Trends in traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Perth, Western Australia from 1997 to 2014

Effect of cardiopulmonary resuscitation on perfusion in a porcine model of severe hemorrhagic shock

BACKGROUND

Pulseless electrical activity from hemorrhagic shock has not been shown to benefit from cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Using a porcine model, our objective was to determine the effects of CPR on brain and skin oxygenation as a measure of perfusion in the setting of severe hemorrhagic shock.

METHODS

Adult swine randomized to non-CPR and CPR were anesthetized. Tissue oxygen sensors were inserted into the parietal cerebral parenchyma and skin. Controlled hemorrhagic shock with mean arterial pressure (MAP) <30 mm Hg was achieved and allowed to persist for 10 minutes. Animals were randomized to either receive automated CPR or no treatment. They were then autotransfused with sufficient blood to achieve MAP >60 mm Hg. Measurements were obtained before, during, and after shock state. Outcomes were modeled using mixed-effects lognormal models.

RESULTS

A total of 12 swine were used, and the results were analyzed (non-CPR, n = 5; CPR, n = 7). One animal in the CPR group died during shock. One cerebral probe sensor malfunctioned, and these data were excluded. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. MAP during shock was similar between groups; however, the CPR group had significantly higher systolic blood pressure (62.8 vs. 48.8 mm Hg, p = 0.010) and lower diastolic blood pressure (12.8 vs. 27.8 mm Hg, p < 0.001). Both cerebral (pBO2) and skin oxygenation (TcO2) dropped significantly as a result of shock. The CPR group had lower overall measures of tissue perfusion during shock, but only TcO2 at the shoulder was significantly lower during shock (11.5 vs. 21.1 mm Hg, p = 0.027) and recovery (33.3 vs. 62 mm Hg, p = 0.033).

CONCLUSION

Our model showed that adding CPR during hemorrhagic shock did not improve end-organ oxygenation/perfusion, but did significantly diminish skin perfusion. This experiment corroborates existing literature on the potential detrimental effects of CPR during hemorrhagic pulseless electrical activity, but further work is needed to confirm this observation.

Traumatic cardiac arrest - a nationwide Danish study

BACKGROUND

Cardiac arrest following trauma is a leading cause of death, mandating urgent treatment. This study aimed to investigate and compare the incidence, prognostic factors, and survival between patients suffering from traumatic cardiac arrest (TCA) and non-traumatic cardiac arrest (non-TCA).

METHODS

This cohort study included all patients suffering from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Denmark between 2016 and 2021. TCAs were identified in the prehospital medical record and linked to the out-of-hospital cardiac arrest registry. Descriptive and multivariable analyses were performed with 30-day survival as the primary outcome.

RESULTS

A total of 30,215 patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrests were included. Among those, 984 (3.3%) were TCA. TCA patients were younger and predominantly male (77.5% vs 63.6%, p =  < 0.01) compared to non-TCA patients. Return of spontaneous circulation occurred in 27.3% of cases vs 32.3% in non-TCA patients, p < 0.01, and 30-day survival was 7.3% vs 14.2%, p < 0.01. An initial shockable rhythm was associated with increased survival (aOR = 11.45, 95% CI [6.24 - 21.24] in TCA patients. When comparing TCA with non-TCA other trauma and penetrating trauma were associated with lower survival (aOR: 0.2, 95% CI [0.02-0.54] and aOR: 0.1, 95% CI [0.03 - 0.31], respectively. Non-TCA was associated with an aOR: 3.47, 95% CI [2.53 - 4,91].

CONCLUSION

Survival from TCA is lower than in non-TCA. TCA has different predictors of outcome compared to non-TCA, illustrating the differences regarding the aetiologies of cardiac arrest. Presenting with an initial shockable cardiac rhythm might be associated with a favourable outcome in TCA.

Outcomes in traumatic cardiac arrest patients who underwent advanced life support

OBJECTIVE

Survival following a traumatic cardiac arrest (TCA) remains poor despite research focused on specific management and guideline adaptation. Previous research has identified factors including age, arresting rhythm, injury severity and distance from hospital to be associated with prehospital TCA outcomes. The present study aimed to review the local incidence of TCA to inform local practice within a mature trauma system.

METHODS

A retrospective trauma database review from 2008 to 2021 was conducted at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. Patients were categorised by prehospital and in-hospital arrest, prehospital return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), and year in relation to TCA management protocol changes. Descriptive comparative analysis was performed with the primary outcome of interest being survival to hospital discharge.

RESULTS

Survival to hospital discharge was similar in patients in whom TCA occurred in the prehospital environment and hospital (24 vs 29%). Mechanism of injury, response to intervention and location of cardiac arrest were important outcome associations. Patients with a positive focused assessment with sonography in trauma scan were less likely to achieve ROSC but more likely to survive to discharge. The frequency of prehospital interventions remained similar after the guideline changes; with more patients arriving to the hospital with improved haemodynamic parameters and increased survival.

CONCLUSIONS

These results support the identification and immediate management of TCA. No patients survived if they did not achieve ROSC by hospital arrival, questioning the role for aggressive management beyond the ED in this cohort. Future research will focus on the identification of patients with potentially positive survival outcomes and further define futile intervention factors.

Impact of the 2015 European guidelines for resuscitation on traumatic cardiac arrest outcomes and prehospital management: A French nationwide interrupted time-series analysis

AIM

To evaluate the impact of the 2015 European Resuscitation Council (ERC) guidelines on patient outcomes following traumatic cardiac arrest (TCA) and on advanced life support interventions carried out by physician-staffed ambulances.

METHODS

Data of TCA patients aged ≥18 years were extracted from the French nationwide cardiac arrest registry. A pre- (2011-2015) and a post-publication period (2016-2020) were defined. In the guidelines, a specific TCA management algorithm was introduced to prioritise the treatment of reversible causes. Its impact was evaluated using adjusted interrupted time series analysis.

RESULTS

4,980 patients were treated (2,145 during the pre-publication period and 2,739 during the post-publication period). There was no significant change in the rates of prehospital ROSC (22.4% vs. 20.2%, p = 0.07 in the pre- and post- intervention respectively), survival (1.4% vs. 1.4%, p = 0.87) or good neurological outcome (71.4% vs. 66.7%, p = 0.93) or in the incidence of organ donation (1.6% vs. 1.3%, p = 0.50). There were nonsignificant changes in the adjusted temporal trend for ROSC (aOR 0.88; 95% CI [0.77; 1.00]), survival (aOR 1.34; 95% CI [0.83;2.17]), good neurological outcome (aOR 1.57; 95% CI [0.82;3.05]), and organ donation (aOR 1.06; 95% CI [0.71;1.60]). The use of intraosseous catheters (13.0% vs. 19.2%, p < 0.001), external haemorrhage control measures (23.9% vs. 64.8%, p < 0.001), bilateral chest decompression (13.7% vs. 16.5%, p = 0.009), and packed red cell transfusion (2.7% vs. 6.5%, p < 0.001) increased in the post-publication period.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the increased frequency of trauma rescue interventions performed by on-scene physicians, no change in patient-centred outcomes was associated with the publication of the 2015 ERC guidelines in France.

Comparison of in-hospital and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest of trauma patients in Qatar

Background

Cardiac arrests in admitted hospital patients with trauma have not been described in the literature. We defined “in-hospital cardiac arrest of a trauma” (IHCAT) patient as “cessation of circulatory activity in a trauma patient confirmed by the absence of signs of circulation or abnormal cardiac arrest rhythm inside a hospital setting, which was not cardiac re-arrest.” This study aimed to compare epidemiology, clinical presentation, and outcomes between in- and out-of-hospital arrest resuscitations in trauma patients in Qatar. It was conducted as a retrospective cohort study including IHCAT and out-of-hospital trauma cardiac arrest (OHTCA) patients from January 2010 to December 2015 utilizing data from the national trauma registry, the out-of-hospital cardiac arrest registry, and the national ambulance service database.

Results

There were 716 traumatic cardiac arrest patients in Qatar from 2010 to 2015. A total of 410 OHTCA and 199 IHCAT patients were included for analysis. The mean annual crude incidence of IHCAT was 2.0 per 100,000 population compared to 4.0 per 100,000 population for OHTCA. The univariate comparative analysis between IHCAT and OHTCA patients showed a significant difference between ethnicities (p=0.04). With the exception of head injury, IHCAT had a significantly higher proportion of localization of injuries to anatomical regions compared to OHTCA; spinal injury (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.5–8.3, p<0.004); chest injury (OR 2.62, 95% CI 1.62–4.19, p<0.00), and abdominal injury (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.0–3.8, p<0.037). IHCAT patients had significantly higher hypovolemia (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.18–2.35, p=0.004), higher mean Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.3–1.6, p<0.00), and a greater proportion of initial shockable rhythm (OR 3.51, 95% CI 1.6–7.7, p=0.002) and cardiac re-arrest (OR 6.0, 95% CI 3.3–10.8, p=<0.00) compared to OHTCA patients. Survival to hospital discharge was greater for IHCAT patients compared to OHTCA patients (OR 6.3, 95% CI 1.3–31.2, p=0.005).

Multivariable analysis for comparison after adjustment for age and gender showed that IHCAT was associated with higher odds of spinal injury, abdominal injury, higher pre-hospital GCS, higher occurrence of cardiac re-arrest, and better survival than for OHTCA patients.

IHCAT patients had a greater proportion of anatomically localized injuries indicating solitary injuries compared to greater polytrauma in OHTCA. In contrast, OHTCA patients had a higher proportion of diffuse blunt non-localizable polytrauma injuries that were severe enough to cause immediate or earlier onset of cardiac arrest.

Conclusion

In traumatic cardiac arrest patients, IHCAT was less common than OHTCA and might be related to a greater proportion of solitary localized anatomical blunt injuries (head/abdomen/chest/spine). In contrast, OHTCA patients were associated with diffuse blunt non-localizable polytrauma injuries with increased severity leading to immediate cardiac arrest. IHCAT was associated with a higher mean GCS score and a higher rate of initial shockable rhythm and cardiac re-arrest, and improved survival rates.

Survival after traumatic cardiac arrest is possible—a comparison of German patient-registries

Background

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) due to trauma is rare, and survival in this group is infrequent. Over the last decades, several new procedures have been implemented to increase survival, and a “Special circumstances chapter” was included in the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) guidelines in 2015. This article analysed outcomes after traumatic cardiac arrest in Germany using data from the German Resuscitation Registry (GRR) and the TraumaRegister DGU® (TR-DGU) of the German Trauma Society. 

Methods

In this study, data from patients with OHCA between 01.01.2014 and 31.12.2019 secondary to major trauma and where cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was started were eligible for inclusion. Endpoints were return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), hospital admission with ROSC and survival to hospital discharge.

Results

1.049 patients were eligible for inclusion. ROSC was achieved in 28.7% of the patients, 240 patients (22.9%) were admitted to hospital with ROSC and 147 (14.0%) with ongoing CPR. 643 (67.8%) patients were declared dead on scene. Of all patients resuscitated after traumatic OHCA, 27.3% (259) died in hospital. The overall mortality was 95.0% and 5.0% survived to hospital discharge (47). In a multivariate logistic regression analysis; age, sex, injury severity score (ISS), head injury, found in cardiac arrest, shock on admission, blood transfusion, CPR in emergency room (ER), emergency surgery and initial electrocardiogram (ECG), were independent predictors of mortality.

Conclusion

Traumatic cardiac arrest was an infrequent event with low overall survival. The mortality has remained unchanged over the last decades in Germany. Additional efforts are necessary to identify reversible cardiac arrest causes and provide targeted trauma resuscitation on scene.

Trial registration

DRKS, DRKS-ID DRKS00027944. Retrospectively registered 03/02/2022.

Characteristics and Outcomes of Traumatic Cardiac Arrests in the Pan-Asian Resuscitation Outcomes Study

OBJECTIVE

Little is known about survival outcomes after traumatic cardiac arrest in Asia, or the association of Utstein factors with survival after traumatic cardiac arrests. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology and outcomes of traumatic cardiac arrests in Asia, and analyze Utstein factors associated with survival.

METHODS

Traumatic cardiac arrest patients from 13 countries in the Pan-Asian Resuscitation Outcomes Study registry from 2009 to 2018 were analyzed. Multilevel logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with the primary outcomes of survival to hospital discharge and favorable neurological outcome (Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) 1-2), and the secondary outcome of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC).

RESULTS

There were 207,455 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases, of which 13,631 (6.6%) were trauma patients aged 18 years and above with resuscitation attempted and who had survival outcomes reported. The median age was 57 years (interquartile range 39-73), 23.0% received bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), 1750 (12.8%) had ROSC, 461 (3.4%) survived to discharge, and 131 (1.0%) had CPC 1-2. Factors associated with higher rates of survival to discharge and favorable neurological outcome were arrests witnessed by emergency medical services or private ambulances (survival to discharge adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.99-4.38; CPC 1-2 aOR = 2.57, 95% CI = 1.25-5.27), bystander CPR (survival to discharge aOR = 2.16; 95% CI 1.71-2.72; CPC 1-2 aOR = 4.98, 95% CI = 3.27-7.57), and initial shockable rhythm (survival to discharge aOR = 12.00; 95% CI = 6.80-21.17; CPC 1-2 aOR = 33.28, 95% CI = 11.39-97.23) or initial pulseless electrical activity (survival to discharge aOR = 3.98; 95% CI = 2.99-5.30; CPC 1-2 aOR = 5.67, 95% CI = 3.05-10.53) relative to asystole.

CONCLUSIONS

In traumatic cardiac arrest, early aggressive resuscitation may not be futile and bystander CPR may improve outcomes.

A novel scoring system using easily assessible predictors of return of spontaneous circulation and mortality in traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

An accident event may necessitate triage of multiple cases of traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (TOHCA). However, factors for prioritizing treatment among multiple TOHCA patients have not been established. This study aims to use easily assessible predictors of TOHCA outcomes to develop a triage scoring system.

METHODS

Patients with TOHCA brought to our hospital by emergency medical services (EMS) were included for analysis to identify independent risk factors for poor outcomes. A scoring system was developed and validated internally and externally.

RESULTS

Of the 401 included patients, 86 (21.4%) had return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for 30 min (81 patients, 94.2%) or 45 min (86 patients, 100%). The emergency department (ED) mortality rate was 89.3% and overall in-hospital mortality rate was 99%. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified body temperature <33 °C (OR, 4.65; 95% CI, 1.37-15.86), obvious chest injury (OR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.03-4.34), and presumable etiology of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.01-2.98) as significant independent risk factors for non-ROSC. The TOHCA score, calculated as 1 point per risk factor, correlated significantly with the rate of non-ROSC and ED mortality (TOHCA score 0, 1, 2, 3: non-ROSC rate, 63.0%, 80.4%, 90.8%, 100%, respectively; ED mortality rate, 79.5%, 91.5%, 96.1%, and 100% respectively). The results of internal and external validations show a similar trend in both non-ROSC and mortality in the ED with increasing score.

CONCLUSIONS

Termination of CPR for TOHCA after 45 min is reasonable; a 30-minute resuscitation is acceptable in case of insufficient medical staff or resources. The TOHCA score may be able to be used with caution for triage.

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.

Neurological outcomes after traumatic cardiopulmonary arrest: a systematic review

Background

Despite appropriate care, most patients do not survive traumatic cardiac arrest, and many survivors suffer from permanent neurological disability. The prevalence of non-dismal neurological outcomes remains unclear.

Objectives

The aim of the current review is to summarize and assess the quality of reporting of the neurological outcomes in traumatic cardiac arrest survivors.

Data sources

A systematic review of Embase, Medline, PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and ProQuest databases was performed from inception of the database to July 2020.

Study eligibility criteria

Observational cohort studies that reported neurological outcomes of patients surviving traumatic cardiac arrest were included.

Participants and interventions

Patients who were resuscitated following traumatic cardiac arrest.

Study appraisal and synthesis methods

The quality of the included studies was assessed using ROBINS-I (Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies - of Interventions) for observational studies.

Results

From 4295 retrieved studies, 40 were included (n=23 644 patients). The survival rate was 9.2% (n=2168 patients). Neurological status was primarily assessed at discharge. Overall, 45.8% of the survivors had good or moderate neurological recovery, 29.0% had severe neurological disability or suffered a vegetative state, and 25.2% had missing neurological outcomes. Seventeen studies qualitatively described neurological outcomes based on patient disposition and 23 studies used standardized outcome scales. 28 studies had a serious risk of bias and 12 had moderate risk of bias.

Limitations

The existing literature is characterized by inadequate outcome reporting and a high risk of bias, which limit our ability to prognosticate in this patient population.

Conclusions or implications of key findings

Good and moderate neurological recoveries are frequently reported in patients who survive traumatic cardiac arrest. Prospective studies focused on quality of survivorship in traumatic arrest are urgently needed.

Level of evidence

Systematic review, level IV.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020198482.

Epidemiology, management and survival outcomes of adult out-of-hospital traumatic cardiac arrest due to blunt, penetrating or burn injury

BACKGROUND

Survival from out-of-hospital traumatic cardiac arrest (TCA) is poor. Regional variation exists regarding epidemiology, management and outcomes. Data on prognostic factors are scant. A better understanding of injury patterns and outcome determinants is key to identifying opportunities for survival improvement.

METHODS

Included were adult (≥18 years) out-of-hospital TCA due to blunt, penetrating or burn injury, who were attended by Queensland Ambulance Service paramedics between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2019. We compared the characteristics of patients who were pronounced dead on paramedic arrival and those receiving resuscitation from paramedics. Intra-arrest procedures were described for attempted-resuscitation patients. Survival up to 6 months postarrest was reported, and factors associated with survival were investigated.

RESULTS

3891 patients were included; 2394 (61.5%) were pronounced dead on paramedic arrival and 1497 (38.5%) received resuscitation from paramedics. Most arrests (79.8%) resulted from blunt trauma. Motor vehicle collision (42.4%) and gunshot wound (17.7%) were the most common injury mechanisms in patients pronounced dead on paramedic arrival, whereas the most prevalent mechanisms in attempted-resuscitation patients were motor vehicle (31.3%) and motorcycle (20.6%) collisions. Among attempted-resuscitation patients, rates of transport and survival to hospital handover, to hospital discharge and to 6 months were 31.9%, 15.3%, 9.8% and 9.8%, respectively. Multivariable model showed that advanced airway management (adjusted OR 1.84; 95% CI 1.06 to 3.17), intravenous access (OR 5.04; 95% CI 2.43 to 10.45) and attendance of high acuity response unit (highly trained prehospital care clinicians) (OR 2.54; 95% CI 1.25 to 5.18) were associated with improved odds of survival to hospital handover.

CONCLUSIONS

By including all paramedic-attended patients, this study provides a more complete understanding of the epidemiology of out-of-hospital TCA. Contemporary survival rates from adult out-of-hospital TCA who receive resuscitation from paramedics may be higher than historically thought. Factors identified in this study as associated with survival may be useful to guide prognostication and treatment.

[Cardiac arrest under special circumstances]

These guidelines of the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) Cardiac Arrest under Special Circumstances are based on the 2020 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Science with Treatment Recommendations. This section provides guidelines on the modifications required for basic and advanced life support for the prevention and treatment of cardiac arrest under special circumstances; in particular, specific causes (hypoxia, trauma, anaphylaxis, sepsis, hypo-/hyperkalaemia and other electrolyte disorders, hypothermia, avalanche, hyperthermia and malignant hyperthermia, pulmonary embolism, coronary thrombosis, cardiac tamponade, tension pneumothorax, toxic agents), specific settings (operating room, cardiac surgery, cardiac catheterization laboratory, dialysis unit, dental clinics, transportation [in-flight, cruise ships], sport, drowning, mass casualty incidents), and specific patient groups (asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, neurological disease, morbid obesity, pregnancy).

Acting on the potentially reversible causes of traumatic cardiac arrest: Possible but not sufficient

INTRODUCTION

Traumatic cardiac arrest (TCA) guidelines emphasize specific actions that aim to treat the potential reversible causes of the arrest. The aim of this study was to measure the impact of these recommendations on specific rescue measures carried out in the field, and their influence on short-term outcomes in the resuscitation of TCA patients.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study of all TCA patients treated in two emergency medical units, which are part of the Northern Alps Emergency Network, from January 2004 to December 2017. We categorised cases into three periods: pre-guidelines (from January 2004 to December 2007), during guidelines (from January 2008 to December 2011), and post-guidelines (from January 2012 to December 2017). Local guidelines, a physician education programme, and specific training were set up during the post-guidelines period to increase adherence to recommendations. Utstein variables, and specific rescue measures were collected: advanced airway management, fluid administration, pelvic stabilisation or tourniquet application, bilateral thoracostomy, and thoracotomy procedures. The primary endpoint was survival rate at day 30 with good neurological status (cerebral performance category scores 1 & 2) in each period, considering the pre-guidelines period as the reference.

RESULTS

There were 287 resuscitation attempts in the TCA cases included, and 279 specific interventions were identified with a significant increase in the number of fluid expansions (+16%), bilateral thoracostomies (+75%), and pelvic stabilisations (+25%) from the pre- to post-guidelines periods. However, no improvement in survival over time was found.

CONCLUSION

Reversible measures were applied but to a varying degree, and may not adequately capture pre-hospital performance on overall TCA survival.

European Resuscitation Council Guidelines 2021: Cardiac arrest in special circumstances

These European Resuscitation Council (ERC) Cardiac Arrest in Special Circumstances guidelines are based on the 2020 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Science with Treatment Recommendations. This section provides guidelines on the modifications required to basic and advanced life support for the prevention and treatment of cardiac arrest in special circumstances; specifically special causes (hypoxia, trauma, anaphylaxis, sepsis, hypo/hyperkalaemia and other electrolyte disorders, hypothermia, avalanche, hyperthermia and malignant hyperthermia, pulmonary embolism, coronary thrombosis, cardiac tamponade, tension pneumothorax, toxic agents), special settings (operating room, cardiac surgery, catheter laboratory, dialysis unit, dental clinics, transportation (in-flight, cruise ships), sport, drowning, mass casualty incidents), and special patient groups (asthma and COPD, neurological disease, obesity, pregnancy).

Impact of temporal changes in the epidemiology and management of traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest on survival outcomes

AIM

We aimed to investigate the impact of temporal changes in the epidemiology and management of traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) on emergency medical service (EMS) attempted resuscitations and survival outcomes.

METHODS

A retrospective observational study of traumatic OHCA cases involving patients aged > 16 years in Victoria, Australia, who arrested between 2001 and 2018. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression was performed to assess trends in survival outcomes over the study period.

RESULTS

Between 2001 and 2018, the EMS attended 5,631 cases of traumatic OHCA, of which 1,237 cases (22.0%) received an attempted resuscitation. EMS response times increased significantly over time (from 7.0 min in 2001-03 to 9.8 min in 2016-18; p trend < 0.001) as did rates of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) (from 37.8% to 63.6%; p trend < 0.001). Helicopter EMS attendance on scene increased from 7.1% to 12.4% (p trend = 0.01), and transports of patients with return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) to designated major trauma centres also increased from 36.6% to 82.4% (p trend < 0.001). The frequency of EMS trauma-specific interventions increased over the study period, including needle thoracostomy from 7.7% to 61.6% (p trend < 0.001). Although the risk-adjusted odds of ROSC (OR 1.06, 95% CI: 1.03-1.10) and event survival (OR 1.05, 95% CI: 1.01-1.09) increased year-on-year, there were no temporal changes in survival to hospital discharge.

CONCLUSION

Despite higher rates of bystander CPR and EMS trauma interventions, rates of survival following traumatic OHCA did not change over time in our region. More studies are needed to investigate the optimal EMS interventions for improved survival in traumatic OHCA.

Outcome analysis of traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients according to the mechanism of injury: A nationwide observation study

The variation in the outcome of traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (TOHCA) patients according to the mechanism of injury has been relatively unexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether the mechanism of injury is associated with survival to hospital discharge and good neurological outcome at hospital discharge in TOHCA.The study population comprised cases of TOHCA drawn from the national Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest registry (2012-2016). Traumatic causes were categorized into 6 groups: traffic accident, fall, collision, stab injury, and gunshot injury. Data were retrospectively extracted from emergency medical service and Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention records. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with survival to discharge and good neurological outcome.The final analysis included a total of 8546 eligible TOHCA patients (traffic accident 5300, fall 2419, collision 572, stab injury 247, and gunshot injury 8). The overall survival rate was 18.4% (traffic accident 18.0%, fall 16.4%, collision 32.0%, stab injury 14.2%, and gunshot injury 12.5%). Good neurological outcome was achieved in 0.8% of all patients (traffic accident 0.8%, fall 0.8%, collision 1.2%, stab injury 0.8%, and gunshot injury 0.0%). In the multivariate analysis, injury mechanisms showed no significant difference in neurological outcomes, and only collision had a significant odds ratio for survival to discharge (odds ratio: 2.440; 95% confidence interval: 1.795-3.317) compared to the traffic accident group.In this study, the mechanism of injury was not associated with neurological outcome in TOHCA patients. Collision might be the only mechanism of injury to result in better survival to discharge than traffic accident.

First experience with the abdominal aortic and junctional tourniquet in prehospital traumatic cardiac arrest

INTRODUCTION

The Abdominal Aortic and Junctional Tourniquet (AAJT) increased systemic vascular resistance, mean arterial pressure, carotid blood flow and rate of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in animals with hypovolaemic traumatic cardiac arrest (TCA). The objective of this study was to report the first experience of the use of the AAJT as part of a pre-hospital TCA algorithm.

METHODS

This is a descriptive case series of the use of the AAJT in patients with TCA in a civilian physician-led pre-hospital trauma service in Sydney, Australia between June 2015 to August 2019. Cases were identified and data sourced from routinely collected data sets within the retrieval service.

RESULTS

During the study, 44 TCAs were attended, 22 with AAJT application. Mean time (standard deviation) to AAJT application since last signs of life was 16 (9) min. Eighteen (16 males, 2 females) patients, with median age (interquartile range) of 40 (25-58) years, were included for analysis. Seventeen patients (94%) had blunt trauma. Sixteen patients (89%) were in TCA at the time of service contact, 11 (61%) had a change in electrical activity, 4 (22%) had ROSC, and of the 6 with documented end-tidal carbon dioxide, the mean rise was 24.0 mmHg (95% CI 12.6-35.4) (P = 0.003). Three patients (17%) had sustained ROSC on arrival to the Emergency Department. No patients survived to hospital discharge.

CONCLUSION

Physiological changes were demonstrated but there were no survivors. Further research focusing on faster application times may be associated with improved outcomes.

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.

Prognostic factors related with outcomes in traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients without prehospital return of spontaneous circulation: a nationwide observational study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the prognostic factors associated with the sustained return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and survival to hospital discharge in traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (TOHCA) patients without prehospital ROSC.

METHODS

We analyzed Korean nationwide data from the Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Surveillance, and included adult TOHCA patients without prehospital ROSC from January 2012 to December 2016. The primary outcome was sustained ROSC (>20 minutes). The secondary outcome was survival to discharge. Multivariate analysis was performed to investigate factors associated with the outcomes of TOHCA patients.

RESULTS

Among 142,905 cases of OHCA, 8,326 TOHCA patients were investigated. In multivariate analysis, male sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.326; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.103-1.594; P=0.003), and an initial shockable rhythm (OR, 1.956; 95% CI, 1.113-3.439; P=0.020) were significantly associated with sustained ROSC. Compared with traffic crash, collision (OR, 1.448; 95% CI, 1.086-1.930; P=0.012) was associated with sustained ROSC. Fall (OR, 0.723; 95% CI, 0.589- 0.888; P=0.002) was inversely associated with sustained ROSC. Male sex (OR, 1.457; 95% CI, 1.026-2.069; P=0.035) and an initial shockable rhythm (OR, 4.724; 95% CI, 2.451-9.106; P<0.001) were significantly associated with survival to discharge. Metropolitan city (OR, 0.728; 95% CI, 0.541-0.980; P=0.037) was inversely associated with survival to discharge. Compared with traffic crash, collision (OR, 1.745; 95% CI, 1.125-2.708; P=0.013) was associated with survival to discharge.

CONCLUSION

Male sex, an initial shockable rhythm, and collision could be favorable factors for sustained ROSC, whereas fall could be an unfavorable factor. Male sex, non-metropolitan city, an initial shockable rhythm, and collision could be favorable factors in survival to discharge.

Dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation for traumatic patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

Background

Resuscitation efforts for traumatic patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) are not always futile. Dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DA-CPR) during emergency calls could increase the rate of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and thus may enhance survival and neurologic outcomes of non-traumatic OHCA. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of DA-CPR for traumatic OHCA.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted using an Utstein-style population database with data from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2016, in Tainan City, Taiwan. Voice recordings of emergency calls were retrospectively retrieved and reviewed. The primary outcome was an achievement of sustained (≥2 h) return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC); the secondary outcomes were prehospital ROSC, ever ROSC, survival at discharge and favourable neurologic status at discharge. Statistical significance was set at a p-value of less than 0.05.

Results

A total of 4526 OHCA cases were enrolled. Traumatic OHCA cases (n = 560, 12.4%), compared to medical OHCA cases (n = 3966, 87.6%), were less likely to have bystander CPR (10.7% vs. 31.7%, p < 0.001) and initially shockable rhythms (7.1% vs. 12.5%, p < 0.001). Regarding DA-CPR performance, traumatic OHCA cases were less likely to have dispatcher recognition of cardiac arrest (6.3% vs. 42.0%, p < 0.001), dispatcher initiation of bystander CPR (5.4% vs. 37.6%, p < 0.001), or any dispatcher delivery of CPR instructions (2.7% vs. 20.3%, p < 0.001). Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that witnessed cardiac arrests (aOR 1.70, 95% CI 1.10–2.62; p = 0.017) and transportation to level 1 centers (aOR 1.99, 95% CI 1.27–3.13; p = 0.003) were significantly associated with achievement of sustained ROSC in traumatic OHCA cases, while DA-CPR-related variables were not (All p > 0.05).

Conclusions

DA-CPR was not associated with better outcomes for traumatic OHCA in achieving a sustained ROSC. The DA-CPR program for traumatic OHCAs needs further studies to validate its effectiveness and practicability, especially in the communities where rules for the termination of resuscitation in prehospital settings do not exist.

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.

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.

Survival rate variation among different types of hospitalized traumatic cardiac arrest: A retrospective and nationwide study

Studies regarding the prognostic factors for survival conditions and the proportions of survival to discharge among different types of hospitalized traumatic cardiac arrest (TCA) during the period of postresuscitation are limited.This nationwide study was designed to determine certain parameters and clarify the effect of various injuries on the survival of hospitalized TCA patients to discharge.Data were retrieved from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) from 2007 to 2013 in Taiwan. We reviewed patients with a diagnosis of TCA using International Classification of Disease Clinical Modification, 9th revision codes (ICD-9-CM codes). Patients identified for analysis were simultaneously coded in traumatic etiology (ICD-9-CM codes: 800-999) and cardiac arrest (ICD-9-CM codes: 427.41 or 427.5). The determinants and effects of different types of injury on survival were evaluated by SPSS 22.0 (IBM, Armonk, NY).A total of 3481 cases of hospitalized TCA were selected from the NHIRD. The overall rate of survival to discharge was 22.1%. The results indicated a decreased adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of survival to discharge with higher numbers of organ failure (aOR: 0.82; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.73-0.92). Patients with ventricular fibrillation had a better discharge rate (aOR: 4.33; 95% CI: 3.29-5.70). Two parameters, transfer to another hospital and the number of intensive care unit beds, were positively correlated with survival. Compared with traffic accidents, different injuries associated with survival to discharge were identified; the aOR (95% CI) was 1.89 (1.12-3.19) for poisoning, 1.63 (1.13-2.36) for falls, and 2.00 (1.36-2.92) for drowning/suffocation.This study has shown that hospitalized TCA patients with multiple organ failure may be less likely to be discharged from the hospital. The presence of ventricular fibrillation rhythm on admission increased the odds of survival to discharge. In the phase of postcardiac arrest care, the number of intensive care unit beds and transfer to another hospital were positively correlated with survival. Those events attributed to traffic accidents have a much worse influence on the main outcome.

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

Importance

Controversy remains as to whether advanced life support (ALS) or basic life support (BLS) is superior for critically ill and injured patients, including out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and major trauma, in the prehospital setting.

Objective

To assess whether prehospital ALS should be provided for traumatic OHCA and who should perform it.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Japanese government-managed nationwide population-based registry data of patients with OHCA transported to an emergency hospital were analyzed. Patients who experienced traumatic OHCA following a traffic collision from 2013 to 2014 were included. Patients provided prehospital ALS by a physician were compared with both patients provided ALS by emergency medical service (EMS) personnel and patients with only BLS. The data were analyzed on May 1, 2017.

Exposures

Advanced life support by physician, ALS by EMS personnel, or BLS only.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was 1-month survival. The secondary outcomes were prehospital return of spontaneous circulation and favorable neurologic outcomes with the Glasgow-Pittsburgh cerebral performance category score of 1 or 2.

Results

A total of 4382 patients were included (mean [SD] age, 57.5 [22.2] years; 67.9% male); 828 (18.9%) received prehospital ALS by physician, 1591 (36.3%) received prehospital ALS by EMS personnel, and 1963 (44.8%) received BLS only. Among these patients, 96 (2.2%) survived 1 month after OHCA, including 26 of 828 (3.1%) for ALS by physician, 25 of 1591 (1.6%) for ALS by EMS personnel, and 45 of 1963 (2.3%) for BLS. After adjusting for potential confounders using multivariable logistic regression, ALS by physician was significantly associated with higher odds for 1-month survival compared with both ALS by EMS personnel and BLS (adjusted OR, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.20-3.78; and adjusted OR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.14-3.25; respectively), whereas there was no significant difference between ALS by EMS personnel and BLS (adjusted OR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.54-1.51). A propensity score-matched analysis in the ALS cohort showed that ALS by physician was associated with increased chance of 1-month survival compared with ALS by EMS personnel (risk ratio, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.01-3.97; P = .04). This association was consistent across a variety of sensitivity analyses.

Conclusions and Relevance

In traumatic OHCA, ALS by physician was associated with increased chance of 1-month survival compared with both ALS by EMS personnel and BLS.

Characteristics and Outcomes of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Occurring While in a Motor Vehicle

This study aimed to investigate the incidence, patient characteristics, and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) occurring while in a motor vehicle in Osaka City, Japan (with a population of 2.6 million), from 2009 to 2015. The OHCA data used in this study were obtained from the population-based Utstein-style registry in Osaka City. Patients who had OHCA occurring while in a motor vehicle were included. The primary end point was 1-month survival with favorable neurologic outcome after OHCA. During the study period, 18,458 OHCAs were observed, and 264 of them (1.4%) occurred while on or in a motor vehicle (drivers, n = 179; nondrivers, n = 85). The overall incidence rate of OHCAs occurring while in a motor vehicle was 14.0 per million population per year (drivers, 9.5; nondrivers, 4.5). In the drivers with OHCAs, 78 (43.6%) and 101 (56.4%) cases were of medical origin and traffic injuries, respectively. Approximately half of OHCAs with a medical origin in drivers presumably occurred while driving (46.2%, 36 of 78). The overall proportion of 1-month survival with favorable neurologic outcome after OHCA was 6.4% (17 of 264). In the drivers, the proportion of OHCAs with a medical origin and because of traffic injuries were 11.5% (9 of 78) and 2.0% (2 of 101) (p = 0.008), respectively. In conclusion, although OHCAs occurring while in a motor vehicle represented a small subset of the overall OHCA burden, a relatively large number of cardiac arrests with a medical origin occurred in drivers.

Traumatic cardiac arrest in Sweden 1990-2016 - a population-based national cohort study

BACKGROUND

Trauma is a main cause of death among young adults worldwide. Patients experiencing a traumatic cardiac arrest (TCA) certainly have a poor prognosis but population-based studies are sparse. Primarily to describe characteristics and 30-day survival following a TCA as compared with a medical out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (medical CA).

METHODS

A cohort study based on data from the nationwide, prospective population-based Swedish Registry for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (SRCR), a medical cardiac arrest registry, between 1990 and 2016. The definition of a TCA in the SRCR is a patient who is unresponsive with apnoea where cardiopulmonary resuscitation and/or defibrillation have been initiated and in whom the Emergency Medical Services (EMS, mainly a nurse-based system) reported trauma as the aetiology. Outcome was overall 30-day survival. Descriptive statistics as well as multivariable logistic regression models were used.

RESULTS

In all, between 1990 and 2016, 1774 (2.4%) cases had a TCA and 72,547 had a medical CA. Overall 30-day survival gradually increased over the years, and was 3.7% for TCAs compared to 8.2% following a medical CA (p < 0.01). Among TCAs, factors associated with a higher 30-day survival were bystander witnessed and having a shockable initial rhythm (adjusted OR 2.67, 95% C.I. 1.15-6.22 and OR 8.94 95% C.I. 4.27-18.69, respectively).

DISCUSSION

Association in registry-based studies do not imply causality but TCA had short time intervals in the chain of survival as well as high rates of bystander-CPR.

CONCLUSION

In a medical CA registry like ours, prevalence of TCAs is low and survival is poor. Registries like ours might not capture the true incidence. However, many individuals do survive and resuscitation in TCAs should not be seen futile.

Predicting outcomes in traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: the relevance of Utstein factors

BACKGROUND

Given low survival rates in cases of traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), there is a need to identify factors associated with outcomes. We aimed to investigate Utstein factors associated with achieving return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and survival to hospital in traumatic OHCA.

METHODS

The Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry (VACAR) was used to identify cases of traumatic OHCA that received attempted resuscitation and occurred between July 2008 and June 2014. We excluded cases aged <16 years or with a mechanism of hanging or drowning.

RESULTS

Of the 660 traumatic OHCA patients who received attempted resuscitation, ROSC was achieved in 159 patients (24%) and 95 patients (14%) survived to hospital (ROSC on hospital handover). Factors that were positively associated with achieving ROSC in multivariable logistic regression models were age ≥65 years (adjusted OR (AOR)=1.56, 95% CI: 1.01 to 2.43) and arresting rhythm (shockable (AOR=3.65, 95% CI: 1.64 to 8.11) and pulseless electrical activity (AOR=2.15, 95% CI: 1.36 to 3.39) relative to asystole). Similarly, factors positively associated with survival to hospital were arresting rhythm (shockable (AOR=3.92, 95% CI: 1.64 to 9.41) relative to asystole), and the mechanism of injury (falls (AOR=2.16, 95% CI: 1.03 to 4.54) relative to motor vehicle collisions), while trauma type (penetrating (AOR=0.27, 95% CI: 0.08 to 0.91) relative to blunt trauma) and event region (rural (AOR=0.39, 95% CI: 0.19 to 0.80) relative to urban) were negatively associated with survival to hospital.

CONCLUSIONS

Few patient and arrest characteristics were associated with outcomes in traumatic OHCA. These findings suggest there is a need to incorporate additional information into cardiac arrest registries to assist prognostication and the development of novel interventions in these trauma patients.

The linguistic and interactional factors impacting recognition and dispatch in emergency calls for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a mixed-method linguistic analysis study protocol

INTRODUCTION

Emergency telephone calls placed by bystanders are crucial to the recognition of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), fast ambulance dispatch and initiation of early basic life support. Clear and efficient communication between caller and call-taker is essential to this time-critical emergency, yet few studies have investigated the impact that linguistic factors may have on the nature of the interaction and the resulting trajectory of the call. This research aims to provide a better understanding of communication factors impacting on the accuracy and timeliness of ambulance dispatch.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

A dataset of OHCA calls and their corresponding metadata will be analysed from an interdisciplinary perspective, combining linguistic analysis and health services research. The calls will be transcribed and coded for linguistic and interactional variables and then used to answer a series of research questions about the recognition of OHCA and the delivery of basic life-support instructions to bystanders. Linguistic analysis of calls will provide a deeper understanding of the interactional dynamics between caller and call-taker which may affect recognition and dispatch for OHCA. Findings from this research will translate into recommendations for modifications of the protocols for ambulance dispatch and provide directions for further research.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study has been approved by the Curtin University Human Research Ethics Committee (HR128/2013) and the St John Ambulance Western Australia Research Advisory Group. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and communicated to key audiences, including ambulance dispatch professionals.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation of out-of-hospital traumatic cardiac arrest in Qatar: A nationwide population-based study

BACKGROUND

Traumatic cardiac arrest studies have reported improved survival rates recently, ranging from 1.7-7.5%. This population-based nationwide study aims to describe the epidemiology, interventions and outcomes, and determine predictors of survival from out-of-hospital traumatic cardiac arrest (OHTCA) in Qatar.

METHODS

An observational retrospective population-based study was conducted on OHTCA patients in Qatar, from January 2010 to December 2015. Traumatic cardiac arrest was redefined to include out-of-hospital traumatic cardiac arrest (OHTCA) and in-hospital traumatic cardiac arrest (IHTCA).

RESULTS

A total of 410 OHTCA patients were included in the 6-year study period. The mean annual crude incidence rate of OHTCA was 4.0 per 100,000 population, in Qatar. OHTCA mostly occurred in males with a median age of 33. There was a preponderance of blunt injuries (94.3%) and head injuries (66.3%). Overall, the survival rate was 2.4%. Shockable rhythm, prehospital external hemorrhage control, in-hospital blood transfusion, and surgery were associated with higher odds of survival. Adrenaline (Epinephrine) lowered the odds of survival.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of OHTCA was less than expected, with a low rate of survival. Thoracotomy was not associated with improved survival while Adrenaline administration lowered survival in OHTCA patients with majority blunt injuries. Interventions to enable early prehospital control of hemorrhage, blood transfusion, thoracostomy and surgery improved survival.

Resuscitation attempts and duration in traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to understand factors associated with paramedics' decision to attempt resuscitation in traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and to characterise resuscitation attempts ≤10min in patients who die at the scene.

METHODS

The Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry (VACAR) was used to identify all cases of traumatic OHCA between July 2008 and June 2014. We excluded cases <16 years of age or with a mechanism of hanging or drowning.

RESULTS

Of the 2334 cases of traumatic OHCA, resuscitation was attempted in 28% of cases and this rate remained steady over time (p=0.10). Multivariable logistic regression revealed that the arresting rhythm [shockable (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=18.52, 95% confidence interval (CI):6.68-51.36) or pulseless electrical activity (AOR=12.58, 95%CI:9.06-17.45) relative to asystole] and mechanism of injury [motorcycle collision (AOR=2.49, 95%CI:1.60-3.86), fall (AOR=1.91, 95%CI:1.17-3.11) and shooting/stabbing (AOR=2.25, 95%CI:1.17-4.31) relative to a motor vehicle collision] were positively associated with attempted resuscitation. Arrests occurring in rural regions had a significantly lower odds of attempted resuscitation relative to those in urban regions (AOR=0.64, 95%CI:0.46-0.90). Resuscitation attempts ≤10min represented 34% of cases in which resuscitation was attempted but the patient died at the scene. When these resuscitation attempts were selectively excluded from the overall EMS treated population, survival to hospital discharge non-significantly increased from 3.8% to 5.0% (p=0.314).

CONCLUSION

Survival in our study was consistent with existing literature, however the large proportion of cases with resuscitation attempts ≤10min may under-represent survival in those patients that receive full resuscitation attempts.

Medical versus non medical etiology in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest-Changes in outcome in relation to the revised Utstein template

INTRODUCTION

The Utstein-style recommendations for reporting etiology and outcome in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) from 2004 have recently been revised. Among other etiologies a medical category is now introduced, replacing the cardiac category from Utstein template 2004.

AIM

The aim of this study is to describe characteristics and temporal trends from reporting OHCA etiology according to the revised Utstein template 2014 in regards to patient characteristics and 30-day survival rates.

METHODS

This registry study is based on consecutive OHCA cases reported from the Emergency medical services (EMS) to the Swedish Registry of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (SRCR) 1992-2014. Characteristics, including a presumed cardiac etiology in Utstein template 2004, were transcribed to a medical etiology in Utstein template 2014.

RESULTS

Of a total of n=70,846 cases, 92% were categorized as having a medical etiology and 8% as having a non-medical cause. Using the new classifications, the 30-day survival rate has significantly increased over a 20-year period from 4.7% to 11.0% in the medical group and from 3% to 9.9% in the non-medical group (p≤0.001). Trauma was the most common cause in OHCA of a non-medical etiology (26%) with a 30-day survival rate of 3.4% whilst drowning and drug overdose had the highest survival rates (14% and 10% respectively).

CONCLUSION

Based on Utstein 2014 categories of etiology, overall survival after OHCA with a medical etiology has more than doubled in a 20-year period and tripled for non-medical cases. Patients with a medical etiology found in a shockable rhythm have the highest chance of survival. There is great variability in characteristics among non-medical cases.