients who are admitted to hospital alive after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are not well described in the literature. The importance of a history of diabetes for the outcome among these patients has not been reported in detail previously. This survey aims to describe the outcome among patients who were admitted to hospital after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in relation to whether they had a history of diabetes.

METHODS

All patients who were admitted to hospital alive after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the two city hospitals in the Municipality of Göteborg between 1980 and 2002 were included in the survey.

RESULTS

In all, 1377 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and 187 (14%) of them had a history of diabetes. Patients with diabetes differed from those without diabetes by having a previous history of myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, hypertension and heart failure more frequently. Furthermore, they were older, with a mean age of 70 years versus 66 years for patients without diabetes. Among patients with diabetes, 25% were discharged alive, as compared with 37% of patients without diabetes (p=0.002). When adjusting for differences at baseline, the adjusted odds ratio for diabetic patients being discharged alive (versus no diabetes) was 0.57 (95% confidence interval, 0.39-0.80).

CONCLUSION

Among patients admitted to hospital after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, 14% had a history of diabetes. These patients had a lower survival rate compared with those without diabetes, even after correcting for dissimilarities at baseline. It remains to be determined whether an early metabolic intervention in these patients will improve survival.

Outcomes after ventricular fibrillation out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: expanding the chain of survival

Coronary heart disease is the most common cause of death in the United States, with ventricular fibrillation (VF) the most common initial rhythm when cardiac disease causes arrest. Survival after VF out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) depends on a sequence of events called the chain of survival, which Includes rapid access to emergency medical services, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, defibrillation, and advanced care. Because of widespread implementation of defibrillation programs, more patients survive VF OHCAs, making subsequent care of these patients important. Early hospitalization must focus on potential neurologic injury and therapy targeted at the underlying cardiac disease and antiarrhythmic therapy for long-term secondary prevention of sudden death. Attention to certain cohorts who are at high risk despite their underlying disease, such as women and elderly patients, is necessary. These cohorts may have the greatest response to short-term and long-term therapies for cardiac rehabilitation. With these approaches, long-term survival and quality of life after VF OHCA are favorable. Broadening the focus of the chain of survival to include in-hospital and long-term care will further improve favorable outcomes achieved in an early defibrillation program.

Differences in mortality on the basis of laboratory parameters in an unselected population at the Emergency Department

The objective of this study was to relate multiple laboratory results of initial blood gas analysis in patients visiting the emergency department to mortality. A total of 1806 adult patients visiting the emergency department for any reason, who underwent blood gas analysis, were included in this study. The results of nine laboratory parameters (ionised calcium, potassium, sodium, glucose, lactate, pH, pCO