Withholding or termination of resuscitation in pediatric out-of-hospital traumatic cardiopulmonary arrest

Prehospital clinical practice guidelines for unintentional injuries: a scoping review and prioritisation process

BACKGROUND

Globally, millions of people die and many more develop disabilities resulting from injuries each year. Most people who die from injuries do so before they are transported to hospital. Thus, reliable, pragmatic, and evidence-based prehospital guidance for various injuries is essential. We systematically mapped and described prehospital clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for injuries in the global context, as well as prioritised injury topics for guidance development and adolopment.

METHODS

This study was sequentially conducted in three phases: a scoping review for CPGs (Phase I), identification and refinement of gaps in CPGs (Phase II), and ranking and prioritisation of gaps in CPGs (Phase III). For Phase I, we searched PubMed, SCOPUS, and Trip Database; guideline repositories and websites up to 23^rd May 2021. Two authors in duplicate independently screened titles and abstract, and full-text as well as extracted data of eligible CPGs. Guidelines had to meet 60% minimum methodological quality according to rigour of development domain in AGREE II. The second and third phases involved 17 participants from 9 African countries and 1 from Europe who participated in a virtual stakeholder engagement workshop held on 5 April 2022, and followed by an online ranking process.

RESULTS

Fifty-eight CPGs were included out of 3,427 guidance documents obtained and screened. 39/58 (67%) were developed de novo compared to 19 that were developed using alternative approaches. Twenty-five out of 58 guidelines (43%) were developed by bodies in countries within the WHO European Region, while only one guideline was targeted to the African context. Twenty-five (43%) CPGs targeted emergency medical service providers, while 13 (22%) targeted first aid providers (laypeople). Forty-three CPGs (74%) targeted people of all ages. The 58 guidance documents contained 32 injury topics. Injuries linked to road traffic accidents such as traumatic brain injuries and chest injuries were among the top prioritised topics for future guideline development by the workshop participants.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the availability, gaps and priority injury topics for future guideline development/adolopment, especially for the African context. Further research is needed to evaluate the recommendations in the 58 included CPGs for possible adaptation to the African context.

Epidemiology of Cardiopulmonary Arrest and Outcome of Resuscitation in PICU Across China: A Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the epidemiology and the effectiveness of resuscitation from cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) among critically ill children and adolescents during pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) stay across China.

METHODS

A prospective multicenter study was conducted in 11 PICUs in tertiary hospitals. Consecutively hospitalized critically ill children, from 29-day old to 18-year old, who had suffered from CPA and required cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the PICU were enrolled (December 2017-October 2018). Data were collected and analyzed using the "in-hospital Utstein style." Neurological outcome was assessed with the Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category (PCPC) scale among children who had survived. Factors associated with the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and survival at discharge were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression.

RESULTS

Among 11,599 admissions to PICU, 372 children (3.2%) had CPA during their stay; 281 (75.5%) received CPR, and 91 (24.5%) did not (due to an order of "Do Not Resuscitate" requested by their guardians). Cardiopulmonary disease was the most common reason for CPA (28.1% respiratory and 19.6% circulatory). The most frequent initial dysrhythmia was bradycardia (79%). In total, 170 (60.3%) of the total children had an ROSC, 91 had (37.4%) survived till hospital discharge, 28 (11.5%) had survived 6 months, and 19 (7.8%) had survived for 1 year after discharge. Among the 91 children who were viable at discharge, 47.2% (43/91) received a good PCPC score (1-3). The regression analysis results revealed that the duration of CPR and the dose of epinephrine were significantly associated with ROSC, while the duration of CPR, number of CPR attempts, ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF), and the dose of epinephrine were significantly associated with survival at discharge.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of CPA in critically ill children and adolescents is relatively high in China. The duration of CPR and the dose of epinephrine are associated with ROSC. The long-term prognosis of children who had survived after CPR needs further improvement.

Survival after traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Vietnam: a multicenter prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Pre-hospital services are not well developed in Vietnam, especially the lack of a trauma system of care. Thus, the prognosis of traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) might differ from that of other countries. Although the outcome in cardiac arrest following trauma is dismal, pre-hospital resuscitation efforts are not futile and seem worthwhile. Understanding the country-specific causes, risk, and prognosis of traumatic OHCA is important to reduce mortality in Vietnam. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the survival rate from traumatic OHCA and to measure the critical components of the chain of survival following a traumatic OHCA in the country.

METHODS

We performed a multicenter prospective observational study of patients (> 16 years) presenting with traumatic OHCA to three central hospitals throughout Vietnam from February 2014 to December 2018. We collected data on characteristics, management, and outcomes of patients, and compared these data between patients who died before hospital discharge and patients who survived to discharge from the hospital.

RESULTS

Of 111 eligible patients with traumatic OHCA, 92 (82.9%) were male and the mean age was 39.27 years (standard deviation: 16.38). Only 5.4% (6/111) survived to discharge from the hospital. Most cardiac arrests (62.2%; 69/111) occurred on the street or highway, 31.2% (29/93) were witnessed by bystanders, and 33.7% (32/95) were given cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by a bystander. Only 29 of 111 patients (26.1%) were taken by the emergency medical services (EMS), 27 of 30 patients (90%) received pre-hospital advanced airway management, and 29 of 53 patients (54.7%) were given resuscitation attempts by EMS or private ambulance. No significant difference between patients who died before hospital discharge and patients who survived to discharge from the hospital was found for bystander CPR (33.7%, 30/89 and 33.3%, 2/6, P > 0.999; respectively) and resuscitation attempts (56.3%, 27/48, and 40.0%, 2/5, P = 0.649; respectively).

CONCLUSION

In this study, patients with traumatic OHCA presented to the ED with a low rate of EMS utilization and low survival rates. The poor outcomes emphasize the need for increasing bystander first-aid, developing an organized trauma system of care, and developing a standard emergency first-aid program for both healthcare personnel and the community.

Appropriate Air Medical Services Utilization and Recommendations for Integration of Air Medical Services Resources into the EMS System of Care: A Joint Position Statement and Resource Document of NAEMSP, ACEP, and AMPA

Air medical services involves providing medical care in transit while using either fixed wing (airplane) or rotor wing (helicopter) aircraft to move patients between locations. The modern use and availability of air medical services has expanded access to various health system resources, including specialty care. While this is generally beneficial, such expansion has also contributed to the complexity of health care delivery systems.(1, 2) Since the publication of the 2013 joint position statement Appropriate and Safe Utilization of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services,(3) research has shown that patient benefit is gained from the clinical care capabilities of air medical services independent of potential time saved when transporting patients.(4-6) Because the evidence basis for utilization of air medical services continues to evolve, NAEMSP, ACEP, and AMPA believe that an update regarding the appropriate utilization of air medical services is warranted, and that such guidance for utilization can be divided into three major categories: clinical considerations, safety considerations, and system integration and quality assurance considerations.

South African pre-hospital emergency care personnel's lived experiences of managing paediatric emergencies: A qualitative research design utilising one-on-one interviews

Background

The phenomenon of managing paediatric emergencies in the pre-hospital environment within the South African setting is poorly understood with specific regard to what emergency care personnel are experiencing when managing paediatric emergencies.

Aim

The aim of this study was to explore and describe the lived experiences of emergency care personnel in managing paediatric patients in the pre-hospital environment and to understand the meaning and the significance of these experiences.

Setting

All participants were purposively sampled from emergency medical services agencies operating within the Johannesburg metropolitan city area.

Methods

This study followed a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, phenomenological design, whereby participants purposively sampled within the Johannesburg metropolitan city voluntarily consented to one-on-one interviews (n = 10).

Results

Three main themes, with 11 contributing categories, were identified and contextualised with available literature. Emerging from the main themes was an overall sense that managing paediatric emergencies is a negative experience, coloured with feelings of inadequacy, stress, anxiety and even fear.

Conclusions

The findings of this study provided new insights into what South African EMS are experiencing when managing paediatric emergencies, which enables future research efforts to identify research and practice gaps that are relevant to paediatric pre-hospital emergency care, and that are specific to the South African environment.

Contribution

This research provides preliminary insight into the lived experiences of prehospital personnel managing paediatric emergencies as well as emerging recommendations for the improvement of the prehospital care of paediatric patients.

[Ethics of resuscitation and end of life decisions]

These European Resuscitation Council Ethics guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations for the ethical, routine practice of resuscitation and end-of-life care of adults and children. The guideline primarily focus on major ethical practice interventions (i.e. advance directives, advance care planning, and shared decision making), decision making regarding resuscitation, education, and research. These areas are tightly related to the application of the principles of bioethics in the practice of resuscitation and end-of-life care.

Can We Define Termination Of Resuscitation Criteria In Out-Of-Hospital Hanging?

OBJECTIVE

Survival rate of cardiac arrest due to hanging (H-CA) victims is low. Hence, this leads to the question of the utility of resuscitation in these patients. The objective was to investigate whether there are predictive criteria for survival with a good neurological outcome or predictive criteria for non-survival or survival with a poor neurological outcome enabling us to define the termination of resuscitation rules in these patients.

METHODS

Between July 1, 2011 and January 1, 2016, we included 1,689 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests due to hanging. We compared the characteristics of survivors with a good neurological outcome at day 30 with the others.

RESULTS

The study population was mainly composed of males with a median age of 48 [37-60]. The overall survival was 2.1%, among which 48.6% had a good neurological outcome. Survivors benefited more often from immediate basic life support than the rest of the subjects, which was corroborated by the shorter no-flow durations. We did not record any difference in terms of advanced cardiac life support initiation frequency and technique between survivors with a good neurological outcome and the rest. Nevertheless, ACLS duration was longer in survivors with a good neurological outcome than in others.

CONCLUSIONS

Basic life support (BLS) was the decisive criterion for 15/17 survivors. However, a detailed analysis showed 2 survivors presenting no BLS before the arrival of mobile medical teams and non-shockable rhythms who survived at day 30 with a good neurological outcome. These results lead us to consider that mobile medical team intervention and ACLS attempt are not futile, and the benefit justifies the cost. Thus, we cannot define any rule for the termination of resuscitation.

Traumatic cardiac arrest is associated with lower survival rate vs. medical cardiac arrest - Results from the French national registry

INTRODUCTION

The survival from traumatic vs. medical out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) are not yet well described. The objective of this study was to compare survival to hospital discharge and 30-day survival of non-matched and matched traumatic and medical OHCA cohorts.

MATERIAL & METHODS

National case-control, multicentre study based on the French national cardiac arrest registry. Following descriptive analysis, we compared survival rates of traumatic and medical cardiac arrest patients after propensity score matching.

RESULTS

Compared with medical OHCA (n = 40,878) trauma victims (n = 3209) were younger, more likely to be male and away from home at the time and less likely to be resuscitated. At hospital admission and at 30 days their survival odds were lower (OR: respectively 0.456 [0.353;0.558] and 0.240 [0.186;0.329]). After adjustment the survival odds for traumatic OHCA were 2.4 times lower at admission (OR: 0.416 [0.359;0.482]) and 6 times lower at day 30 (OR: 0.168 [0.117;0.241]).

CONCLUSIONS

The survival rates for traumatic OHCA were lower than for medical OHCA, with wider difference in matched vs. non-matched cohorts. Although the probability of survival is lower for trauma victims, the efforts are not futile and pre-hospital resuscitation efforts seem worthwhile.

Predictors of good neurologic outcome after resuscitation beyond 30 min in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients undergoing therapeutic hypothermia

Neurologically intact survival after cardiac arrest is possible even after prolonged resuscitation efforts. However, the factors associated with good neurologic outcome in these patients remain unknown. This study identifies predictors associated with good neurologic outcome after resuscitation beyond 30 min in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients treated with targeted temperature management (TTM). This multicenter, registry-based, retrospective cohort study conducted in 24 hospitals across South Korea between 2007 and 2012 includes adult (≥18 years) non-traumatic OHCA patients with prolonged (>30 min) downtime who underwent TTM treatment. Good neurologic outcomes were defined as cerebral performance category scores of ≤2. Of the 930 comatose adult cardiac arrest patients treated with TTM, 423 patients with prolonged downtime were included. A total of 76 (18.0%) had good neurologic outcome. Multivariable analysis reveal that age <65 years (OR 7.91, 95% CI 3.18-19.68), initial shockable rhythm (OR 6.31, 95% CI 3.40-11.74), and witnessed arrest (OR 3.81, 95% CI 1.73-8.45) are associated with good neurologic outcome. The sensitivity and specificity for good neurologic outcome in patients with age <65 years, shockable rhythm, and witnessed arrest are 90.8% and 41.2, 67.6 and 79.5%, and 81.6 and 41.2%, respectively. In prolonged cardiac arrest patients, initial shockable rhythm, age <65 years, or witnessed arrest are predictors for neurologic intact survival.

Compassionate Options for Pediatric EMS (COPE): Addressing Communication Skills

INTRODUCTION

Each year, 16,000 children suffer cardiopulmonary arrest, and in one urban study, 2% of pediatric EMS calls were attributed to pediatric arrests. This indicates a need for enhanced educational options for prehospital providers that address how to communicate to families in these difficult situations. In response, our team developed a cellular phone digital application (app) designed to assist EMS providers in self-debriefing these events, thereby improving their communication skills. The goal of this study was to pilot the app using a simulation-based investigative methodology.

METHODS

Video and didactic app content was generated using themes developed from a series of EMS focus groups and evaluated using volunteer EMS providers assessed during two identical nonaccidental trauma simulations. Intervention groups interacted with the app as a team between assessments, and control groups debriefed during that period as they normally would. Communication performance and gap analyses were measured using the Gap-Kalamazoo Consensus Statement Assessment Form.

RESULTS

A total of 148 subjects divided into 38 subject groups (18 intervention groups and 20 control groups) were assessed. Comparison of initial intervention group and control group scores showed no statistically significant difference in performance (2.9/5 vs. 3.0/5; p = 0.33). Comparisons made during the second assessment revealed a statistically significant improvement in the intervention group scores, with a moderate to large effect size (3.1/5 control vs. 4.0/5 intervention; p < 0.001, r = 0.69, absolute value). Gap analysis data showed a similar pattern, with gaps of -0.6 and -0.5 (values suggesting team self-over-appraisal of communication abilities) present in both control and intervention groups (p = 0.515) at the initial assessment. This gap persisted in the control group at the time of the second assessment (-0.8), but was significantly reduced (0.04) in the intervention group (p = 0.013, r = 0.41, absolute value).

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that an EMS-centric app containing guiding information regarding compassionate communication skills can be effectively used by EMS providers to self-debrief after difficult events in the absence of a live facilitator, significantly altering their near-term communication patterns. Gap analysis data further imply that engaging with the app in a group context positively impacts the accuracy of each team's self-perception.

Adult "termination-of-resuscitation" (TOR)-criteria may not be suitable for children - a retrospective analysis

Background

Only a small number of patients survive out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrest (OHCA). The duration of CPR varies considerably and transportation of patients under CPR is often unsuccessful. Termination-of-resuscitation (TOR)-criteria aim to preclude futile resuscitation efforts.

Our goal was to find out to which extent existing TOR-criteria can be transferred to paediatric OHCA-patients with special regard to their prognostic value.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of an eleven-year single centre patient cohort. 43 paediatric patients admitted to our institution after emergency-medical-system (EMS)-confirmed OHCA from 2003 to 2013 were included. Morrison’s BLS- and ALS-TOR-rules as well as the Trauma-TOR-criteria by the American Association of EMS Physicians were evaluated for application in children, by calculating sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive value for death-, as well as survival-prediction in our cohort.

Results

26 patients achieved ROSC and 14 were discharged alive (n = 7 PCPC 1/2, n = 7 PCPC 5). Sensitivity for BLS-TOR-criteria predicting death was 48.3%, specificity 92.9%, the PPV 93.3% and the NPV 46.4%. ALS-TOR-criteria for death had a sensitivity of 10.3%, specificity of 100%, a PPV of 100% and an NPV of 35%.

Conclusion

Retrospective application of the BLS-TOR-rule in our patient cohort identified the resuscitation of one later survivor as futile. ALS-TOR-criteria did not give false predictions of death. The proportion of CPRs that could have been abandoned is 48.2% for the BLS-TOR and only 10.3% for the ALS-TOR-rule. Both rules therefore appear not to be transferable to a paediatric population.

Outcome and predictors for successful resuscitation in the emergency room of adult patients in traumatic cardiorespiratory arrest

BACKGROUND

Data of the TraumaRegister DGU® were analyzed to derive survival rates, neurological outcome and prognostic factors of patients who had suffered traumatic cardiac arrest in the early treatment phase.

METHODS

The database of the TraumaRegister DGU® from 2002 to 2013 was analyzed. The main focus of this survey was on different time points of performed resuscitation. Descriptive and multivariate analyses (logistic regression) were performed with the neurological outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale) and survival rate as the target variable. Patients were classified according to CPR in the prehospital phase and/or in the emergency room (ER). Patients without CA served as a control group. The database does not include patients who required prehospital CPR but did not achieve ROSC.

RESULTS

A total of 3052 patients from a total of 38,499 cases had cardiac arrest during the early post-trauma phase and required CPR in the prehospital phase and/or in the ER. After only prehospital resuscitation (n = 944) survival rate was 31.7 %, and 14.7 % had a good/moderate outcome. If CPR was required in the ER only (n = 1197), survival rate was 25.6 %, with a good/moderate outcome in 19.2 % of cases. A total of 4.8 % in the group with preclinical and ER resuscitation survived, and just 2.7 % had a good or moderate outcome. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed the following prognostic factors for survival after traumatic cardiac arrest: prehospital CPR, shock, coagulopathy, thorax drainage, preclinical catecholamines, unconsciousness, and injury severity (Injury Severity Score).

CONCLUSIONS

With the knowledge that prehospital resuscitated patients who not reached the hospital could not be included, CPR after severe trauma seems to yield a better outcome than most studies have reported, and appears to be more justified than the current guidelines would imply. Preclinical resuscitation is associated with a higher survival rate and better neurological outcome compared with resuscitation in the ER. If resuscitation in the ER is necessary after a preclinical performed resuscitation the survival rate is marginal, even though 56 % of these patients had a good and moderate outcome. The data we present may support algorithms for resuscitation in the future.

Pediatric Cardiac Arrest Due to Trauma

Survival from pediatric cardiac arrest due to trauma has been reported to be 0.0%-8.8%. Some argue that resuscitation efforts in the case of trauma-related cardiac arrests are futile. We describe a successful outcome in the case of a child who suffered cardiac arrest caused by external traumatic airway obstruction. Our case illustrates how to deal with pediatric traumatic cardiac arrests in an out-of-hospital environment. It also illustrates how good clinical treatment in these situations may be supported by correct treatment after hospital admission when it is impossible to ventilate the patient to provide sufficient oxygen delivery to vital organs. This case relates to a lifeless child of 3-5 years, blue, and trapped by an electrically operated garage door. The first ambulance arrived to find several men trying to bend the frame and the door apart in order to extricate the child, who was hanging in the air with head and neck squeezed between the horizontally-moving garage door and the vertical door frame. One paramedic found a car jack and used it to push the door and the frame apart, allowing the lifeless child to be extricated. Basic life support was then initiated. Intubation was performed by the anesthesiologist without drugs. With FiO2 1.0 the first documented SaO2 was <50%. Restoration of Spontaneous Circulation was achieved after thirty minutes, and she was transported to the hospital. After a few hours she was put on venous-arterial ECMO for 5.5 days and discharged home after two months. Outpatient examinations during the rest of 2013 were positive, and the child found not to be suffering from any injuries, either physical or mental. The last follow-up in October 2014 demonstrated she had made a 100% recovery and she started school in August 2014.

FAST ultrasound examination as a predictor of outcomes after resuscitative thoracotomy: a prospective evaluation

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to examine the ability of Focused Assessment Using Sonography for Trauma (FAST) to discriminate between survivors and nonsurvivors undergoing resuscitative thoracotomy (RT).

BACKGROUND

RT is a high-risk, low-salvage procedure performed in arresting trauma patients with poorly defined indications.

METHODS

Patients undergoing RT from 10/2010 to 05/2014 were prospectively enrolled. A FAST examination including parasternal/subxiphoid cardiac views was performed before or concurrent with RT. The result was captured as adequate or inadequate with presence or absence of pericardial fluid and/or cardiac motion. A sensitivity analysis utilizing the primary outcome measure of survival to discharge or organ donation was performed.

RESULTS

Overall, 187 patients arrived in traumatic arrest and underwent FAST. Median age 31 (1-84), 84.5% male, 51.3% penetrating. Loss of vital signs occurred at the scene in 48.1%, en-route in 23.5%, and in the ED in 28.3%. Emergent left thoracotomy was performed in 77.5% and clamshell thoracotomy in 22.5%. Sustained cardiac activity was regained in 48.1%. However, overall survival was only 3.2%. An additional 1.6% progressed to organ donation. FAST was inadequate in 3.7%, 28.9% demonstrated cardiac motion and 8.6% pericardial fluid. Cardiac motion on FAST was 100% sensitive and 73.7% specific for the identification of survivors and organ donors.

CONCLUSIONS

With a high degree of sensitivity for the detection of potential survivors after traumatic arrest, FAST represents an effective method of separating those that do not warrant the risk and resource burden of RT from those who may survive. The likelihood of survival if pericardial fluid and cardiac motion were both absent was zero.

Outcome and risk factors in children after traumatic cardiac arrest and successful resuscitation

INTRODUCTION

Prospective collected data of the TraumaRegister DGU(®) were analyzed to derive survival rates and predictors for non-survival in the children who had suffered traumatic cardiorespiratory arrest. Different time points of resuscitation efforts (only preclinical, in the emergency room (ER) or preclinical+ER) were analyzed in terms of mortality and neurological outcome.

METHODS

The database of the TraumaRegister DGU(®) comprising 122,742 patients from 1993 to 2013 was analyzed. The main focus of this survey was on the paediatric group defined by an age ≤ 14 years who could be compared to adults. Different statistical analysis (univariate and multivariate analysis, logistic regression) were performed with mortality as the target variable. Differences between the paedatric group and adults were analysed by Fisher's exact test.

RESULTS

Data after preclinical and/or ER resuscitation from 152 children and 1690 adults were analyzed. A good or moderate outcome (GOS 5+4) was found in 19.4% of the children's group compared to 12.4% of the adults (p=0.02). Analysis of the GOS 5+4 subgroups after preclinical resuscitation only revealed that these outcomes were achieved by 19.4% of the paediatric group and 13.2% of the adults (p=0.24), after ER-only resuscitation by 37.0% of the children and 19.6% of the adults (p=0.046), and after preclinical and ER resuscitation by only 10.9% of the children compared to 2.5% of the adults (p=0.006). Taking only survivors into account, 84.8% of the children and 62% of the adults had a GOS 4+5. The highest risk for mortality in the logistic regression model was associated with preclinical intubation, followed by GCS 3, blood transfusion and severe head injury with AIS ≥3 and ISS.

CONCLUSIONS

CPR in children after severe trauma seems to yield a better outcome than in adults, and appears to be more justified than the current guidelines would imply. Resuscitation in the ER is associated with better neurological outcomes compared with resuscitation in a preclinical context or in both the preclinical phase and the ER. Our children's outcomes seem to be better than those in most of the earlier studies, and the data presented might support algorithms in the future especially for paediatric resuscitation.

Outcome after resuscitation beyond 30 minutes in drowned children with cardiac arrest and hypothermia: Dutch nationwide retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the outcome of drowned children with cardiac arrest and hypothermia, and to determine distinct criteria for termination of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in drowned children with hypothermia and absence of spontaneous circulation.

DESIGN

Nationwide retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Emergency departments and paediatric intensive care units of the eight university medical centres in the Netherlands.

PARTICIPANTS

Children aged up to 16 with cardiac arrest and hypothermia after drowning, who presented at emergency departments and/or were admitted to intensive care.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Survival and neurological outcome one year after the drowning incident. Poor outcome was defined as death or survival in a vegetative state or with severe neurological disability (paediatric cerebral performance category (PCPC) ≥ 4).

RESULTS

From 1993 to 2012, 160 children presented with cardiac arrest and hypothermia after drowning. In 98 (61%) of these children resuscitation was performed for more than 30 minutes (98/160, median duration 60 minutes), of whom 87 (89%) died (95% confidence interval 83% to 95%; 87/98). Eleven of the 98 children survived (11%, 5% to 17%), but all had a PCPC score ≥ 4. In the 62 (39%) children who did not require prolonged resuscitation, 17 (27%, 16% to 38%) survived with a PCPC score ≤ 3 after one year: 10 (6%) had a good neurological outcome (score 1), five (3%) had mild neurological disability (score 2), and two (1%) had moderate neurological disability (score 3). From the original 160 children, only 44 were alive at one year with any outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

Drowned children in whom return of spontaneous circulation is not achieved within 30 minutes of advanced life support have an extremely poor outcome. Good neurological outcome is more likely when spontaneous circulation returns within 30 minutes of advanced life support, especially when the drowning incident occurs in winter. These findings question the therapeutic value of resuscitation beyond 30 minutes in drowned children with cardiac arrest and hypothermia.