Association of Prehospital Advanced Life Support by Physician With Survival After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest With Blunt Trauma Following Traffic Collisions: Japanese Registry-Based Study

Impact of delayed mobile medical team dispatch for respiratory distress calls: a propensity score matched study from a French emergency communication center

BACKGROUND

Shortness of breath is a common complaint among individuals contacting emergency communication center (EMCCs). In some prehospital system, emergency medical services include an advanced life support (ALS)-capable team. Whether such team should be dispatched during the phone call or delayed until the BLS-capable paramedic team reports from the scene is unclear. We aimed to evaluate the impact of delayed MMT dispatch until receiving the paramedic review compared to immediate dispatch at the time of the call on patient outcomes.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study conducted in Lyon, France, using data obtained from the departmental EMCC during the period from January to December 2019. We included consecutive calls related to adult patients experiencing acute respiratory distress. Patients from the two groups (immediate mobile medical team (MMT) dispatch or delayed MMT dispatch) were matched on a propensity score, and a conditional weighted logistic regression assessed the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for each outcome (mortality on days 0, 7 and 30).

RESULTS

A total of 870 calls (median age 72 [57-84], male 466 53.6%) were sought for analysis [614 (70.6%) "immediate MMT dispatch" and 256 (29.4%) "delayed MMT" groups]. The median time before MMT dispatch was 25.1 min longer in the delayed MMT group (30.7 [26.4-36.1] vs. 5.6 [3.9-8.8] min, p < 0.001). Patients subjected to a delayed MMT intervention were older (median age 78 [66-87] vs. 69 [53-83], p < 0.001) and more frequently highly dependent (16.3% vs. 8.6%, p < 0.001). A higher proportion of patients in the delayed MMT group required bag valve mask ventilation (47.3% vs. 39.1%, p = 0.03), noninvasive ventilation (24.6% vs. 20.0%, p = 0.13), endotracheal intubation (7.0% vs. 4.1%, p = 0.07) and catecholamine infusion (3.9% vs. 1.3%, p = 0.01). After propensity score matching, mortality at day 0 was higher in the delayed MMT group (9.8% vs. 4.2%, p = 0.002). Immediate MMT dispatch at the call was associated with a lower risk of mortality on day 0 (0.60 [0.38;0.82], p < 0.001) day 7 (0.50 [0.27;0.72], p < 0.001) and day 30 (0.56 [0.35;0.78], p < 0.001) CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the deployment of an MMT at call in patients in acute respiratory distress may result in decreased short to medium-term mortality compared to a delayed MMT following initial first aid assessment.

Effects of physician-present prehospital care in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest on return of spontaneous circulation: A retrospective, observational study in Saga, Japan

Background and Aims

Emergency medical services for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) vary according to region and country, and patient prognosis differs accordingly. In Japan, physicians may provide prehospital care. However, the effect of physician-present prehospital care on achieving return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in patients with cardiac arrest is not clear. Here, we aimed to examine the effect of physician-present prehospital care on the prognosis of patients with OHCA at our hospital compared with physician-absent care.

Methods

In this retrospective, observational study, patients aged ≥18 years with non-traumatic OHCA from a single center in Saga City, Japan, between April 2011 and December 2019, were included. Patients were divided into two groups, based on prehospital physician presence or absence. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between physician-present prehospital care and ROSC.

Results

Of 820 patients with OHCA, 151 had a physician present and 669 did not. Logistic regression analysis with no adjustment showed that the odds ratio (OR) of physician-present prehospital care for an increased ROSC rate was 1.74 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22-2.48, p = 0.002). Logistic-regression analysis adjusted for ROSC-related factors indicated an OR of 1.05 (95% CI: 0.47-2.34, p = 0.914) for physician-present prehospital care to ROSC.

Conclusion

Physician-present prehospital care may not necessarily lead to increased ROSC rates. However, insufficient data limited our study findings. Further studies involving larger sample sizes are warranted.

Association between prehospital physician clinical experience and discharge at scene - retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Clinical experience has been shown to affect many patient-related outcomes but its impact in the prehospital setting has been little studied.

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether rates of discharge at scene, handover to paramedics and supervision are associated with clinical experience.

DESIGN, SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS

A retrospective study, performed on all prehospital interventions carried out by physicians working in a mobile medical unit ("service mobile d'urgence et de réanimationˮ [SMUR]) at Geneva University Hospitals between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2019. The main exclusion criteria were phone consultations and major incidents with multiple casualties.

EXPOSURE

The exposure was the clinical experience of the prehospital physician at the time of the intervention, in number of years since graduation.

OUTCOME MEASURES AND ANALYSIS

The main outcome was the rate of discharge at scene. Secondary outcomes were the rate of handover to paramedics and the need for senior supervision. Outcomes were tabulated and multilevel logistic regression was performed to take into account the cluster effect of physicians.

RESULTS

In total, 48,368 adult patients were included in the analysis. The interventions were performed by 219 different physicians, most of whom were male (53.9%) and had graduated in Switzerland (82.7%). At the time of intervention, mean (standard deviation [SD]) level of experience was 5.2 (3.3) years and the median was 4.6 (interquartile range [IQR]: 3.4-6.0). The overall discharge at scene rate was 7.8% with no association between clinical experience and discharge at scene rate. Greater experience was associated with a higher rate of handover to paramedics (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.17, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13-1.21) and less supervision (aOR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.82-0.88).

CONCLUSION

In this retrospective study, there was no association between level of experience and overall rate of discharge at scene. However, greater clinical experience was associated with higher rates of handover to paramedics and less supervision.

Outcomes of prehospital traumatic cardiac arrest managed by helicopter emergency medical service personnel in Japan: a registry data analysis

BACKGROUND

Traumatic cardiac arrest (TCA) is associated with poor outcomes. Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMSs) are often used to transport critically ill patients to hospitals. However, the role of HEMS in the treatment of TCA remains unclear. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to determine the current status of patients with prehospital TCA managed by HEMS personnel in Japan and compare the outcomes of patients who experienced TCA before and after the arrival of HEMS.

METHODS

The Japanese Society for Aeromedical Services registry data of patients managed by HEMS personnel from April 2015 to March 2020 were analyzed in this retrospective cohort study. HEMS arrival and physicians' interventions at the scene were the variables of interest. The survival rate and neurological outcomes at 28 days after injury were analyzed.

RESULTS

Of the 55 299 registered patients, 722 who experienced prehospital TCA were included in the analysis. The distribution of first-witnessed TCA was as follows: pre-emergency medical service (EMS) arrival (n = 426/722, 60.3%), after EMS arrival (n = 113/722, 16.0%), and after HEMS arrival (n = 168/722, 23.8%). The 28-day survival rate was 6.2% (n = 44/706), with a cerebral performance category of 1 or 2 in 18 patients. However, patients who experienced TCA after receiving interventions provided by physicians before HEMS arrival had the worst outcomes, with only 0.6% of them surviving with favorable neurological outcomes. Multivariable analysis revealed that securing the intravenous route by the EMS team (adjusted odds ratio: 2.43, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.11-5.30) and tranexamic acid infusion by the HEMS team (adjusted odds ratio: 2.78, 95% CI: 1.16-6.64) may have increased the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) rate.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of our study were similar to those reported in previous studies with regards to the use of HEMS in Japan for transporting patients with TCA. Our findings suggest that in patients with severe trauma, cardiac arrest after initiation of HEMS, the highest level of prehospital medical intervention, may be associated with an inferior prognosis. Tracheal intubation and administration of tranexamic acid by the EMS team may increase the rate of ROSC in TCA.

Looking back to inform the future: a review of published paramedicine research

OBJECTIVE

Paramedicine has evolved in ways that may outpace the science informing these changes. Examining the scholarly pursuits of paramedicine may provide insights into the historical academic focus, which may inform future endeavors and evolution of paramedicine. The objective of this study was to explore the existing discourse in paramedicine research to reflect on the academic pursuits of this community.

METHODS

We searched Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Google Scholar and Web of Science from January, 2006 to April, 2019. We further refined the yield using a ranking formula that prioritized journals most relevant to paramedicine, then sampled randomly in two-year clusters for full text review. We extracted literature type, study topic and context, then used elements of qualitative content, thematic, and discourse analysis to further describe the sample.

RESULTS

The initial search yielded 99,124 citations, leaving 54,638 after removing duplicates and 7084 relevant articles from nine journals after ranking. Subsequently, 2058 articles were included for topic categorization, and 241 papers were included for full text analysis after random sampling. Overall, this literature reveals: 1) a relatively narrow topic focus, given the majority of research has concentrated on general operational activities and specific clinical conditions and interventions (e.g., resuscitation, airway management, etc.); 2) a limited methodological (and possibly philosophical) focus, given that most were observational studies (e.g., cohort, case control, and case series) or editorial/commentary; 3) a variety of observed trajectories of academic attention, indicating where the evolution of paramedicine is evident, areas where scope of practice is uncertain, and areas that aim to improve skills historically considered core to paramedic clinical practice.

CONCLUSIONS

Included articles suggest a relatively narrow topic focus, a limited methodological focus, and observed trajectories of academic attention indicating where research pursuits and priorities are shifting. We have highlighted that the academic focus may require an alignment with aspirational and direction setting documents aimed at developing paramedicine. This review may be a snapshot of scholarly activity that reflects a young medically directed profession and systems focusing on a few high acuity conditions, with aspirations of professional autonomy contributing to the health and social well-being of communities.

Prehospital Physician Presence for Patients With out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Undergoing Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Multicenter, Retrospective, Nationwide Observational Study in Japan (The JAAM-OHCA registry)

The effectiveness of the presence of a prehospital physician for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) undergoing extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) remains unknown. In this multicenter, retrospective, observational study, we enrolled patients aged ≥18 years who developed OHCA and received ECPR. The primary outcome was the 1-month favorable neurological outcome. We estimated the impact of the presence of a prehospital physician on outcomes using a propensity score analysis with inverse probability weighting. We enrolled 1269 patients. Favorable neurological outcomes occurred in 25 of 316 (7.9%) patients with prehospital physicians and 94 of 953 (9.9%) patients without prehospital physicians. In the propensity score analysis, favorable neurological outcomes did not differ between 2 groups (odds ratio = 0.72; 95% confidence interval: 0.44-1.17). The 1-month favorable neurological outcome was not associated with the presence of a prehospital physician for patients with OHCA who underwent EPCR.

Association between time to advanced airway management and survival during pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

Background

Respiratory care, including advanced airway management (AAM), is an important part of pediatric resuscitation. This study aimed to determine whether time to AAM is associated with outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in children.

Methods

This was a nationwide population-based observational study using the Japanese government-led registry of OHCA patients. Children (aged 1–17 years) who experienced OHCA and received AAM by emergency medical service (EMS) personnel in the prehospital setting from 2014 to 2019 were included. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the associations between time to AAM (defined as time in minutes from emergency call to the first successful AAM) and outcomes after OHCA. The primary outcome was one-month overall survival. The secondary outcomes were prehospital return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and one-month neurologically favorable survival.

Results

A total of 761 patients (mean [SD] age, 12.7 [4.8] years) were included. The mean time to AAM was 18.9 min (SD, 7.9). Overall, 77 (10.1%) patients survived one month after OHCA. After adjusting for potential confounders, longer time to AAM was significantly associated with a decreased chance of one-month survival (multivariable adjusted OR per minute delay, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.89–0.97]; P = 0.001). Similar association was observed for prehospital ROSC (adjusted OR, 0.94 [95% CI, 0.90–0.99]; P = 0.01) and neurologically favorable survival (adjusted OR, 0.83 [95% CI, 0.72–0.95]; P = 0.006). This association between time to AAM and survival was consistent across a variety of sensitivity and subgroup analyses.

Conclusions

Among pediatric OHCA patients, delayed AAM was associated with a decreased chance of survival, although the influence of resuscitation time bias might remain.

Association between Timing of Epinephrine Administration and Outcomes of Traumatic Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest following Traffic Collisions

The effects of epinephrine administration timing on patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) following traffic collisions are unknown. We analyzed the 2013-2019 All-Japan Utstein Registry data of 2024 such patients aged ≥18 years who were resuscitated by emergency medical service (EMS) personnel or bystanders and then transported to medical institutions. Time from 119 call to epinephrine administration was classified into quartiles: Q1 (6-21 min), Q2 (22-26 min), Q3 (27-34 min), and Q4 (35-60 min). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the effects of epinephrine administration timing on one-month survival after OHCA. Overall, the one-month survival rates were 3.2% (15/466) in Q1, 1.1% (5/472) in Q2, 1.9% (11/577) in Q3, and 0.2% (1/509) in Q4. Additionally, the one-month survival rate decreased significantly in the Q4 group (adjusted odds ratio, 0.07; 95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.57) compared with the Q1 group, and the probability of one-month survival decreased as the time from the EMS call to epinephrine administration increased (p-value for trend = 0.009). Only four patients (0.9% [4/466]) with the earliest epinephrine administration showed a good neurological outcome.

Prehospital traumatic cardiac arrest: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Circulatory arrest after trauma is a life-threatening situation that mandates urgent action. The aims of this systematic review and meta-analysis on prehospital traumatic cardiac arrest (TCA) were to provide an updated pooled mortality rate for prehospital TCA, to investigate the impact of the time of patient inclusion and the type of prehospital trauma system on TCA mortality rates and neurological outcome, and to investigate which pre- and intra-arrest factors are prognostic for prehospital TCA mortality.

METHODS

This review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA and CHARMS guidelines. Databases were searched for primary studies published about prehospital TCA patients (1995-2020). Studies were divided into various EMS-system categories. Data were analyzed using MedCalc, Review Manager, Microsoft Excel, and Shinyapps Meta Power Calculator software.

RESULTS

Thirty-six studies involving 51.722 patients were included. Overall mortality for TCA was 96.2% and a favorable neurological outcome was seen in 43.5% of the survivors. Mortality rates were 97.2% in studies including prehospital deaths and 92.3% in studies excluding prehospital deaths. Favorable neurological outcome rates were 35.8% in studies including prehospital deaths and 49.5% in studies excluding prehospital deaths. Mortality rates were 97.6% if no physician was available at the prehospital scene and 93.9% if a physician was available. Favorable neurological outcome rates were 57.0% if no physician was available at the prehospital scene and 38.0% if a physician was available. Only non-shockable rhythm was associated with a higher mortality (RR 1.12, p = 0.06).

CONCLUSION

Approximately 1 in 20 patients with prehospital TCA will survive; about 40% of survivors have favorable neurological outcome.

Prehospital predictors for return of spontaneous circulation in traumatic cardiac arrest

BACKGROUND

Traumatic cardiac arrests (TCAs) are associated with high mortality and the majority of deaths occur at the prehospital scene. The aim of the present study was to assess, in a prehospital physician-led emergency medical system, the factors associated with sustained return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in TCA, including advanced life procedures. The secondary objectives were to assess factors associated with 30-day survival in TCA, evaluate neurological recovery in survivors, and describe the frequency of organ donation among patients experiencing a TCA.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study of all TCA patients included in the French nationwide cardiac arrest registry from July 2011 to November 2020. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors independently associated with ROSC.

RESULTS

A total of 120,045 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests were included in the registry, among which 4,922 TCA were eligible for analysis. Return of spontaneous circulation was sustained on-scene in 21.1% (n = 1,037) patients. Factors significantly associated with sustained ROSC were not-asystolic initial rhythms (pulseless electric activity (odds ratio [OR], 1.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.40-2.35; p < 0.001), shockable rhythm (OR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.12-2.98; p = 0.016), spontaneous activity (OR, 3.66; 95% CI, 2.70-4.96; p < 0.001), and gasping at the mobile medical team (MMT) arrival (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.02-1.94; p = 0.042). The MMT interventions significantly associated with ROSC were as follows: intravenous fluid resuscitation (OR, 3.19; 95% CI, 2.69-3.78; p < 0.001), packed red cells transfusion (OR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.84-3.51; p < 0.001), and external hemorrhage control (OR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.31-2.30; p < 0.001). Among patients who survived (n = 67), neurological outcome at Day 30 was favorable (cerebral performance categories 1-2) in 72.2% cases (n = 39/54) and 1.4% (n = 67/4,855) of deceased patients donated one or more organ.

CONCLUSION

Sustained ROSC was frequently achieved in patients not in asystole at MMT arrival, and higher ROSC rates were achieved in patients benefiting from specific advanced life support interventions. Organ donation was somewhat possible in TCA patients undergoing on-scene resuscitation.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic and epidemiologic, Level III.

Association of Nights and Weekends with Survival of Traumatic Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest following Traffic Collisions: Japanese Registry-Based Study

BACKGROUND

The process of care for traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) may be different at night and on the weekend. However, little is known about whether the rate of survival after OHCA is affected by the time of day and day of the week.

METHODS

This observational study analyzed the Japanese government-led nationwide population-based registry data of OHCA patients. Patients who experienced traumatic OHCA following traffic collisions from 2013 to 2017 were included in the study. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to examine the association of both time of day (day/evening vs. night) and day of the week (weekday vs. weekend) with outcomes after traumatic OHCA. Night was defined as 23:00 p.m. to 6:59 a.m., and weekends were defined as Saturday and Sunday. The primary outcome was one-month survival.

RESULTS

A total of 8500 patients (mean [SD] age, 57.7 [22.3] years; 68.6% male) were included. 2267 events (26.7%) occurred at night, and 2482 events (29.2%) occurred on weekends. Overall, 173 patients (2.0%) survived one month after OHCA. After adjusting for potential confounders, one-month survival during the day/evening (148/6233 [2.4%]) was significantly higher than during the night (25/2267 [1.1%]) (adjusted OR, 1.95 [95%CI, 1.24-3.07]), whereas there was no significant difference in one-month survival between weekdays (121/6018 [2.0%]) and weekends (52/2482 [2.1%]) (adjusted OR, 0.97 [95%CI, 0.69-1.38]).

CONCLUSIONS

One-month survival after traumatic OHCA was significantly lower during the night than during the day/evening, although there was no difference in one-month survival between weekdays and weekends. Further studies are warranted to investigate the underlying mechanisms of decreased survival at night.

Impact of emergency physician-staffed ambulances on preoperative time course and survival among injured patients requiring emergency surgery or transarterial embolization: A retrospective cohort study at a community emergency department in Japan

Injured patients requiring definitive intervention, such as surgery or transarterial embolization (TAE), are an extremely time-sensitive population. The effect of an emergency physician (EP) patient care delivery system in this important trauma subset remains unclear. We aimed to clarify whether the preoperative time course and mortality among injured patients differ between ambulances staffed by EPs and those staffed by emergency life-saving technicians (ELST). This was a retrospective cohort study at a community emergency department (ED) in Japan. We included all injured patients requiring emergency surgery or TAE who were transported directly from the ED to the operating room from January 2002 to December 2019. The primary exposure was dispatch of an EP-staffed ambulance to the prehospital scene. The primary outcome measures were preoperative time course including prehospital length of stay (LOS), ED LOS, and total time to definitive intervention. The other outcome of interest was in-hospital mortality. One-to-one propensity score matching was performed to compare these outcomes between the groups. Of the 1,020 eligible patients, 353 (34.6%) were transported to the ED by an EP-staffed ambulance. In the propensity score-matched analysis with 295 pairs, the EP group showed a significant increase in median prehospital LOS (71.0 min vs. 41.0 min, P < 0.001) and total time to definitive intervention (189.0 min vs. 177.0 min, P = 0.002) in comparison with the ELST group. Conversely, ED LOS was significantly shorter in the EP group than in the ELST group (120.0 min vs. 131.0 min, P = 0.043). There was no significant difference in mortality between the two groups (8.8% vs.9.8%, P = 0.671). At a community hospital in Japan, EP-staffed ambulances were found to be associated with prolonged prehospital time, delay in definitive treatment, and did not improve survival among injured patients needing definitive hemostatic procedures compared with ELST-staffed ambulances.

Timing of Intravenous Epinephrine Administration During Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

BACKGROUND

Current guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation recommend that standard dose of epinephrine be administered every 3 to 5 min during cardiac arrest. However, there is controversy about the association between timing of epinephrine administration and outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). This study aimed to determine whether the timing of intravenous epinephrine administration is associated with outcomes after OHCA.

METHODS

We analyzed Japanese government-led nationwide population-based registry data for OHCA. Adult OHCA patients who received intravenous epinephrine by emergency medical service personnel in the prehospital setting from 2011 to 2017 were included. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the associations between time to first epinephrine administration and outcomes after OHCA. Subsequently, associations between early (≤20 min) versus delayed (>20 min) epinephrine administration and outcomes after OHCA were examined using propensity score-matched analyses. The primary outcome was 1-month neurologically favorable survival.

RESULTS

A total of 119,946 patients (mean [SD] age, 75.2 [14.8] years; 61.4% male) were included. The median time to epinephrine was 23 min (interquartile range, 19-29). Longer time to epinephrine was significantly associated with a decreased chance of 1-month neurologically favorable survival (multivariable adjusted OR per minute delay, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.90-0.92]). In the propensity score-matched cohort, when compared with early (≤20 min) epinephrine, delayed (>20 min) epinephrine was associated with a decreased chance of 1-month neurologically favorable survival (959/42,804 [2.2%] vs. 330/42,804 [0.8%]; RR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.30-0.39; NNT, 69).

CONCLUSIONS

Delay in epinephrine administration was associated with a decreased chance of 1-month neurologically favorable survival among patients with OHCA.

Physician's presence in pre-hospital setting improves one-month favorable neurological survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a propensity score matching analysis of the JAAM-OHCA Registry

BACKGROUND

Using the out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) registry in Japan, we evaluated the effectiveness of physicians' presence in pre-hospital settings after adjusting in-hospital treatments.

METHODS

This was a multicenter cohort study. We registered all consecutive OHCA patients in Japan who, from 1 June 2014 through 31 December 2017, were transported to institutions participating in the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine OHCA registry. We included OHCA patients aged at least 18 years, with medical etiology, and who received resuscitation from emergency medical services (EMS) personnel and medical professionals in hospitals. The primary outcome was one-month favorable neurological survival. We estimated the propensity score by fitting a logistic regression model that was adjusted for several variables before the arrival of EMS personnel and/or pre-hospital physician. A multivariable logistic regression analysis in propensity score-matched patients was used to adjust confounders, including extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, percutaneous coronary intervention, intra-aortic balloon pumping, and targeted temperature management.

RESULTS

We analyzed 19,247 patients. Among them, 5.4% (N = 1,040) had a neurologically favorable outcome. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of the physicians' presence compared with their absence for primary outcome was 1.84 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.43-2.37). Among first documented non-shockable cardiac rhythm, the AOR was 1.51 (95% CI: 1.04-2.22). Among first documented shockable cardiac rhythm, the AOR of the physicians' presence for primary outcome was 1.15 (95% CI: 0.83-1.59).

CONCLUSION

The improved one-month favorable neurological survival was significantly associated with the physicians' presence in pre-hospital settings, compared with the physicians' absence.

Physician-staffed ambulance and increased in-hospital mortality of hypotensive trauma patients following prolonged prehospital stay: A nationwide study

BACKGROUND

The benefits of physician-staffed emergency medical services (EMS) for trauma patients remain unclear because of the conflicting results on survival. Some studies suggested potential delays in definitive hemostasis due to prolonged prehospital stay when physicians are dispatched to the scene. We examined hypotensive trauma patients who were transported by ambulance, with the hypothesis that physician-staffed ambulances would be associated with increased in-hospital mortality, compared with EMS personnel-staffed ambulances.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study that included hypotensive trauma patients (systolic blood pressure ≤ 90 mm Hg at the scene) transported by ambulance was conducted using the Japan Trauma Data Bank (2004-2019). Physician-staffed ambulances are capable of resuscitative procedures, such as thoracotomy and surgical airway management, while EMS personnel-staffed ambulances could only provide advanced life support. In-hospital mortality and prehospital time until the hospital arrival were compared between patients who were classified based on the type of ambulance. Inverse probability weighting was conducted to adjust baseline characteristics including age, sex, comorbidities, mechanism of injury, vital signs at the scene, injury severity, and ambulance dispatch time.

RESULTS

Among 14,652 patients eligible for the study, 738 were transported by a physician-staffed ambulance. In-hospital mortality was higher in the physician-staffed ambulance than in the EMS personnel-staffed ambulance (201/699 [28.8%] vs. 2287/13,090 [17.5%]; odds ratio, 1.90 [1.61-2.26]; adjusted odds ratio, 1.22 [1.14-1.30]; p < 0.01), and the physician-staffed ambulance showed longer prehospital time (50 [36-66] vs. 37 [29-48] min, difference = 12 [11-12] min, p < 0.01). Such potential harm of the physician-staffed ambulance was only observed among patients who arrived at the hospital with persistent hypotension (systolic blood pressure < 90 mm Hg on hospital arrival) in subgroup analyses.

CONCLUSION

Physician-staffed ambulances were associated with prolonged prehospital stay and increased in-hospital mortality among hypotensive trauma patients compared with EMS personnel-staffed ambulance.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic, level IV.

Association between time to advanced airway management and neurologically favourable survival during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

BACKGROUND

Advanced airway management (AAM) is commonly performed as part of advanced life support. However, there is controversy about the association between the timing of AAM and outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). This study aimed to determine whether time to AAM is associated with outcomes after OHCA.

METHODS

This was a nationwide population-based observational study using the Japanese government-led registry of OHCA. Adults who experienced OHCA and received AAM by EMS personnel in the prehospital setting from 2014 to 2017 were included. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the associations between time to AAM (defined as time in minutes from emergency call to the first successful AAM) and outcomes after OHCA. Then, associations between early (≤ 20 min) vs. delayed (> 20 min) AAM and outcomes after OHCA were examined using propensity score-matched analyses. The primary outcome was one-month neurologically favourable survival.

RESULTS

A total of 164,223 patients (median [IQR] age, 80 [69-86] years; 57.7% male) were included. The median time to AAM was 17 min (IQR, 14-22). Longer time to AAM was significantly associated with a decreased chance of one-month neurologically favourable survival (multivariable adjusted OR per minute delay, 0.90 [95% CI, 0.90-0.91]). In the propensity score-matched cohort, compared with early AAM, delayed AAM was associated with a decreased chance of one-month neurologically favourable survival (516 of 50,997 [1.0%] vs. 226 of 50,997 [0.4%]; RR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.37-0.51; NNT, 176).

CONCLUSIONS

Delay in AAM was associated with a decreased chance of one-month neurologically favourable survival among patients with OHCA.

Epinephrine dosing interval and neurological outcome in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

OBJECTIVE

Current guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) recommend that standard-dose epinephrine be administered every 3-5 minutes during cardiac arrest. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding the optimal epinephrine dosing interval. This study aimed to examine the association between epinephrine dosing intervals and outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).

METHODS

This was a nationwide population-based observational study using data from a Japanese government-led registry of OHCA, including patients who experienced OHCA in Japan from 2011 to 2017. We defined the epinephrine dosing interval as the time interval between the first epinephrine administration and return of spontaneous circulation in the prehospital setting, divided by the total number of epinephrine doses. The primary outcome was 1-month neurologically favorable survival.

RESULTS

A total of 10,965 patients (mean (SD) age, 75.8 (14.3) years; 59.8% male) were included. The median epinephrine dosing interval was 3.5 minutes (IQR, 2.5-4.5; mean (SD), 3.6 (1.8)). Only approximately half of the patients received epinephrine administration with a standard dosing interval, as recommended in the current CPR guidelines. After multivariable adjustment, compared with the standard dosing interval, neither shorter nor longer epinephrine dosing intervals were associated with neurologically favorable survival after OHCA (Short vs Standard: adjusted OR 0.87 [95%CI 0.66-1.15]; and Long vs Standard: adjusted OR 1.08 [95%CI 0.76-1.55]). Similar associations were observed in propensity score-matched analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

The epinephrine dosing interval was not associated with 1-month neurologically favorable survival after OHCA. Our findings do not deny the recommended epinephrine dosing interval in the current CPR guidelines.

Advanced Life Support vs. Basic Life Support for Patients With Trauma in Prehospital Settings: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Advanced Life Support (ALS) is regarded to be associated with improved survival in pre-hospital trauma care when compared to Basic Life Support (BLS) irrespective of lack of evidence. The aim of this study is to ascertain ALS improves survival for trauma in prehospital settings when compared to BLS.

Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for published controlled trials (CTs), and observational studies that were published until Aug 2017. The population of interest were adults (>18 years old) trauma patients who were transported by ground transportation and required resuscitation in prehospital settings. We compared outcomes between the ALS and BLS groups. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality and secondary outcomes were neurological outcome and time spent on scene.

Results: We identified 2,502 studies from various databases and 10 studies were included in the analysis (two CTs, and eight observational studies). The outcomes were not statistically significant between the ALS and BLS groups (pooled OR 1.14; 95% CI 0.95 to 1.36 for mortality, pooled OR 1.12; 95% CI 0.88 to 1.42 for good neurological outcomes, pooled mean difference −0.96; 95% CI−6.64 to 4.72 for on-scene time) in CTs. In observational studies, ALS prolonged on-scene time and increased mortality (pooled OR 1.56; 95% CI: 1.31 to 1.86 for mortality, and pooled mean difference, 1.26; 95% CI: 0.07 to 2.45 for on-scene time).

Conclusions: In prehospital settings, the present study showed no advantages of ALS on the outcomes in patients with trauma compared to BLS.

A state-of-the-art review of factors that predict mortality among traumatic injury patients following a road traffic crash

BACKGROUND

Traffic related injuries are a major public health problem worldwide with millions of people dying every year. The objective of this state-of-the-art review was to identify the factors reported in the literature as being associated with mortality for trauma patients following road traffic crashes.

METHOD

A systematic search was undertaken of PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases to identify articles published in the past two decades (2000-2020). Of 8257 records, 4507 remained for title, abstract and full text screening after duplicates were removed. The level of evidence of selected studies was assessed using The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) guideline.

RESULTS

This review included eighty primary research studies examining mortality risk factors following a road traffic crash. The study identified factors in five categories; (i) demographic factors; (ii) behavioural factors; (iii) crash characteristics; (iv) environmental and timing factors; (v) injury severity and pre-injury/condition. The primary studies are summarised in a matrix. Included studies included level II to level IV levels of evidence based on the NHMRC criteria.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that there are a large number of factors associated with increased risk of mortality following diverse types of traffic crashes. Understanding these wide-ranging factors can strengthen injury and mortality prevention by guiding decision makers about where to focus strategy implementation.

Injury-related deaths in the Ontario provincial trauma system: a retrospective population-based cohort analysis

BACKGROUND

Although Ontario has an established trauma system, it experiences a substantial burden of morbidity and mortality from injury. Our objective was to describe patterns of fatal injury in Ontario, with a focus on location of death (out of hospital, trauma or non-trauma centre) and receipt of surgical intervention before death.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study using linked administrative data on fatal injuries in children and adults (no age restrictions) in Ontario between 2000 and 2016. We identified injury-related deaths in the Ontario Registrar General Death database. We developed descriptive statistics for injury characteristics and causes of death. We calculated the fatal injury incidence rate for each year of the study. The primary outcome was cause of death; the secondary outcome was receipt of surgical intervention.

RESULTS

The analysis included 19 408 people. The mean annual incidence of fatal injury averaged 8.7 (95% confidence interval 7.7-9.6) per 100 000. The most common mechanisms of injury were motor vehicle collisions (12 065, 62.2%), followed by gunshot wounds (3134, 16.1%) and falls (2387, 12.3%). Deaths frequently occurred out of hospital (72.6%), rather than at a trauma centre (14.2%) or non-trauma centre (13.2%). Patients treated at trauma centres were significantly more likely to receive a surgical intervention (standardized difference 0.6) than those treated at non-trauma centres.

INTERPRETATION

Most injury deaths in Ontario occur in the out-of-hospital setting or are managed at non-trauma centres; many patients receive no surgical intervention before death. There are likely opportunities to improve access to specialized injury care in Ontario's trauma system.

Evaluation of a Prehospital Rotation by Senior Residents: A Web-Based Survey

The added value of prehospital emergency medicine is usually assessed by measuring patient-centered outcomes. Prehospital rotations might however also help senior residents acquire specific skills and knowledge. To assess the perceived added value of the prehospital rotation in comparison with other rotations, we analyzed web-based questionnaires sent between September 2011 and August 2020 to senior residents who had just completed a prehospital rotation. The primary outcome was the perceived benefit of the prehospital rotation in comparison with other rotations regarding technical and non-technical skills. Secondary outcomes included resident satisfaction regarding the prehospital rotation and regarding supervision. A pre-specified subgroup analysis was performed to search for differences according to the participants’ service of origin (anesthesiology, emergency medicine, or internal medicine). The completion rate was of 71.5% (113/158), and 91 surveys were analyzed. Most senior residents found the prehospital rotation either more beneficial or much more beneficial than other rotations regarding the acquisition of technical and non-technical skills. Anesthesiology residents reported less benefits than other residents regarding pharmacological knowledge acquisition and confidence as to their ability to manage emergency situations. Simulation studies should now be carried out to confirm these findings.

Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta and traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A nationwide study

OBJECTIVE

Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is a less-invasive method for temporary hemostasis compared with cross-clamping the aorta through resuscitative thoracotomy (RT). Although the survival benefits of REBOA remained unclear, pathophysiological benefits were identified in patients with traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (t-OHCA). We examined the clinical outcomes of t-OHCA with the hypothesis that REBOA would be associated with higher survival to discharge compared with RT.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Japan Trauma Data Bank (2004-2019). Adult patients with t-OHCA who had arrived without a palpable pulse and undergone aortic occlusion were included. Patients were divided into REBOA or RT groups, and propensity scores were developed using age, mechanism of injury, presence of signs of life, presence of severe head and/or chest injury, Injury Severity Score, and transportation time. Inverse probability weighting by propensity scores was performed to compare survival to discharge between the 2 groups.

RESULTS

Among 13,247 patients with t-OHCA, 1483 were included in this study. A total of 144 (9.7%) patients were treated with REBOA, and 5 of 144 (3.5%) in the REBOA group and 10 of 1339 (0.7%) in the RT group survived to discharge. The use of REBOA was significantly associated with increased survival to discharge (odds ratio, 4.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.61-14.19), which was confirmed by inverse probability weighting (adjusted odds ratio, 3.73; 95% confidence interval, 1.90-7.32).

CONCLUSIONS

REBOA for t-OHCA was associated with higher survival to discharge. These results should be validated by further research.

Association of Prehospital Time to In-Hospital Trauma Mortality in a Physician-Staffed Emergency Medicine System

Importance

The association between total prehospital time and mortality in physician-staffed trauma systems remains uncertain.

Objective

To describe the association of total prehospital time and in-hospital mortality in prehospital, physician-staffed trauma systems in France, with the hypothesis that total prehospital time is associated with increased mortality.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study was conducted from January 2009 to December 2016. Data for this study were derived from 2 distinct regional trauma registries in France (1 urban and 1 rural) that both have a physician-staffed emergency medical service. Consecutive adult trauma patients admitted to either of the regional trauma referral centers during the study period were included. Data analysis took place from March 2018 to September 2018.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The association between death and prehospital time was assessed with a multivariable model adjusted with confounders. Total prehospital time was the primary exposure variable, recorded as the time from the arrival of the physician-led prehospital care team on scene to the arrival at the hospital. The main outcome of interest was all-cause in-hospital mortality.

Results

A total of 10 216 patients were included (mean [SD] age, 41 [18] years; 7937 men [78.3%]) affected by predominantly nonpenetrating injuries (9265 [91.5%]), with a mean (SD) Injury Severity Score of 17 (14) points. Of the patients, 6737 (66.5%) had at least 1 body region with an Abbreviated Injury Scale score of 3 or more. A total of 1259 patients (12.4%) presented in shock (with systolic pressure <90 mm Hg) and 2724 (26.9%) with severe head injury (Abbreviated Injury Scale score ≥3 points). On unadjusted analysis, increasing prehospital times (in 30-minute categories) were associated with a markedly and constant increase in the risk of in-hospital death. The odds of death increased by 9% for each 10-minute increase in prehospital time (odds ratio, 1.09 [95% CI, 1.07-1.11]) and after adjustment by 4% (odds ratio, 1.04 [95% CI, 1.01-1.07]).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this study, an increase in total prehospital time was associated with increasing in-hospital all-cause mortality in trauma patients at a physician-staffed emergency medical system, after adjustment for case complexity. Prehospital time is a management objective in analogy to physiological targets. These findings plead for a further streamlining of prehospital trauma care and the need to define the optimal intervention-to-time ratio.

Pre-arrest and intra-arrest prognostic factors associated with survival following traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest - A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM

To summarize the prognostic associations of pre- and intra-arrest factors with return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and survival (in-hospital or 30 days) after traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

METHODS

We conducted this review in accordance with the PRISMA and CHARMS guidelines. We searched Medline, Pubmed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from inception through December 1st, 2019. We included English language studies evaluating pre- and intra-arrest prognostic factors following penetrating or blunt traumatic OHCA. Risk of bias was assessed using the QUIPS tool. We pooled unadjusted odds ratios using random-effects models and presented adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. We used the GRADE method to describe certainty.

RESULTS

We included 53 studies involving 37,528 patients. The most important predictors of survival were presence of cardiac motion on ultrasound (odds ratio 33.91, 1.87-613.42, low certainty) or a shockable initial cardiac rhythm (odds ratio 7.29, 5.09-10.44, moderate certainty), based on pooled unadjusted analyses. Importantly, mechanism of injury was not associated with either ROSC (odds ratio 0.97, 0.51-1.85, very low certainty) or survival (odds ratio 1.40, 0.79-2.48, very low certainty).

CONCLUSION

This review provides very low to moderate certainty evidence that pre- and intra-arrest prognostic factors following penetrating or blunt traumatic OHCA predict ROSC and survival. This evidence is primarily based on unadjusted data. Further well-designed studies with larger cohorts are warranted to test the adjusted prognostic ability of pre- and intra-arrest factors and guide therapeutic decision-making.

Influence of prehospital physician presence on survival after severe trauma: Systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

As trauma is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, there is great potential for reducing mortality in trauma patients. However, there is continuing controversy over the benefit of deploying emergency medical systems (EMS) physicians in the prehospital setting. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to assess how out-of-hospital hospital management of severely injured patients by EMS teams with and without physicians affects mortality.

METHODS

PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for relevant articles, and the search was supplemented by a hand search. Injury severity in the group of patients treated by an EMS team including a physician had to be comparable to the group treated without a physician. Primary outcome parameter was mortality. Helicopter transport as a confounder was accounted for by subgroup analyses including only the studies with comparable modes of transport. Quality of all included studies was assessed according to the Cochrane handbook.

RESULTS

There were 2,249 publications found, 71 full-text articles assessed, and 22 studies included. Nine of these studies were matched or adjusted for injury severity. The odds ratio (OR) of mortality was significantly lower in the EMS physician-treated group of patients: 0.81; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.71-0.92. When analysis was limited to the studies that were adjusted or matched for injury severity, the OR was 0.86 (95% CI, 0.73-1.01). Analyzing only studies published after 2005 yielded an OR for mortality of 0.75 (95% CI, 0.64-0.88) in the overall analysis and 0.81 (95% CI, 0.67-0.97) in the analysis of adjusted or matched studies. The OR was 0.80 (95% CI, 0.65-1.00) in the subgroup of studies with comparable modes of transport and 0.74 (95% CI, 0.53-1.03) in the more recent studies.

CONCLUSION

Prehospital management of severely injured patients by EMS teams including a physician seems to be associated with lower mortality. After excluding the confounder of helicopter transport we have shown a nonsignificant trend toward lower mortality.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Systematic review and meta-analysis, level III.

Bystander-initiated conventional vs compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation and outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to drowning

BACKGROUND

Great emphasis has been placed on rescue breathing in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) due to drowning. However, there is no evidence about the effect of rescue breathing on neurologically favorable survival after OHCA due to drowning. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of bystander-initiated conventional (with rescue breathing) versus compression-only (without rescue breathing) cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in OHCA due to drowning.

METHODS

This nationwide population-based observational study using prospectively collected government-led registry data included patients with OHCA due to drowning who were transported to an emergency hospital in Japan between 2013 and 2016. The primary outcome was one-month neurologically favorable survival.

RESULTS

The full cohort (n = 5121) comprised 2486 (48.5%) male patients, and the mean age was 72.4 years (standard deviation, 21.6). Of these, 968 (18.9%) received conventional CPR, and 4153 (81.1%) received compression-only CPR. 928 patients receiving conventional CPR were propensity-matched with 928 patients receiving compression-only CPR. In the propensity score-matched cohort, one-month neurologically favorable survival was not significantly different between the two groups (7.5% in the conventional CPR group vs. 6.6% in the compression-only CPR group; risk ratio, 1.15; 95% confidence interval, 0.82-1.60; P = 0.4147). This association was consistent across a variety of subgroup analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with OHCA due to drowning, there were no differences in one-month neurologically favorable survival between bystander-initiated conventional and compression-only CPR groups, although several important data (e.g., water temperature, submersion duration, or body of water) could not be addressed. Further study is warranted to confirm our findings.

Epinephrine during resuscitation of traumatic cardiac arrest and increased mortality: a post hoc analysis of prospective observational study

Background

The beneficial effect of epinephrine during resuscitation from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has been inconclusive, and potential harm has been suggested, particularly in trauma victims. Although no significant improvement in neurological outcomes has been found among resuscitated patients using epinephrine, including trauma patients, the use of epinephrine is recommended in the Advanced Trauma Life Support protocol. Given that the use of vasopressors was reported to be associated with increased mortality in patients with massive bleeding, the undesirable effects of epinephrine during the resuscitation of traumatic OHCA should be elucidated. We hypothesised that resuscitation with epinephrine would increase mortality in patients with OHCA following trauma.

Methods

This study is a post-hoc analysis of a prospective, multicentre, observational study on patients with OHCA between January 2012 and March 2013. We included adult patients with traumatic OHCA who were aged ≥15 years and excluded those with missing survival data. Patient data were divided into epinephrine or no-epinephrine groups based on the use of epinephrine during resuscitation at the hospital. Propensity scores were developed to estimate the probability of being assigned to the epinephrine group using multivariate logistic regression analyses adjusted for known survival predictors. The primary outcome was survival 7 days after injury, which was compared among the two groups after propensity score matching.

Results

Of the 1125 adults with traumatic OHCA during the study period, 1030 patients were included in this study. Among them, 822 (79.8%) were resuscitated using epinephrine, and 1.1% (9/822) in the epinephrine group and 5.3% (11/208) in the no-epinephrine group survived 7 days after injury. The use of epinephrine was significantly associated with decreased 7-day survival (odds ratio = 0.20; 95% CI = 0.08–0.48; P < 0.01), and this result was confirmed by propensity score-matching analysis, in which 178 matched pairs were examined (adjusted odds ratio = 0.11; 95% CI = 0.01–0.85; P = 0.02).

Conclusions

The relationship between the use of epinephrine during resuscitation and decreased 7-day survival was found in patients with OHCA following trauma, and the propensity score-matched analyses validated the results. Resuscitation without epinephrine in traumatic OHCA should be further studied in a randomised controlled trial.

Association of Prehospital Epinephrine Administration With Survival Among Patients With Traumatic Cardiac Arrest Caused By Traffic Collisions

For traumatic cardiac arrest (TCA), the effect of prehospital epinephrine administration was unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between prehospital epinephrine administration and survival in patients with TCA caused by traffic collisions. We conducted a nationwide, prospective, population-based observational study involving patients who experienced out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) by using the All-Japan Utstein Registry. Blunt trauma patients with TCA who received prehospital epinephrine were compared with those who did not receive prehospital epinephrine. The primary outcome was 1-month survival of patients. The secondary outcome was prehospital return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). A total of 5,204 patients with TCA were analyzed. Of those, 758 patients (14.6%) received prehospital epinephrine (Epinephrine group), whereas the remaining 4,446 patients (85.4%) did not receive prehospital epinephrine (No epinephrine group). Eleven (1.5%) and 41 (0.9%) patients in the Epinephrine and No epinephrine groups, respectively, survived for 1 month. In addition, 74 (9.8%) and 40 (0.9%) patients achieved prehospital ROSC in the Epinephrine and No epinephrine groups, respectively. In multivariable logistic regression models, prehospital epinephrine administration was not associated with 1-month survival (odds ratio [OR] 1.495, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.758 to 2.946) and was associated with prehospital ROSC (OR 3.784, 95% CI 2.102 to 6.812). A propensity score-matched analysis showed similar results for 1-month survival (OR 2.363, 95% CI 0.606 to 9,223) and prehospital ROSC (OR 6.870, 95% CI 3.326 to 14.192). Prehospital epinephrine administration in patients with TCA was not associated with 1-month survival, but was beneficial in regard to prehospital ROSC.

Association of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation and neurological outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to drowning in Japan, 2013-2016

BACKGROUND

Early initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performed by bystanders is essential in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) due to primary cardiac cause. However, evidence about the effect of bystander CPR on neurologically favorable survival after OHCA due to drowning is scarce and controversial.

METHODS

This nationwide population-based observational study using prospectively collected government-led registry data included patients with OHCA due to drowning who were transported to an emergency hospital between 2013 and 2016. The primary outcome was one-month neurologically favorable survival defined as Glasgow-Pittsburgh Cerebral Performance Category score of 1-2. The secondary outcomes were one-month survival and prehospital return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC).

RESULTS

The full cohort (n = 12,139) comprised 6291 (51.8%) male patients, and the mean age was 73.7 (standard deviation [SD], 18.8). Of these, 5157 (42.5%) received bystander CPR, and 6982 (57.5%) did not. 4345 patients receiving bystander CPR were propensity-matched with 4345 patients not receiving bystander CPR. In the propensity score-matched cohort, bystander CPR was associated with increased chance of one-month neurologically favorable survival (0.4% vs. 0.8%; risk ratio [RR], 2.19; 95%confidence interval [CI], 1.21-3.95; P = 0.0076), one-month survival (1.1% vs. 1.7%; RR, 1.55; 95%CI, 1.09-2.22; P = 0.0150), and prehospital ROSC (2.7% vs. 3.5%; RR, 1.30; 95%CI, 1.03-1.65; P = 0.0296). Similar association was observed across a variety of sensitivity analyses. In subgroup analysis, statistically significant difference was not observed in pediatric OHCA due to drowning, although the sample size was too small (n = 218).

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with OHCA due to drowning, bystander CPR was associated with increased chance of neurologically favorable survival.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest following trauma: What does a helicopter emergency medical service offer?

INTRODUCTION

Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) are often dispatched to patients in traumatic cardiac arrest (TCA) as they can provide treatments and advanced interventions in the pre-hospital environment that have the potential to contribute to an increased survival. This study, aimed to investigate the added value of HEMS in the treatment of TCA.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study of all patients with a pre-hospital TCA who were attended by a non-urban HEMS (Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance trust) between July 1st 2013 and May 1st 2018. We investigated how many patients got return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) at scene, which HEMS specific advanced interventions were performed in these patients, and how these interventions were related to ROSC.

RESULTS

During the study period 263 patients with a TCA were attended by HEMS with an average response time of 30 min [range 13-109]. 51 patients (20%) regained ROSC at scene (28 before- and 23 after arrival of HEMS). The HEMS specific interventions of blood product administration (OR 8.54 [2.84-25.72]), and RSI (2.95 [1.32-6.58]) were positively associated with ROSC. Most patients who had a ROSC had one or more HEMS specific interventions being performed - RSI (n = 19, 37%), blood product administration (n = 32, 62%), thoracostomies (n = 36, 71%) and thoracotomy (n = 1, 2%). HEMS also delivered other important interventions to these patients as IV/IO access (n = 20, 39.2%) and endotracheal intubation without drugs (n = 9, 17.6%).

CONCLUSION

HEMS teams should be involved in the treatment of patients with a TCA, even in non-urban areas with prolonged response times, as they provide knowledge and skills that contribute to regaining and maintaining a sustained ROSC in this critically ill and injured cohort of patients.

Efficacy of the presence of an emergency physician in prehospital major trauma care: A nationwide cohort study in Japan

PURPOSE

The beneficial effect of the presence of an emergency physician in prehospital major trauma care is controversial. The aim in this study is to assess whether an emergency physician on scene can improve survival outcome of critical trauma patients.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study was conducted by using nationwide trauma registry data between 2004 and 2013 in Japan. Severe trauma patients (injury severity score (ISS) ≥ 16) who were transported directly to the hospital from the injury site were included in our analysis. Patients who were predicted to be untreatable (abbreviated injury score (AIS) = 6 and/or cardiopulmonary arrest at least one time before hospital arrival) were excluded. Participants were divided into either a physician or paramedics group based on the prehospital practitioner. The primary outcome was survival rate at discharge. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to compare the outcome with adjustment for age, gender, ISS, cause of injury, and pre-hospital vital signs.

RESULTS

A total of 30,283 patients were eligible for the selection criteria (physician: 1222, paramedics: 29,061). Overall, 172 patients (14.1%) died in the physician group compared to 3508 patients (12.1%) in the paramedics group. Patients in the physician group had higher ISSs than those in the paramedics group. In multivariable logistic regression, the physician group had an odds ratio (OR) of 1.16 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.97 to 1.40, p = 0.11) for in-hospital survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results failed to show a difference in survival at discharge between non-physician-staffed ambulances and physician-staffed ambulances.