Clinical Serum Therapy: Benefits, Cautions, and Potential Applications

Blood serum from immunized humans or animals (e.g., horses) contains relevant antibodies and has been used as serum therapy to treat many diseases or envenomation events. The effectiveness of blood serum was initially discovered in 1890 when Kitasato and von Behring observed the effectiveness of this type of therapy against diphtheria and tetanus. Serum therapies played an important role in the advancement of modern medicine prior to the development of penicillin and steroids. At present, several types of serum therapy remain in clinical use. However, some physicians have a limited understanding of the nature and the benefits of serum therapy and the factors that require particular attention. In this review, we set out to clarify the benefits, cautions, and potential applications of serum therapy in the context of conditions such as gas gangrene, diphtheria, botulism, and tetanus and bites from three snake species (mamushi, habu, and yamakagashi) and the redback spider. It is hoped that this review will help clinicians to learn about clinical serum therapies and become familiar with their applications.

Association between cardiopulmonary resuscitation duration and one-month neurological outcomes for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a prospective cohort study

Background

The duration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an important factor associated with the outcomes for an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. However, the appropriate CPR duration remains unclear considering pre- and in-hospital settings. The present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the CPR duration (including both the pre- and in-hospital duration) and neurologically favorable outcomes 1-month after cardiac arrest.

Methods

Data were utilized from a prospective multi-center cohort study of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients transported to 67 emergency hospitals between January 2012 and March 2013 in the Kanto area of Japan. A total of 3,353 patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (age ≥18 years) who underwent CPR by emergency medical service personnel and achieved the return of spontaneous circulation in a pre- or in-hospital setting were analyzed. The primary outcome was a 1-month favorable neurological outcome. Logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the influence of cardiopulmonary resuscitation duration. The CPR duration that achieved a cumulative proportion >99% of cases with a 1-month neurologically favorable outcome was determined.

Results

Of the 3,353 eligible cases, pre-hospital return of spontaneous circulation was obtained in 1,692 cases (50.5%). A total of 279 (8.3%) cases had a 1-month neurologically favorable outcome. The CPR duration was significantly and inversely associated with 1-month neurologically favorable outcomes with adjustment for pre- and in-hospital confounders (adjusted odds ratio: 0.911, per minute, 95% CI: 0.892–0.929, p < 0.001). After 30 min of CPR, the probability of a 1-month neurologically favorable outcome decreased from 8.3 to 0.7%. At 45 min of CPR, the cumulative proportion for a 1-month neurologically favorable outcome reached >99%.

Conclusions

The CPR duration was independently and inversely associated with 1-month neurologically favorable outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The CPR duration required to achieve return of spontaneous circulation in >99% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients with a 1-month favorable neurological outcome was 45 min, considering both pre- and in-hospital settings.

Hypervirulence and hypermucoviscosity: Two different but complementary Klebsiella spp. phenotypes?

Since the hypermucoviscous variants of Klebsiella pneumoniae were first reported, many cases of primary liver abscesses and other invasive infections caused by this pathogen have been described worldwide. Hypermucoviscosity is a phenotypic feature characterized by the formation of a viscous filament ≥5 mm when a bacterial colony is stretched by a bacteriological loop; this is the so-called positive string test. Hypermucoviscosity appears to be associated with this unusual and aggressive type of infection, and therefore, the causal strains are considered hypervirulent. Since these first reports, the terms hypermucoviscosity and hypervirulence have often been used synonymously. However, new evidence has suggested that hypermucoviscosity and hypervirulence are 2 different phenotypes that should not be used synonymously. Moreover, it is important to establish that a negative string test is insufficient in determining whether a strain is or is not hypervirulent. On the other hand, hypervirulence- and hypermucoviscosity-associated genes must be identified, considering that these phenotypes correspond to 2 different phenomena, regardless of whether they can act in synergy under certain circumstances. Therefore, it is essential to quickly identify the genetic determinants behind the hypervirulent phenotype to develop effective methodologies that can diagnose in a prompt and effective way these hypervirulent variants of K. pneumoniae.

The significance of strong ion gap for predicting return of spontaneous circulation in patients with cardiopulmonary arrest

Useful parameters that can predict return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in patients with cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) have not been established. We previously reported the usefulness of anion gap (AG) and albumin-corrected anion gap (ACAG) calculated from a blood sample obtained on arrival at the hospital for the prediction of ROSC. Otherwise, it has been reported that strong ion gap (SIG), which shows the difference between the levels of fully dissociated cations and anions in the serum, is useful to predict the prognosis of critically ill patients.

This was a prospective and observational clinical study. Patients with CPA transferred to the emergency department of our hospital between January 2013 and December 2014 were evaluated. Patients were divided into two groups: patients who obtained ROSC [ROSC(+) group] and those who did not [ROSC(−) group]. We compared AG, ACAG and SIG between the two groups.

A total of 170 patients were enrolled. Fifty patients were included in the ROSC(+) group, and the remaining 120 in the ROSC(−) group. Both AG and ACAG were significantly better in the ROSC(+) group; however, there was no significant difference in SIG between the two groups. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) for ROSC of both AG and ACAG were almost the same (0.72 and 0.708, respectively); the AUC of SIG (0.57) was inferior to those of AG and ACAG.

Our results suggest that AG and ACAG can better predict ROSC following cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) compared with SIG.

Antiarrhythmic drugs for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with refractory ventricular fibrillation

This article is one of ten reviews selected from the Annual Update in Intensive Care and Emergency medicine 2017. Other selected articles can be found online at http://ccforum.com/series/annualupdate2017. Further information about the Annual Update in Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine is available from http://www.springer.com/series/8901.

FDP/fibrinogen ratio reflects the requirement of packed red blood cell transfusion in patients with blunt trauma

PURPOSE

To find factors that predict the requirement of packed red blood cells (pRBC) transfusion in patients with blunt trauma on arrival at the hospital.

METHODS

We conducted blood tests in trauma patients whose trauma severity was suspected as being 3 and over in the Abbreviated Injury Scale. Patients were divided into the blood transfusion (BT) and control groups according to the requirement of pRBC transfusion within 24h after arrival.

RESULTS

We analyzed 347 patients (BT group, n=14; control group, n=333). On univariate analysis, there were significant differences in Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), rate of positive FAST (focused assessment with sonography for trauma) finding, hematocrit, international normalized ratio of prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen (Fib), and level of fibrin degradation products (FDP). On multivariable analysis, positive FAST finding, GCS, Fib, and FDP influenced the requirement of pRBC transfusion. In the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, Fib and FDP were markers that predicted the requirement of pRBC transfusion. The FDP/Fib ratio had a better correlation with the requirement of pRBC transfusion than FDP or Fib.

CONCLUSIONS

The FDP/Fib ratio can be easily measured and may be a predictor of the need for pRBC transfusion.

Critical Care Management Focused on Optimizing Brain Function After Cardiac Arrest

The discussion of neurocritical care management in post-cardiac arrest syndrome (PCAS) has generally focused on target values used for targeted temperature management (TTM). There has been less attention paid to target values for systemic and cerebral parameters to minimize secondary brain damage in PCAS. And the neurologic indications for TTM to produce a favorable neurologic outcome remain to be determined. Critical care management of PCAS patients is fundamental and essential for both cardiologists and general intensivists to improve neurologic outcome, because definitive therapy of PCAS includes both special management of the cause of cardiac arrest, such as coronary intervention to ischemic heart disease, and intensive management of the results of cardiac arrest, such as ventilation strategies to avoid brain ischemia. We reviewed the literature and the latest research about the following issues and propose practical care recommendations. Issues are (1) prediction of TTM candidate on admission, (2) cerebral blood flow and metabolism and target value of them, (3) seizure management using continuous electroencephalography, (4) target value of hemodynamic stabilization and its method, (5) management and analysis of respiration, (6) sedation and its monitoring, (7) shivering control and its monitoring, and (8) glucose management. We hope to establish standards of neurocritical care to optimize brain function and produce a favorable neurologic outcome.

Acupuncture and Traditional Herbal Medicine Therapy Prevent Deliriumin Patients with Cardiovascular Disease in Intensive Care Units

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of combination therapy consisting of acupuncture and traditional herbal medicine (Kampo medicine) for reducing the incidence rate of delirium in patients with cardiovascular (CV) disease in ICUs. Twenty-nine patients who had been urgently admitted to the ICU in the control period were treated with conventional intensive care. Thirty patients in the treatment period received conventional therapy plus a combination therapy consisting of acupuncture and herbal medicine. Acupuncture treatment was performed once a day, and the herbal formula was administered orally three times a day during the first week of the ICU stay. The standard acupuncture points were GV20, Ex-HN3, HT7, LI4, Liv3, and KI3, and the main herbal preparation was Kamikihito. The incident rates of delirium, assessed using the confusion assessment method for ICU, in the treatment and control period were compared. The incidence rate of delirium was significantly lower in the treatment group than in the control group (6.6% vs. 37.9%, [Formula: see text]). Moreover, sedative drugs and non-pharmacological approaches against aggressive behavior of patients who were delirious were used less in the treatment group than in the control group. No serious adverse events were observed in the treatment group. Combination therapy consisting of acupuncture and herbal medicine was found to be effective in lowering the incidence of delirium in patients with CV disease in ICUs. Further studies with a large sample size and parallel randomized controlled design would be required to establish the effects of this therapy.

The relationship between cerebral regional oxygen saturation during extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the neurological outcome in a retrospective analysis of 16 cases

Background

In recent years, the measurement of cerebral regional oxygen saturation (rSO₂) during resuscitation has attracted attention. The objective of this study was to clarify the relationship between the serial changes in the cerebral rSO₂ values during extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) and the neurological outcome.

Methods

We measured the serial changes in the cerebral rSO₂ values of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest before and after ECPR in Osaka National Hospital.

Results

From January 2013 through March 2015, the serial changes in the cerebral rSO₂ values were evaluated in 16 patients. Their outcomes, as measured by the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score at discharge, included good recovery (GR) (n = 4), vegetative state (VS) (n = 2), and death (D) (n = 10). In the poor neurological group (VS and D: n = 12; age, 52.8 ± 4.0 years), the cerebral rSO₂ values showed a significant increase during ECPR (5 min before ECPR: 52.0 ± 1.8%; 2 min before ECPR: 56.1 ± 2.3%; 2 min after ECPR: 63.5 ± 2.2%; 5 min after ECPR: 66.4 ± 2.2%; 10 min after ECPR: 67.6 ± 2.3% [P < 0.01]). In contrast, in the good neurological group (GR: n = 4; age, 53.8 ± 6.9 years), the cerebral rSO₂ values did not increase to a significant extent during ECPR (5 min before ECPR: 61.9 ± 3.1%; 2 min before ECPR: 57.1 ± 4.0%; 2 min after ECPR: 59.6 ± 3.8%; 5 min after ECPR: 61.0 ± 3.7%; 10 min after ECPR: 62.0 ± 3.8% [P = 0.88]). Our study suggested that the patients whose cerebral rSO₂ values showed no significant improvement after ECPR might have had a good neurological prognosis.

Conclusions

The serial changes in the cerebral rSO₂ values during ECPR may predict a patient’s neurological outcome. The further evaluation of the validity of rSO₂ monitoring during ECPR may lead to a new resuscitation strategy.

Impact of cardiopulmonary resuscitation duration on neurologically favourable outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A population-based study in Japan

BACKGROUND

The optimal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) duration for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains unclear. We aimed to assess the association between CPR duration and outcome after OHCA.

METHODS

This prospective, population-based observational study conducted in Osaka, Japan enrolled 6981 adult patients with non-traumatic witnessed OHCA who achieved return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) from January 2005 through December 2012. CPR duration was defined as the time of CPR initiation by emergency medical service personnel to the ROSC in pre-hospital settings or after hospital admission. The primary outcome was one-month survival with neurologically favourable outcome (cerebral performance category scale 1 or 2).

RESULTS

Overall, median CPR duration was 25min (interquartile range: 15-34) and the proportion of neurologically favourable outcome was 12.5% (875/6,981). The proportion of neurologically favourable outcome among the CPR duration ≥31min group was significantly lower compared with that among the 0-5min group (55.1% [320/581] versus 2.2% [54/2424], adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.04; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.03-0.05 in all patients, 78.4% [240/306] versus 11.4% [30/264], AOR 0.04; 95% CI 0.02-0.06 in the shockable group, 29.1% [80/275] versus 1.1% [24/2160], and AOR 0.03; 95% CI 0.02-0.05 in the non-shockable group). The cumulative proportion for neurologically favourable outcome reached 99% after 44, 41, and 43min of CPR in all patients, the shockable group, and the non-shockable group, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The proportion of patients with neurologically favourable outcome declined with increasing CPR duration, but some OHCA patients could benefit from prolonged CPR duration >30min.

Clinical Characteristics and Social Frailty of Super-Elderly Patients With Heart Failure - The Kitakawachi Clinical Background and Outcome of Heart Failure Registry

BACKGROUND

Social background is important in preventing admission/readmission of heart failure (HF) patients. However, few clinical studies have been conducted to assess the social background of these patients, especially elderly patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The Kitakawachi Clinical Background and Outcome of Heart Failure (KICKOFF) Registry is a prospective multicenter community-based cohort of HF patients, established in April 2015. We compared the clinical characteristics and social background of the super-elderly group (≥85 years old) and the non-super-elderly group (<85 years old). This study included 647 patients; 11.8% of the super-elderly patients were living alone, 15.6% were living with only a partner, and of these, only 66.7% had the support of other family members. The super-elderly group had less control over their diet and drug therapies than the non-super-elderly group. Most patients in the super-elderly group were registered for long-term care insurance (77.4%); 73.5% of the super-elderly patients could walk independently before admission, but only 55.5% could walk independently at discharge, whereas 94% of the non-super-elderly patients could walk independently before admission and 89.4% could walk independently at discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

The KICKOFF Registry provides unique detailed social background information of Japanese patients with HF. Super-elderly patients are at serious risk of social frailty; they need the support of other people and their ability to perform activities of daily living decline when hospitalized.

Non-traumatic bladder rupture showing less than 10 Hounsfield units of ascites

Aim

Bladder ruptures are commonly misdiagnosed as gastrointestinal perforations or intestinal ischemia. If a diagnosis is made preoperatively, conservative treatment is a safe and effective option. We evaluated the validity of using the attenuation value of ascites, measured by non‐contrast computed tomography (CT), to identify patients with bladder ruptures.

Methods

A retrospective search of our hospital database identified 7 patients with confirmed bladder ruptures between 2007 and 2013. We also enrolled 18 patients with gastrointestinal perforations and 10 patients with intestinal ischemia with detectable ascites on abdominal CT that had undergone emergency exploratory laparotomy between 2007 and 2013. Between‐group comparisons of attenuation values of ascites as obtained by non‐contrast CT were evaluated.

Results

All attenuation values were less than 10 Hounsfield units (HU) in bladder rupture patients. Moreover, the attenuation value of ascites in cases of bladder rupture (median, 5.7; range, 3.1–6.1) was significantly lower than in cases of gastrointestinal perforation (median, 14.7; range, 4.7–25.4) and intestinal ischemia (median, 13.3; range, 6.0–18.1) (P = 0.004 for both comparisons).

Conclusion

Bladder rupture mimics gastrointestinal perforation and intestinal ischemia with acute kidney injury. Therefore, the diagnosis of bladder rupture using the attenuation value of ascites on non‐contrast CT is both useful and highly significant. We suggest that bladder rupture be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with acute abdominal pain and attenuation values of ascites of less than 10 Hounsfield units.

Diagnostic copper imaging of Menkes disease by synchrotron radiation-generated X-ray fluorescence analysis

Copper (Cu) is an indispensable metal for normal development and function of humans, especially in central nervous system (CNS). However, its redox activity requires accurate Cu transport system. ATP7A, a main Cu(2+) transporting-ATPase, is necessary to efflux Cu across the plasma membrane and synthesize cuproenzymes. Menkes disease (MD) is caused by mutations in ATP7A gene. Clinically, MD is Cu deficiency syndrome and is treated with Cu-histidine injections soon after definite diagnosis. But outcome of the most remains poor. To estimate the standard therapy, Cu distribution in the treated classic MD patients is analyzed by synchrotron-generated X-ray fluorescence technique (SR-XRF), which identifies and quantifies an individual atom up to at subcellular level of resolution with wide detection area. SR-XRF analysis newly reveals that Cu exists in spinal cord parenchyma and flows out via venous and lymph systems. By systemic analysis, excess Cu is detected in the proximal tubular cells of the kidney, the mucosal epithelial cells of the intestine, and the lymph and venous systems. The current study suggests that the standard therapy supply almost enough Cu for patient tissues. But given Cu passes through the tissues to venous and lymph systems, or accumulate in the cells responsible for Cu absorption.

Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial of invasive versus conservative management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax

INTRODUCTION

Current management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) is variable, with little evidence from randomised controlled trials to guide treatment. Guidelines emphasise intervention in many patients, which involves chest drain insertion, hospital admission and occasionally surgery. However, there is evidence that conservative management may be effective and safe, and it may also reduce the risk of recurrence. Significant questions remain regarding the optimal initial approach to the management of PSP.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This multicentre, prospective, randomised, open label, parallel group, non-inferiority study will randomise 342 participants with a first large PSP to conservative or interventional management. To maintain allocation concealment, randomisation will be performed in real time by computer and stratified by study site. Conservative management will involve a period of observation prior to discharge, with intervention for worsening symptoms or physiological instability. Interventional treatment will involve insertion of a small bore drain. If drainage continues after 1 hour, the patient will be admitted. If drainage stops, the drain will be clamped for 4 hours. The patient will be discharged if the lung remains inflated. Otherwise, the patient will be admitted. The primary end point is the proportion of participants with complete lung re-expansion by 8 weeks. Secondary end points are as follows: days in hospital, persistent air leak, predefined complications and adverse events, time to resolution of symptoms, and pneumothorax recurrence during a follow-up period of at least 1 year. The study has 95% power to detect an absolute non-inferiority margin of 9%, assuming 99% successful expansion at 8 weeks in the invasive treatment arm. The primary analysis will be by intention to treat.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Local ethics approval has been obtained for all sites. Study findings will be disseminated by publication in a high-impact international journal and presentation at major international Emergency Medicine and Respiratory meetings.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ACTRN12611000184976; Pre-results.

Pneumothorax Causing Pneumoperitoneum: Role of Surgical Intervention

The most common cause of a pneumoperitoneum is a perforation of a hollow viscus and the treatment is an exploratory laparotomy; nevertheless, not all pneumoperitoneums are due to a perforation and not all of them need surgical intervention. We hereby present a case of pneumoperitoneum due to a diaphragmatic defect, which allowed air from a pneumothorax to escape through the diaphragmatic hernia into the abdominal cavity.

Amiodarone or nifekalant upon hospital arrival for refractory ventricular fibrillation after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

BACKGROUND

We evaluated the association between nifekalant or amiodarone on hospital admission and in-hospital mortality for cardiac arrest patients with persistent ventricular fibrillation on hospital arrival.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study using the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination inpatient database. We identified 2961 patients who suffered cardiogenic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and who had ventricular fibrillation on hospital arrival between July 2007 and March 2013. Patients were categorized into amiodarone (n=2353) and nifekalant (n=608) groups, from which 525 propensity score-matched pairs were generated.

RESULTS

We found a significant difference in the admission rate between the nifekalant and amiodarone groups in propensity score-matched groups (75.6% vs. 69.3%, respectively; difference, 6.3%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.9-11.7). An analysis using the hospital nifekalant/amiodarone rate as an instrumental variable found that receiving nifekalant was associated with an improved admission rate (22.2%, 95% CI, 11.9-32.4). We found no significant difference in in-hospital mortality between the nifekalant and amiodarone groups (81.5% vs. 82.1%, respectively; difference, -0.6%; 95% CI, -5.2 to 4.1). Instrumental variable analysis showed that receiving nifekalant was not associated with reduced in-hospital mortality (6.2%, 95% CI, -2.4 to 14.8).

CONCLUSIONS

This nationwide study suggested no significant in-hospital mortality association between nifekalant and amiodarone for cardiogenic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients with ventricular fibrillation/persistent ventricular tachycardia on hospital arrival. Although nifekalant may potentially improve hospital admission rates compared with amiodarone for these patients, further studies are required to confirm our results.

Compression-only CPR training in elementary schools and student attitude toward CPR

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the effectiveness of systematic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training for elementary school children.

METHODS

We introduced systematic training of chest compression-only CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) use to elementary school students aged 10-12 years at 17 schools. The questionnaire compared student attitudes towards CPR and their knowledge about it before and after CPR training. We also evaluated parent and teacher views about CPR training in school education. The primary outcome was positive attitude, defined as "yes" and "maybe yes" on a 5 point Likert-type scale of student attitudes towards CPR.1 RESULTS: A total of 2047 elementary school students received CPR training. Of them, 1899 (92.8%) responded to the questionnaire regarding their attitude towards CPR before and after the training. Before training, 50.2% answered "yes" and 30.3% answered "maybe yes", to the question: "If someone suddenly collapses in front of you, can you do something such as check response or call emergency?" After training, their answers changed to 75.6% and 18.3% for "yes" and "maybe yes", respectively. Many of the students (72.3%, 271/370) who did not have a positive attitude before CPR training had a positive attitude after the training (P < 0.001). Most students understood how to perform CPR (97.7%) and use an AED (98.5%). Parents (96.2%, 1173/1220) and teachers (98.3%, 56/57) answered that it was "good" and "maybe good" for children to receive the training at elementary schools.

CONCLUSION

Systematic chest compression-only CPR training helped elementary school students to improve their attitude towards CPR.

A systematic review of the use of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta in the management of hemorrhagic shock

BACKGROUND

Torso hemorrhage remains a leading cause of potentially preventable death within trauma, acute care, vascular, and obstetric practice. A proportion of patients exsanguinate before hemorrhage control. Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is an adjunct designed to sustain the circulation until definitive hemostasis. A systematic review was conducted to characterize the current clinical use of REBOA and its effect on hemodynamic profile and mortality.

METHODS

A systematic review (1946-2015) was conducted using EMBASE and MEDLINE. Original studies on human subjects, published in English language journals, were considered. Articles were included if they reported data on hemodynamic profile and mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 83 studies were identified; 41 met criteria for inclusion. Clinical settings included postpartum hemorrhage (5), upper gastrointestinal bleeding (3), pelvic surgery (8), trauma (15), and ruptured aortic aneurysm (10). Of the 857 patients, overall mortality was 423 (49.4%); shock was evident in 643 (75.0%). Pooled analysis demonstrated an increase in mean systolic pressure by 53 mm Hg (95% confidence interval, 44-61 mm Hg) following REBOA use. Data exhibited moderate heterogeneity with an I of 35.5.

CONCLUSION

REBOA has been used in a variety of clinical settings to successfully elevate central blood pressure in the setting of shock. Overall, the evidence base is weak with no clear reduction in hemorrhage-related mortality demonstrated. Formal, prospective study is warranted to clarify the role of this adjunct in torso hemorrhage.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Systematic review, level IV.

Unusual case of acute neck pain: acute calcific longus colli tendinitis

Acute calcific longus colli tendinitis (ACLCT), a very rare cause of severe neck pain, dysphagia and odynophagia, is often mistaken for other common causes of neck pain. However, prompt recognition of this uncommon presentation is important to prevent unnecessary medical and surgical intervention. A 46-year-old Caucasian man presented with a 1-day history of severe neck pain, headache and odynophagia. The patient was afebrile with stable vital signs, however, the laboratory data showed mildly elevated C reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The physical examination was remarkable for markedly reduced cervical range of motion. MRI revealed the pathognomonic findings of paravertebral oedema and calcification. The definitive diagnosis of ACLCT was made and the patient was successfully managed with a short course of oral steroid, benzodiazepine and aural acupuncture, with complete resolution of the condition within a week.

Study on the priority of coronary arteriography or therapeutic hypothermia after return of spontaneous circulation in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: results from the SOS-KANTO 2012 study

Many emergency physicians struggle with the clinical question of whether to perform therapeutic hypothermia (TH) or coronary angiography (CAG) first after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). We analyzed the results of the SOS-KANTO 2012 study, which is a prospective, multicenter (67 emergency hospitals), observational study about OHCA conducted between January 2012 and March 2013 (n = 16,452). We compared two groups: the group in which TH was first performed (TH group), and the group in which CAG was performed first (CAG group) within 24 h after arrival. Two hundred and twenty-one patients were treated TH and CAG (TH group, 76 patients; CAG group, 145 patients). In addition, we selected patients who underwent coronary treatment. 164 patients underwent coronary treatment after CAG (TH group, 52 patients; CAG group, 112 patients). In patients in whom TH and CAG and coronary artery treatment were done, 42 patients (55.3 %) in the TH group and 86 patients (59.3 %) in the CAG group survived at 90 days. The cerebral performance category (CPC) 1 and 2 were 26.3 % (20 patients) in TH group, and 31.0 % (45 patients) in CAG group. In patients in whom TH and CAG with coronary artery treatment were performed, 29 patients (55.8 %) in the TH group and 64 patients (57.1 %) in the CAG group survived at 90 days. The rates of CPC 1 and 2 were 26.9 % (14 patients) in TH group, and 23.2 % (26 patients) in CAG group. There was no significant difference in 90-day survival between the two groups although it tended to be better in the CAG group than in the TH group. Whether TH or CAG was performed first did not affect the 90-day survival and 30-day neurological situation among patients with ROSC after OHCA.

Neurocritical care update

This update comprises six important topics under neurocritical care that require reevaluation. For post-cardiac arrest brain injury, the evaluation of the injury and its corresponding therapy, including temperature modulation, is required. Analgosedation for target temperature management is an essential strategy to prevent shivering and minimizes endogenous stress induced by catecholamine surges. For severe traumatic brain injury, the diverse effects of therapeutic hypothermia depend on the complicated pathophysiology of the condition. Continuous electroencephalogram monitoring is an essential tool for detecting nonconvulsive status epilepticus in the intensive care unit (ICU). Neurocritical care, including advanced hemodynamic monitoring, is a fundamental approach for delayed cerebral ischemia following subarachnoid hemorrhage. We must be mindful of the high percentage of ICU patients who may develop sepsis-associated brain dysfunction.

Clinical characteristics of non-convulsive status epilepticus diagnosed by simplified continuous electroencephalogram monitoring at an emergency intensive care unit

Aim

The present study aimed to elucidate the clinical characteristics of non‐convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) in patients with altered mental status (AMS).

Methods

This single‐center retrospective study comprised 149 patients who were hospitalized between March 1, 2015 and September 30, 2015 at the emergency intensive care unit (ICU) of the Kagawa University Hospital (Kagawa, Japan). The primary outcome was NCSE incidence. The secondary outcome was the comparison of duration of ICU stay, hospital stay, and a favorable neurological outcome, as assessed using the modified Rankin Scale score, at discharge from our hospital between patients with and without NCSE. Favorable neurological outcome and poor neurological outcome were defined as modified Rankin Scale scores of 0–2 and 3–6, respectively.

Results

Simplified continuous electroencephalogram was used to monitor 36 patients (median age, 68 years; 69.4% males) with acute AMS; among them, NCSE was observed in 11 (30.1%) patients. Rates of favorable neurological outcome, duration of ICU stay, and hospital stay were not significantly different between the NCSE and non‐NCSE groups (P = 0.45, P = 0.30, and P = 0.26, respectively).

Conclusion

Approximately 30% of the patients with AMS admitted to emergency ICUs developed NCSE. The outcomes of AMS patients with and without NCSE did not differ significantly when appropriate medical attention and antiepileptic drugs were initiated. Simplified continuous electroencephalogram monitoring may be recommended in patients with AMS in emergency ICU to obtain early detection of NCSE followed by appropriate intervention.

Seasonal Variation of Rectal Foreign Bodies: Data from Nationwide Inpatient Sample

Background:

Seasonality is noted in various aspects of human behavior and functioning which have led to an increasing interest in their seasonality in the recent years.

Aims:

We aimed to examine the seasonal variation in the incidence of rectal foreign bodies in the US using a large inpatient database.

Methods:

We used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database to identify patients aged ≥18 years admitted with a primary diagnosis of the rectal foreign body from 2009 to 2011. We used the Edward's recognition and estimation of cyclic trend method to study the seasonal variation of the incidence of rectal foreign body and Z-test to compare the seasonal incidences.

Results:

A total of 3359 hospitalizations with primary diagnosis of the rectal foreign body were reported from 2009 to 2011. The peak incidence of rectal foreign bodies was seen in October (peak/low ratio 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10–1.32).

Conclusion:

Data on seasonal variation of rectal foreign bodies are extremely limited. Further studies would be required to verify whether our findings of a higher incidence in the fall season are reflective of acute changes in the length of the days, climate, sleep-wake cycle, or decreased sexual intercourse at this time of the year. High suspicion at this time of the year may help promptly diagnose and avoid unnecessary investigations.

Contrast-induced Acute Kidney Injury

Because of the increased use of contrast media, the potential risk of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CIAKI) has also increased. CIAKI often results in chronic kidney disease (CKD), an affliction with increasing incidence in modern society. The current prevalence of CIAKI is difficult to estimate because most victims are asymptomatic. The first Japanese guidelines regarding contrast agent examinations were recently announced, but their only recommendation is to provide classic fluid replacement with saline 6-12 h before and after the contrast procedure. According to a review summarizing the recent literature, little evidence supports this suggestion. To obtain early diagnoses and to treat emergent patients, it is appropriate to perform procedures using contrast media without knowledge of patients' renal function. Prevention of CIAKI is the most important consideration, and the usefulness of risk scores predicting the development of CIAKI has been reported. However, no prospective studies have been performed to date, and, therefore, such studies will be necessary in the future. Furthermore, the development of novel preventative interventions for CIAKI is also required.

Characteristics of patients who fell into open drains: a report from a single emergency center in East Shizuoka: Epidemiology of patients who fell into open drains in East Shizuoka

Aim

To clarify the characteristics of injuries caused by falling into an open drain.

Methods

A medical chart review was retrospectively carried out of all patients in East Shizuoka, Japan, who were injured due to falling into an open drain, and who were subsequently transported to hospital by ambulance or a physician-staffed helicopter, between January 2013 and December 2014. The patients were divided into two groups, those treated as outpatients and those who were admitted to hospital.

Results

During the investigation period, there were 33 patients who had accidentally fallen into an open drain. The ages of the subjects ranged from 10 to 90 years, with an average age of 58.8 years. The average age of the subjects, the ratio of female patients, and the average injury severity score in the admission group were higher than that of the outpatient group. One patient in the admission group who had cardiac arrest due to a cervical cord injury eventually died.

Conclusion

Falls into open drains are especially frequent in elderly people and female patients, and older patients tend to more frequently require admission due to severe injury. To prevent injuries of this type, some measures are required to improve the safety of open drains.

Basic Shock Physiology and Critical Care

Veterinarians practicing emergency medicine and/or working with exotic animals must be well versed in the pathophysiology of shock because many exotic pets present with an acute crisis or an acute manifestation of a chronic process causing poor organ perfusion. This article discusses the pathophysiology of shock and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome, which may lead to organ dysfunction, organ failure, sepsis, and death. The physiology of perfusion, perfusion measurements, categories of shock, and altered function of the immune system, gastrointestinal barrier, and coagulation system are discussed. Veterinarians providing emergency care to patients with shock must also be aware of comorbidities.

Impact of Injury Severity on Dynamic Inflammation Networks Following Blunt Trauma

INTRODUCTION

Clinical outcomes following trauma depend on the extent of injury and the host's response to injury, along with medical care. We hypothesized that dynamic networks of systemic inflammation manifest differently as a function of injury severity in human blunt trauma.

STUDY DESIGN

From a cohort of 472 blunt trauma survivors studied following institutional review board approval, three Injury Severity Score (ISS) subcohorts were derived after matching for age and sex: mild ISS (49 patients [33 males and 16 females, aged 42 ± 1.9 years; ISS 9.5 ± 0.4]); moderate ISS (49 patients [33 males and 16 females, aged 42 ± 1.9; ISS 19.9 ± 0.4]), and severe ISS (49 patients [33 males and 16 females, aged 42 ± 2.5 years; ISS 33 ± 1.1]). Multiple inflammatory mediators were assessed in serial blood samples. Dynamic Bayesian Network inference was utilized to infer causal relationships based on probabilistic measures.

RESULTS

Intensive care unit length of stay, total length of stay, days on mechanical ventilation, Marshall Multiple Organ Dysfunction score, prevalence of prehospital hypotension and nosocomial infection, and admission lactate and base deficit were elevated as a function of ISS. Multiple circulating inflammatory mediators were significantly elevated in severe ISS versus moderate or mild ISS over both the first 24 h and out to 7 days after injury. Dynamic Bayesian Network suggested that interleukin 6 production in severe ISS was affected by monocyte chemotactic protein 1/CCL2, monokine inducible by interferon γ (MIG)/CXCL9, and IP-10/CXCL10; by monocyte chemotactic protein 1/CCL2 and MIG/CXCL9 in moderate ISS; and by MIG/CXCL9 alone in mild ISS over 7 days after injury.

CONCLUSIONS

Injury Severity Score correlates linearly with morbidity, prevalence of infection, and early systemic inflammatory connectivity of chemokines to interleukin 6.

Investigation and treatment of pulmonary embolism as a potential etiology may be important to improve post-resuscitation prognosis in non-shockable out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest: report on an analysis of the SOS-KANTO 2012 study

Background

The prognosis of non-shockable out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is worse than that of shockable out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. We investigated the associations between the etiology and prognosis of non-shockable out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients who experienced the return of spontaneous circulation after arriving at hospital.

Methods and Results

All subjects were extracted from the SOS-KANTO 2012 study population. The subjects were 3,031 adults: (i) who had suffered out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, (ii) for whom there were no pre-hospital data on ventricular fibrillation/pulseless ventricular tachycardia until arrival at hospital, (iii) who experienced the return of spontaneous circulation after arriving at hospital. We compared the patients' prognosis after 1 and 3 months between various etiological and presumed cardiac factors. The proportion of the favorable brain function patients that developed pulmonary embolism or incidental hypothermia was significantly higher than that of the patients with presumed cardiac factors (1 month, P < 0.0001 and P < 0.0001, respectively; 3 months, P = 0.0018 and P < 0.0001, respectively). In multiple logistic regression analysis, pulmonary embolism and incidental hypothermia were found to be significant independent prognostic factors for 1- and 3-month survival and the favorable brain function rate.

Conclusions

In patients who suffer non-shockable out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, but who experience the return of spontaneous circulation after arriving at hospital, the investigation and treatment of pulmonary embolism as a potential etiology may be important for improving post-resuscitation prognosis.

Factors Associated with First-Pass Success in Pediatric Intubation in the Emergency Department

Introduction

The objective of this study was to investigate the factors associated with first-pass success in pediatric intubation in the emergency department (ED).

Methods

We analyzed the data from two multicenter prospective studies of ED intubation in 17 EDs between April 2010 and September 2014. The studies prospectively measured patient’s age, sex, principal indication for intubation, methods (e.g., rapid sequence intubation [RSI]), devices, and intubator’s level of training and specialty. To evaluate independent predictors of first-pass success, we fit logistic regression model with generalized estimating equations. In the sensitivity analysis, we repeated the analysis in children <10 years.

Results

A total of 293 children aged ≤18 years who underwent ED intubation were eligible for the analysis. The overall first-pass success rate was 60% (95%CI [54%–66%]). In the multivariable model, age ≥10 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.45; 95% CI [1.23–4.87]), use of RSI (aOR, 2.17; 95% CI [1.31–3.57]), and intubation attempt by an emergency physician (aOR, 3.21; 95% CI [1.78–5.83]) were significantly associated with a higher chance of first-pass success. Likewise, in the sensitivity analysis, the use of RSI (aOR, 3.05; 95% CI [1.63–5.70]), and intubation attempt by an emergency physician (aOR, 4.08; 95% CI [1.92–8.63]) were significantly associated with a higher chance of first-pass success.

Conclusion

Based on two large multicenter prospective studies of ED airway management, we found that older age, use of RSI, and intubation by emergency physicians were the independent predictors of a higher chance of first-pass success in children. Our findings should facilitate investigations to develop optimal airway management strategies in critically-ill children in the ED.

Applying the termination of resuscitation rules to out-of-hospital cardiac arrests of both cardiac and non-cardiac etiologies: a prospective cohort study

Background

The 2015 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation recommend Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) rules for termination of resuscitation (TOR). However, it is unclear whether the TOR rules are valid for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) of both cardiac and non-cardiac etiologies. In this study, we validated the TOR rules for OHCA resulting from both etiologies.

Methods

This was a prospective multicenter observational study of OHCA patients transported to 67 emergency hospitals between January 2012 and March 2013 in the Kanto region of Japan. We calculated the specificity and positive predictive value (PPV) for neurologically unfavorable outcomes at one month in patients with OHCA of cardiac and non-cardiac etiologies.

Results

Of 11,505 eligible cases, 6,138 and 5,367 cases were of cardiac and non-cardiac etiology, respectively. BLS was performed on 2,818 and 2,606 patients with OHCA of cardiac and non-cardiac etiology, respectively. ALS was performed on 3,320 and 2,761 patients with OHCA of cardiac and non-cardiac etiology, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of the TOR rules for predicting unfavorable outcomes in patients with OHCA of cardiac etiology who received BLS included a specificity of 0.985 (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.956–0.997) and a PPV of 0.999 (95 % CI: 0.996–1.000). In patients with OHCA from cardiac etiologies who received ALS, the TOR rules had a specificity of 0.963 (95 % CI: 0.896–0.992) and a PPV of 0.997 (95 % CI: 0.991–0.999). In patients with OHCA from non-cardiac etiologies who received BLS, the specificity was 0.915 (95 % CI: 0.796–0.976) and PPV was 0.998 (95 % CI: 0.995–0.999). For patients with OHCA from non-cardiac etiologies who received ALS, the specificity was 0.833 (95 % CI: 0.586–0.964) and PPV was 0.996 (95 % CI: 0.988–0.999).

Conclusions

Both TOR rules have high specificity and PPV in patients with OHCA from cardiac etiologies. For patients with OHCA from non-cardiac etiologies, the rules had a high PPV, but relatively low specificity. Therefore, TOR rules are useful in patients with OHCA from cardiac etiologies, but should be applied with caution to patients with OHCA from non-cardiac etiologies.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13054-016-1226-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The retroperitoneal interfascial planes: current overview and future perspectives

Recently, the concept of interfascial planes has become the prevalent theory among radiologists for understanding the retroperitoneal anatomy, having replaced the classic tricompartmental theory. However, it is a little known fact that the concept remains incomplete and includes embryological errors, which have been revised on the basis of our microscopic study. We believe that the concept not only provides a much clearer understanding of the retroperitoneal anatomy, but it also allows further development for diagnosis and treatment of retroperitoneal injuries and diseases, should it become an accomplished theory. We explain the history and outline of the concept of interfascial planes, correct common misunderstandings about the concept, explain the unconsciously applied therapeutic procedures based on the concept, and present future perspectives of the concept using our published and unpublished data. This knowledge could be essential to acute care physicians and surgeons sometime soon.

Complications during intrahospital transport of critically ill patients: Focus on risk identification and prevention

Intrahospital transportation of critically ill patients is associated with significant complications. In order to reduce overall risk to the patient, such transports should well organized, efficient, and accompanied by the proper monitoring, equipment, and personnel. Protocols and guidelines for patient transfers should be utilized universally across all healthcare facilities. Care delivered during transport and at the site of diagnostic testing or procedure should be equivalent to the level of care provided in the originating environment. Here we review the most common problems encountered during transport in the hospital setting, including various associated adverse outcomes. Our objective is to make medical practitioners, nurses, and ancillary health care personnel more aware of the potential for various complications that may occur during patient movement from the intensive care unit to other locations within a healthcare facility, focusing on risk reduction and preventive strategies.

Quantitative analysis of high plasma lactate concentration in ED patients after alcohol intake

INTRODUCTION

Plasma lactate concentration is known to increase after alcohol intake. However, this increase has rarely been analyzed quantitatively in emergency department (ED) settings. Evaluating plasma lactate elevation in ED patients after alcohol intake is important because it can affect patients' evaluation based on the plasma lactate level.

METHODS

This study analyzed venous lactate concentrations of 196 continuous patients presented to our ED after alcohol intake. The control group comprised 219 successive ED patients without alcohol intake. Patients who had conditions that might induce lactate elevation were excluded from both groups.

RESULTS

Venous lactate concentration was significantly higher in the alcohol intake group (2.83 mmol/L; 95% confidence interval, 2.69-2.96 mmol/L) than in the control group (1.65 mmol/L; 95% confidence interval, 1.53-1.77 mmol/L; P<.05). Lactate concentrations exceeding 3 mmol/L and exceeding 4 mmol/L were found, respectively, in 41.8% and 12.2% of the alcohol intake group compared with in 8.7% and 2.3% of the control group (P<.05). Lactate concentrations do not correlate with patients' level of consciousness. Therefore, a higher plasma ethanol level is apparently unrelated to elevated lactate.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Analyses show that plasma lactate concentration is significantly higher in ED patients after alcohol intake and to a greater degree than previously reported, even in patients without previously known alcohol-related diseases. Emergency department physicians must be careful when interpreting the lactate level of the patients with alcohol intake.

Factors related to prolonged on-scene time during ambulance transportation for critical emergency patients in a big city in Japan: a population-based observational study

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to investigate the factors related to prolonged on-scene times, which were defined as being over 30 min, during ambulance transportation for critical emergency patients in the context of a large Japanese city.

DESIGN

A population-based observational study.

SETTING

Kawasaki City, Japan's eighth largest city.

PARTICIPANTS

The participants in this study were all critical patients (age ≥ 15 years) who were transported by ambulance between April 2010 and March 2013 (N=11,585).

OUTCOME MEASURES

On-scene time during ambulance transportation for critical emergency patients.

RESULTS

The median on-scene time for all patients was 17 min (IQR 13-23). There was a strong correlation between on-scene time and the number of phone calls to hospitals from emergency medical service (EMS) personnel (p<0.001). In multivariable logistic regression, the number of phone calls to hospitals from EMS personnel, intoxication, minor disease and geographical area were associated with on-scene times over 30 min. Age, gender, day of the week and time of the day were not associated with on-scene times over 30 min.

CONCLUSIONS

To make on-scene time shorter, it is vital to redesign our emergency system and important to develop a system that accommodates critical patients with intoxication and minor disease, and furthermore to reduce the number of phone calls to hospitals from EMS personnel.

Attenuation of morphine tolerance and dependence by thymoquinone in mice

OBJECTIVE

Dependence and tolerance are major restricting factors in the clinical use of opioid analgesics. In the present study, the effects of thymoquinone, the major constituent of Nigella sativa seeds, on morphine dependence and tolerance were investigated in mice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Male adult NMRI mice were made tolerant and dependent by repeated injections of morphine (50, 50, and 75 mg/kg, i.p. on 9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 5 p.m., respectively) during a 3-day administration schedule. The hot-plate test was used to assess tolerance to the analgesic effects of morphine. Naloxone (2 mg/kg, i.p.) was injected to precipitate withdrawal syndrome in order to assess the morphine dependence. To evaluate the effects of thymoquinone on tolerance and dependence to morphine, different single or repeated doses of thymoquinone were administered in mice. Rotarod was used to assess the motor coordination.

RESULTS

Administration of single or repeated doses of thymoquinone (20 and 40 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly decreased the number of jumps in morphine dependent animals. Repeated administration of thymoquinone (20 and 40 mg/kg, for 3 days) and also single injection of thymoquinone (40 mg/kg, on the fourth day) attenuated tolerance to the analgesic effect of morphine. None of the thymoquinone doses (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg) produced any antinociceptive effects on their own. Motor coordination of animals was impaired by the high dose of thymoquinone (40 mg/kg).

CONCLUSION

Based on these results, it can be concluded that thymoquinone prevents the development of tolerance and dependence to morphine.

Load-distributing-band cardiopulmonary resuscitation for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest increases regional cerebral oxygenation: a single-center prospective pilot study

Background

Despite advances in therapeutic strategies and improved guidelines, morbidity and mortality rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remain high. Especially, neurological prognosis is one of the most important problems even though brain protection therapy for patients with OHCA has improved greatly in recent years due to the development of emergency post-cardiac arrest interventions such as mild therapeutic hypothermia, early percutaneous coronary intervention, and extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Recently, cerebral regional oxygen saturation (rSO₂) has received attention as a method for evaluation of cerebral oxygenation. We have reported that conventional chest compression did not improve the rSO₂ of cardiac arrest patients if they did not achieve return of spontaneous circulation. It is, however, unclear whether a mechanical CPR device is helpful in improving rSO₂. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of load-distributing-band CPR (LDB-CPR) on rSO₂.

Methods

In this prospective study, LDB-CPR was begun for OHCA with the AutoPulse^TM device on patient arrival at hospital. During mechanical CPR, rSO₂ values were recorded continuously from the forehead of the patients. CPR for patients with OHCA was performed according to the Japan Resuscitation Council Guidelines 2010 except for using the AutoPulse^TM instead of manual chest compression.

Results

From December 2012 to December 2013, 34 patients (mean age, 75.6 ± 12.8 years) with OHCA were included in this study. Duration of time from recognition of cardiac collapse to arrival to hospital was 31.0 ± 11.4 min. Compared with the rSO₂ value of 38.9 ± 0.7 % prior to starting LDB-CPR, rSO₂ values at 4, 8 and 12 minutes increased significantly after initiation of LDB-CPR (44.0 ± 0.9 %, 45.2 ± 0.8 %, and 45.5 ± 0.8 %, respectively, p < 0.05).

Conclusion

LDB-CPR significantly increased the rSO₂ of cardiac arrest patients during resuscitation.

Subsequent shock deliveries are associated with increased favorable neurological outcomes in cardiac arrest patients who had initially non-shockable rhythms

Introduction

Previous studies evaluating whether subsequent conversion to shockable rhythms in patients who had initially non-shockable rhythms was associated with altered clinical outcome reported inconsistent results. Therefore, we hypothesized that subsequent shock delivery by emergency medical service (EMS) providers altered clinical outcomes in patients with initially non-shockable rhythms.

Methods

We tested for an association between subsequent shock delivery in EMS resuscitation and clinical outcomes in patients with initially non-shockable rhythms (n = 11,481) through a survey of patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the Kanto region (SOS-KANTO) 2012 study cohort, Japan. The primary investigated outcome was 1-month survival with favorable neurological functions. The secondary outcome variable was the presence of subsequent shock delivery. We further evaluated the association of interval from initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation to shock with clinical outcomes.

Results

In the univariate analysis of initially non-shockable rhythms, patients who received subsequent shock delivery had significantly increased frequency of return of spontaneous circulation, 24-hour survival, 1-month survival, and favorable neurological outcomes compared to the subsequent not shocked group (P <0.0001). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, subsequent shock was significantly associated with favorable neurological outcomes (vs. not shocked; adjusted P = 0.0020, odds ratio, 2.78; 95 % confidence interval, 1.45–5.30). Younger age, witnessed arrest, initial pulseless electrical activity rhythms, and cardiac etiology were significantly associated with the presence of subsequent shock in patients with initially non-shockable rhythms.

Conclusions

In this study of cardiac arrest patients with initially non-shockable rhythms, patients who received early defibrillation by EMS providers had increased 1-month favorable neurological outcomes.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13054-015-1028-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Idiopathic Bilateral External Jugular Vein Thrombosis

BACKGROUND

Vein thrombosis is mainly determined by 3 factors, which constitute a triad called Virchow's triad: hypercoagulability, stasis, and endothelial injury. Venous thrombosis commonly occurs in the lower extremities since most of the blood resides there and flows against gravity. The veins of the lower extremities are dependent on intact valves and fully functional leg muscles. However, in case of valvular incompetency or muscular weakness, thrombosis and blood stasis will occur as a result. In contrast, the veins of the neck, specially the jugulars, have distensible walls which allow flexibility during respiration. In addition, the blood directly flows downward towards the heart. Nevertheless, many case reports mentioned the thrombosis of internal jugular veins and external jugular veins with identified risk factors. Jugular vein thrombosis has previously been associated in the literature with a variety of medical conditions, including malignancy.

CASE REPORT

This report is of a case of idiopathic bilateral external jugular vein thrombosis in a 21 year-old male construction worker of Southeast Asian origin with no previous medical history who presented with bilateral facial puffiness of gradual onset over 1 month. Doppler ultrasound and computed tomography were used in the diagnosis. Further work-up showed no evidence of infection or neoplasia. The patient was eventually discharged on warfarin. The patient was assessed after 6 months and his symptoms had resolved completely.

CONCLUSIONS

Bilateral idiopathic external jugular veins thrombosis is extremely rare and can be an indicator of early malignancy or hidden infection. While previous reports in the literature have associated jugular vein thrombosis with malignancy, the present case shows that external jugular vein thrombosis can also be found in persons without malignancy.

Prospective validation of the modified LEMON criteria to predict difficult intubation in the ED

BACKGROUND

Evidence to predict difficult intubation remains scarce in the emergency department (ED) setting. A previously defined clinical decision rule, the modified LEMON criteria, may provide a reliable and reproducible means of identifying difficult intubations. We aimed to prospectively evaluate the external validity of the modified LEMON criteria in the EDs.

METHODS

We conducted a 13-center prospective observational study, the second Japanese Emergency Airway Network study. We prospectively collected data on all patients undergoing intubations in the ED from February 2012 through September 2014. The primary outcomes were sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of the modified LEMON criteria for predicting difficult intubation (≥2 attempts by emergency attending physicians or anesthesiologists).

RESULTS

The database recorded a total of 4034 encounters (capture rate, 96%) in the EDs. Of these, 3313 patients (84%) underwent the intubation attempt with a direct laryngoscope and 610 patients (16%) with a video laryngoscope. The proportion of difficult intubation was 5.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.7%-6.2%) in the direct laryngoscope group and 7.4% (95% CI, 5.6%-9.7%) in the video laryngoscope group. The sensitivity was 85.7% (95% CI, 79.3%-90.4%) with direct laryngoscope and 94.9% (95% CI, 83.5%-98.6%) with video laryngoscope. The specificity was 47.6% (95% CI, 47.2%-47.9%) and 40.3% (95% CI, 39.4%-40.6%), respectively. The negative predictive value was 98.2% (95% CI, 97.5%-98.8%) and 99.0% (95% CI, 96.6%-99.7%), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In this multicenter prospective study, we found a high sensitivity and a negative predictive value of the modified LEMON criteria for predicting difficult intubation. The modified LEMON might assist ED providers in better identifying difficult intubations.