[DIVI emergency medicine protocol, version 4.0]

Medical Emergency Datasets Can Improve the Comprehensiveness of Handover Information: A Simulation Study

Background: Access to patients' medical histories can be of vital importance to ensure proper treatment in an emergency. Germany is planning to introduce a medical emergency dataset (MED), accessible through an electronic health card, and comprising important patient information, such as diagnoses, medications, and allergies. Introduction: This article evaluates the effect of MEDs on the comprehensiveness of a physician's documentation and handover process to the emergency department of a hospital. Materials and Methods: In 2 randomized, crossover simulation studies, 72 emergency physicians participated in 2 emergency scenarios, either with or without access to an MED. Subsequently, they had to document the key information (pre-existing conditions, medications, and allergies) and hand it over to a fictional hospital. The influence of the MED on the documentation of key information was analyzed using the two-sided Prescott's exact test. Sensitivity analyses adjusting for scenario were conducted. Results: The results show that in scenarios with an MED, documentation of key information in the handover process was more complete. In the first trial, 2 of 3 key items (pre-existing conditions/information and allergies) presented a statistically noticeable difference in scenarios with the MED. The second trial confirmed these results for all key items. Discussion: The findings indicate that the use of MEDs in emergency care could be beneficial since documentation and handover in scenarios with an MED were superior to current real-world practices. Conclusions: Access to more complete patient information through an MED could help to improve the patient's treatment.

Quality of inter-hospital transportation in 431 transport survivor patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome referred to specialist centers

Background

The acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening condition. In special situations, these critically ill patients must be transferred to specialized centers for escalating treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of inter-hospital transport (IHT) of ARDS patients.

Methods

We evaluated medical and organizational aspects of structural and procedural quality relating to IHT of patients with ARDS in a prospective nationwide ARDS study. The qualification of emergency staff, the organizational aspects and the occurrence of critical events during transport were analyzed.

Results

Out of 1234 ARDS patients, 431 (34.9%) were transported, and 52 of these (12.1%) treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. 63.1% of transferred patients were male, median age was 54 years, and 26.8% of patients were obese. All patients were mechanically ventilated during IHT. Pressure-controlled ventilation was the preferred mode (92.1%). Median duration to organize the IHT was 165 min. Median distance for IHT was 58 km, and median duration of IHT 60 min. Forty-two patient-related and 8 technology-related critical events (11.6%, 50 of 431 patients) were observed. When a critical event occurred, the PaO₂/FiO₂ ratio before transport was significant lower (68 vs. 80 mmHg, p = 0.017). 69.8% of physicians and 86.7% of paramedics confirmed all transfer qualifications according to requirements of the German faculty guidelines (DIVI).

Conclusions

The transport of critically ill patients is associated with potential risks. In our study the rate of patient- and technology-related critical events was relatively low. A severe ARDS with a PaO₂/FiO₂ ratio < 70 mmHg seems to be a risk factor for the appearance of critical events during IHT. The majority of transport staff was well qualified. Time span for organization of IHT was relatively short. ECMO is an option to transport patients with a severe ARDS safely to specialized centers.

Trial registration NCT02637011 (ClinicalTrials.gov, Registered 15 December 2015, retrospectively registered)

[Out-of-hospital airway management in trauma patients : Experiences with the C-MAC® video laryngoscope]

BACKGROUND

Securing the airway is the top priority in trauma resuscitation. The most important factor for successful endotracheal intubation (ETI) is good visualization of the vocal cords. The aim of this study was to summarize the practical experiences with the C-MAC® video laryngoscope as initial device in out-of-hospital airway management of trauma patients.

METHODS

The C-MAC® video laryngoscope uses standard Macintosh shaped laryngoscope blades. At the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) Christoph 22 it is used as the initial device for every out-of-hospital ETI. All prehospital data on ETI involving trauma patients were documented for a period of 17 months.

RESULTS

A total of 116 out-of-hospital ETIs were enrolled in this study (overall success rate 100 %). In 88.8 % the first attempt was successful, whereas in 10.3 % a second and in 0.9 % a third ETI attempt was necessary. No patient required alternative airway devices or surgical airway interventions. The results of a subgroup with an immobilized cervical spine (n = 17) did not show any increased difficulties.

CONCLUSION

The use of the C-MAC® video laryngoscope by experienced anesthesiologists in an out-of-hospital setting seems to be a safe method even in patients with an immobilized cervical spine. Adverse laryngoscopy results (C/L III and IV) were reduced compared to other studies.

Incidence of transient hypoxia during pre-hospital rapid sequence intubation by anaesthesiologists

BACKGROUND

Pre-hospital tracheal intubation (TI) is an important but difficult procedure with the potential to produce hypoxaemia. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of desaturation episodes during out-of-hospital rapid sequence induction (RSI) and TI by the medical team of a German Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS).

METHODS

We performed a prospective study at HEMS 'CHRISTOPH 22'. TI was performed as RSI according to a standard protocol. Desaturation was defined as a reduction in SpO(2) below 90% or a reduction of more than 10% from baseline SpO(2) when initial values were less than 90%.

RESULTS

The RSI/TI manoeuvre was attempted in 150 patients [107 male (71.3%); median age 40 years (IQR 21-61); overall success rate 100%]. The incidence of desaturation episodes was 13.3% with a median duration of 50 sec. (IQR 30-92) and a median SpO(2) decrease of 24 ± 10%. Upon hospital admission, all patients had SpO(2) values ≥ 96%. In the desaturation group the duration of successful TI was significantly longer [median 85 sec. (IQR 60-119) vs. median 63 sec. (IQR 48-70); P < 0.01], and the number of patients with a baseline SpO(2) ≥ 90% was significantly lower (65.0% vs. 88.5%; P < 0.01). Among patients with difficult to manage airway, those with desaturation were significantly younger, and technical problems were significantly more frequent.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of episodes of desaturation during pre-hospital RSI/TI at HEMS Ulm is relatively low, and the duration of such episodes is short.

Cardiovascular events during World Cup soccer

BACKGROUND

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup, held in Germany from June 9 to July 9, 2006, provided an opportunity to examine the relation between emotional stress and the incidence of cardiovascular events.

METHODS

Cardiovascular events occurring in patients in the greater Munich area were prospectively assessed by emergency physicians during the World Cup. We compared those events with events that occurred during the control period: May 1 to June 8 and July 10 to July 31, 2006, and May 1 to July 31 in 2003 and 2005.

RESULTS

Acute cardiovascular events were assessed in 4279 patients. On days of matches involving the German team, the incidence of cardiac emergencies was 2.66 times that during the control period (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.33 to 3.04; P<0.001); for men, the incidence was 3.26 times that during the control period (95% CI, 2.78 to 3.84; P<0.001), and for women, it was 1.82 times that during the control period (95% CI, 1.44 to 2.31; P<0.001). Among patients with coronary events on days when the German team played, the proportion with known coronary heart disease was 47.0%, as compared with 29.1% of patients with events during the control period. On those days, the highest average incidence of events was observed during the first 2 hours after the beginning of each match. A subanalysis of serious events during that period, as compared with the control period, showed an increase in the incidence of myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation by a factor of 2.49 (95% CI, 1.47 to 4.23), of myocardial infarction without ST-segment elevation or unstable angina by a factor of 2.61 (95% CI, 2.22 to 3.08), and of cardiac arrhythmia causing major symptoms by a factor of 3.07 (95% CI, 2.32 to 4.06) (P<0.001 for all comparisons).

CONCLUSIONS

Viewing a stressful soccer match more than doubles the risk of an acute cardiovascular event. In view of this excess risk, particularly in men with known coronary heart disease, preventive measures are urgently needed.

Factors influencing emergency intubation in the pre-hospital setting—a multicentre study in the German Helicopter Emergency Medical Service

BACKGROUND

Definitive airway control by endotracheal intubation (ETI) is standard of care in pre-hospital airway management. However, there are specific factors that may influence and complicate ETI.

METHODS

Prospective, descriptive study at three German Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) over a 1-yr period. We examined the success and complication rate for field intubation performed by trauma anaesthetists.

RESULTS

In 342 patients (9.3%) ETI was performed. The overall success rate was 100%; in 87.4% the first attempt was successful, whereas in 11.1% a second and in 1.5% a third ETI attempt was necessary. No patient required a surgical intervention. Limited access to the patient was found upon arrival at the scene in 20.2% of the patients and in 9.6% of the patients at the time of ETI attempt. An orotracheal ETI technique was used in all patients. In the patients in whom only one ETI attempt was necessary for successful intubation, the assessment of ETI conditions was rated 'very good' or 'good' in 94.7%, but in those requiring a second or third ETI attempt this was reduced to 68.6 and 20.0%, respectively. Difficulties encountered during ETI included blood (19.9%), vomit/debris (15.8%) and secretions (13.8%) in the upper airway; anatomical reasons (11.7%), patient position (9.6%) and surrounding conditions (9.1%), making laryngoscopy more difficult.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite various factors increasing the difficulties in managing the airway in the field, definitive airway control by ETI seems to be safe practice.