Fifteen Years of Sustainable Development in Emergency Medical Services under the Emergency Medicine Act of Thailand

BACKGROUND: Thailand’s emergency medical services (EMSs) are constantly evolving both in terms of personnel and technology in pre-hospital care. While sustainable development goals (SDGs) are used in part as a catalyst for development in all countries, there are currently no studies regarding the relationship between EMS research and SDGs in Thailand. AIM: This study aims to analyze how Thailand’s EMS research was affected after the National Institute for Emergency Medicine (NIEM) was established and how SDGs are related. METHODS: This was an analytical cross-sectional database study. Data were collected in the Scopus database with Thailand’s EMS records between 2008 and 2022. Three experienced emergency physicians were enrolled independently in this study for the purpose of giving opinions and feedback on the research. RESULTS: The three experts of this study are qualified emergency physicians in Thailand. The greatest number of the expert’s publications from the Scopus database was 117 articles. The greatest number of citations was 3994. The 175 documents were analyzed with three experts reviewing all documents and then narrowing it down to 25 documents. The most common SDG found in documents was Goal 3: GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. CONCLUSIONS: The development of Thailand’s EMS after the establishment of NIEM varied in aspects ranging from triage systems and care in ambulances to vehicle selection and technology. Goal 3: GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING occurred most frequently in publications regarding SDGs in EMS studies.

A retrospective multi-centre cohort study: Pre-hospital survival factors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients in Thailand

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore significant pre-hospital factors affecting the survivability of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) patients in countries with developing EMS systems.

METHOD

A retrospective cohort study was conducted examining data from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2020 from Utstein Registry databases in Thailand, collected through Pan-Asian Resuscitation Outcomes Study (PAROS). Data were collected from three centres, including regional, suburban-capital, and urban-capital hospitals. The primary endpoint of this study was 30-day survival or discharged alive after an OHCA event. The multivariable risk regression was done by modified Poisson regression with robust error variance to explore the association between 30-day survival and pre-hospital factors with potential confounders adjustments.

FINDINGS

Of 1,240 OHCA cases transferred by Emergency Medical Services (EMS), 42 patients (3.4%) were discharged alive after 30 days, including 22 (8.6%), 8 (3.0%), and 12 (1.7%) from regional, suburban-capital, and urban-capital centres, respectively. The initial arrest rhythm was 89.7% unshockable, with no significant variations across the three centres. Overall, bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) was 40.4%. However, bystander CPR with Automated External Defibrillator (AED) application was 0.8%. Bystander CPR significantly increased 30-day survival probability (aRR 1.88, 95% CI 1.01 to 3.51; p 0.049). Additionally, reducing the EMS response time by one minute significantly increased OHCA survivability (aRR 1.12, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.20; p 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Response time and bystander CPR are the factors that improve the 30-day survival outcomes of OHCA patients. In contrast, scene time, transport time, and pre-hospital advanced airway management didn't improve 30-day OHCA survival.

Clinical outcomes from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in low-resource settings - A scoping review

AIM OF THE SCOPING REVIEW

Scientific recommendations on resuscitation are typically formulated from the perspective of an ideal resource environment, with little consideration of applicability in lower-income countries. We aimed to determine clinical outcomes from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in low-resource countries, to identify shortcomings related to resuscitation in these areas and possible solutions, and to suggest future research priorities.

DATA SOURCES

This scoping review was part of the continuous evidence evaluation process of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR), and was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. We identified low-resource countries as countries with a low- or middle gross national income per capita (World Bank data). We performed a literature search on outcomes after OHCA in these countries, and we extracted data on the outcome. We applied descriptive statistics and conducted a post-hoc correlation analysis of cohort size and ROSC rates.

RESULTS

We defined 24 eligible studies originating from middle-income countries, but none from low-income regions, suggesting a reporting bias. The number of reported patients in these studies ranged from 54 to 3214. Utstein-style reporting was rarely used. Return of spontaneous circulation varied from 0% to 62%. Fifteen studies reported on survival to hospital discharge (between 1.0 and 16.7%) or favourable neurological outcome (between 1.0 and 9.3%). An inverse correlation was found for study cohort size and the rate of return of spontaneous circulation (ρ = -0.48, p = 0.034).

CONCLUSION

Studies of OHCA outcomes in low-resource countries are heterogeneous and may be compromised by reporting bias. Minimum cardiopulmonary resuscitation standards for low-resource settings should be developed collaboratively involving local experts, respecting culture and context while balancing competing health priorities.

Education, Implementation, and Teams: 2020 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations

For this 2020 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations, the Education, Implementation, and Teams Task Force applied the population, intervention, comparator, outcome, study design, time frame format and performed 15 systematic reviews, applying the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation guidance. Furthermore, 4 scoping reviews and 7 evidence updates assessed any new evidence to determine if a change in any existing treatment recommendation was required. The topics covered included training for the treatment of opioid overdose; basic life support, including automated external defibrillator training; measuring implementation and performance in communities, and cardiac arrest centers; advanced life support training, including team and leadership training and rapid response teams; measuring cardiopulmonary resuscitation performance, feedback devices, and debriefing; and the use of social media to improve cardiopulmonary resuscitation application.

Education, Implementation, and Teams: 2020 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations

For this 2020 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations, the Education, Implementation, and Teams Task Force applied the population, intervention, comparator, outcome, study design, time frame format and performed 15 systematic reviews, applying the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation guidance. Furthermore, 4 scoping reviews and 7 evidence updates assessed any new evidence to determine if a change in any existing treatment recommendation was required. The topics covered included training for the treatment of opioid overdose; basic life support, including automated external defibrillator training; measuring implementation and performance in communities, and cardiac arrest centers; advanced life support training, including team and leadership training and rapid response teams; measuring cardiopulmonary resuscitation performance, feedback devices, and debriefing; and the use of social media to improve cardiopulmonary resuscitation application.

Predictive model of return of spontaneous circulation among patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Thailand: The WATCH-CPR Score

BACKGROUND

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is an emergency that requires immediate management to save lives. However, some predictive scores for the immediate outcomes of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are difficult to use in clinical practice.

AIMS

This study aimed to identify predictors of sustained return of spontaneous circulation and to develop a predictive score.

METHODS

This prospective observational study evaluated sustained return of spontaneous circulation among out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients in a Thai emergency department between July 2014 and March 2018. The baseline characteristics and prehospital and hospital findings were analysed.

RESULTS

Of 347 patients, 126 (36.3%) had sustained return of spontaneous circulation and 20 (5.8%) were discharged. Witnessed arrest (odds ratio = 2.9, 95% confidence interval 1.3-6.2), time from arrest to chest compression <15 min (odds ratio = 3.0, 95% confidence interval 1.3-7.0) and chest compression duration <30 min (odds ratio = 15.6, 95% confidence interval 8.7-28.0) predicted sustained return of spontaneous circulation; these were developed into the WATCH-CPR (Witnessed Arrest, Time from arrest to CHest compression-CPR duration) score. A score of ≥2 was optimal for predicting sustained return of spontaneous circulation, which provided an area under the receiver operating characteristic of 0.775 (95% confidence interval 0.724-0.825) and a sensitivity of 72.2% (95% confidence interval 63.4-79.6%) and specificity of 76.0% (95% confidence interval 69.8-81.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

The factors including witnessed arrest, time from arrest to chest compression and chest compression duration were developed as the WATCH-CPR score for predicting sustained return of spontaneous circulation among patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Post out-of-hospital cardiac arrest care in a tertiary care center in southern Thailand: From emergency department to intensive care unit

Background:

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest results in a high mortality rate. The 2015 American Heart Association guideline for post-cardiac arrest was launched and adopted into our institutional policy.

Objectives:

We aimed to evaluate post-cardiac arrest care and compare the results with the 2015 American Heart Association guideline and clinical outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.

Methods

Included in this study were all adult patients who survived out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and were admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit of Songklanagarind Hospital, Thailand. The retrospective review was from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2017.

Results:

From a total of 161 post-cardiac arrest patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit, 69 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients were identified. The most common cause of arrest was presumed cardiac in origin (45.0%) in which the majority was acute myocardial infarction (67.8%). Coronary intervention and targeted temperature management were performed in 27.5% and 13% of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients, respectively. Survival to hospital discharge was 42%. Independent factors associated with survival to discharge were shockable rhythms, lower adrenaline doses, and the absence of hypotension at medical intensive care unit admission.

Conclusion:

Compliance with the 2015 American Heart Association post-cardiac arrest care guideline was low in our institution, especially in coronary intervention and targeted temperature management.

The Relationship between Emergency Response Time and Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Prognosis: A Meta-Analysis

Objective

To assess the relationship between emergency response time and prognosis of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Design

Systematic review.

Methods

Relevant observational studies were identified by a search of PubMed and ISI databases to 30 January 2014. Primary outcome was survival to discharge. The weighted mean differences (WMD) for response time were calculated for those survivals to discharge and death in hospital. We also carried out a dose response meta-analysis for assessing summary odds ratio (OR) of survival by response time.

Results

A total of 13 studies with 804,998 patients included in the meta-analysis. The WMD of response time between survivals to discharge group and death in hospital group was 1.976 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.161-2.792; p<0.001). Sensitivity analyses by only included prospective cohorts showed the WMD of response time between two groups was 1.115 (95% CI=0.508-1.723; p<0.001). Dose-response relationship between response time and survival to discharge risk was observed statistically significant (χ2=39.86, p<0.001). In linear model, the summary OR was 0.914 (95% CI=0.889-0.940) for every 1 minutes delay in response time. In spline model, the survival OR decreased along with the response time, especially when response time less than 7 minutes.

Conclusions

Emergency response time is an important risk factor for prognosis after OHCA in adults. The EMS team must arrive as soon as possible to the site of the event. (Hong Kong j.emerg.med. 2015;22:345-351)

Intravenous Fluid Administration and the Survival of Pre hospital Resuscitated out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Patients in Thailand

Introduction

Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) is a leading cause of death worldwide. The Emergency Medical Service (EMS) provides early care to critical OHCA patients. Pre hospital intervention has been improving OHCA survival rate, however it is still unclear for the recommendation of routine infusion of Intravenous (IV) fluids during cardiac arrest resuscitation.

Aim

This study aimed to determine whether IV fluid administration was associated with increasing survival of resuscitated OHCA patients and to assess the survival rate of resuscitated OHCA patients.

Materials and Methods

This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 33,006 resuscitated OHCA patients who received emergency medical service in Thailand. Data set from the EMS Registry of the OHCA patients who received Advanced Life Support (ALS) and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) during January 2011 to December 2015 was enrolled as per inclusion criteria. Data were analysed by using both descriptive statistic and multiple logistic regression.

Results

The result indicated that 27,270 OHCA patients (82.62%:95%CI=82.121-83.030%) survived until they reached hospital. In addition, after adjusting for effect modifiers and covariates, it was found that adult (≥18 years) with IV fluid administration were more likely to survive (adjusted OR=4.389; 95% CI: 3.911-4.744) when compared to children (<18 years) with IV fluid administration (adjusted OR =2.952; 95% CI: 2.040-4.273). Other factors associated with OHCA patients' survival were female gender (adjusted OR =1.151; 95% CI: 1.067-1.241), response time per minutes (adjusted OR =0.993; 95% CI: 0.989-0.997), scene time per minutes (adjusted OR=0.948; 95% CI: 0.944-0.952) and transport time per minutes (adjusted OR=0.973, 95%CI: 0.968-0.978).

Conclusion

This study revealed that IV fluid administration was significantly associated with survival of OHCA patients while controlled other covariates including female gender, response time, scene time and transport time. Therefore, it is recommended that the IV fluid administration should be medicated for resuscitated OHCA patients.

The Outcomes of Targeted Temperature Management After Cardiac Arrest at Emergency Department: A Real-World Experience in a Developing Country

Targeted temperature management (TTM) is indicated for comatose survivors of cardiac arrest to improve outcomes. However, the benefit of TTM was verified by rigid controlled clinical trials. This study aimed at evaluating its effects in real-world practices. A prospective observational study was done at the emergency department of tertiary care, Thammasat Hospital, from March 2012 until October 2015. We included all who did not obey verbal commands after being resuscitated from cardiac arrest regardless of initial cardiac rhythm. We excluded patients with traumatic arrest, uncontrolled bleeding, younger than 15 years old, and of poor neurological status (Glasgow coma scale below 14) before cardiac arrest. Primary and secondary outcomes were survival to hospital discharge and favorable neurological outcome (Cerebral Performance Categories 1 or 2 within 30 days). We used the logistic regression model to estimate the propensity score (PS) that will be used as a weight in the analysis. To analyze outcomes, the PS was introduced as a factor in the final logistic regression model in conjunction with other factors. A total of 192 cases, 61 and 131 patients, were enrolled in TTM and non-TTM groups, respectively. Characteristics believed to be related to initiation of TTM: gender, age, cardiac etiology, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, witness arrest, collapse time, initial rhythm, received defibrillation, and advanced airway insertion, were included in multivariable analysis and estimated PS. After adjusted regression analysis with PS, the TTM group had a better result in survival to hospital discharge (34.43% vs. 12.21%; adjusted incidence risk ratio (IRR), 2.95; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.49-5.84; p = 0.002). For neurological outcome, the TTM group had a higher number of favorable neurological outcomes (24.59% vs. 6.87%; IRR, 3.96; 95% CI, 1.67-9.36; p = 0.002). In real-world practices without a strictly controlled environment, TTM can improve survival and favorable neurological outcome in postcardiac arrest patients regardless of initial rhythm.

Clinical outcomes of 3-year experience of targeted temperature management in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest at Songklanagarind Hospital in Southern Thailand: an analysis of the MICU-TTM registry

Background

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is one of the leading causes of intensive care unit admission, which results in high hospital mortality. Targeted temperature management (TTM) was introduced several years ago and is considered to improve neurological and mortality outcomes. This management process was implemented in our hospital in 2012, which was expected to improve the standard of care in OHCA patients.

Purpose

We aimed to report the clinical and mortality outcomes after TTM was introduced to our hospital in 2012.

Patients and methods

An analysis of data from the Medical Intensive Care Unit-TTM registry between 2012 and 2015 was performed. After successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation, TTM was applied to all OHCA patients regardless of causes if there was no contraindication. The Cerebral Performance Category scale score and other clinical outcomes were recorded and analyzed.

Results

Out of 23 patients, 87% were male and the mean age was 54.5±18.1 years. The causes of OHCA from cardiac etiology comprised 52.2%. The most common initial cardiac rhythm was ventricular fibrillation (47.8%). The survival rate to hospital discharge was 47.8% (11/23), but neurological outcomes were in a persistent vegetative state (8/11, 72.7%). The group with poor neurological outcomes had a significantly higher Acute Physiologic Assessment and Chronic Health Evaluation II score than the group with good neurological outcomes (22.9±4.2 vs 16.0±3.6, P=0.01). In the multivariate analysis, initial shockable rhythm was associated with survival at hospital discharge (odds ratio 10.1, 95% confidence interval 1.1–94.3, P=0.04).

Conclusion

TTM in OHCA patients gave better mortality benefits compared to our previous records, despite poor neurological outcomes. Ventilator-associated pneumonia was the major complication of TTM. Therefore, TTM should be considered in OHCA patients, especially in shockable rhythms, after return of spontaneous circulation.