Resuscitation
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When ventilating an unintubated patient with a self-inflating bag, high peak inspiratory flow rates may result in high peak airway pressure with subsequent stomach inflation; this may occur frequently when rescuers without daily experience in bag-valve-mask ventilation need to perform advanced airway management. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a newly developed self-inflating bag (mouth-to-bag resuscitator; Ambu, Glostrup, Denmark) that limits peak inspiratory flow. A bench model simulating a patient with an unintubated airway was used, consisting of a face mask, manikin head, training lung (lung compliance, 100 ml/0.098 kPa (100 ml/cm H(2)O)); airway resistance, 0.39 kPa/l per second (4 cm H(2)O/l/s), oesophagus (LESP, 1.96 kPa (20 cm H(2)O)) and simulated stomach. ⋯ The mouth-to-bag resuscitator versus standard self-inflating bag resulted in significantly (P<0.05) higher mean+/-S. D. mask tidal volumes (1048+/-161 vs. 785+/-174 ml) and lung tidal volumes (911+/-148 vs. 678+/-157 ml), longer inspiratory times (1.7+/-0.4 vs. 1.4+/-0.4 s), but significantly lower peak inspiratory flow rates (50+/-9 vs. 62+/-13 l/min) and mask leakage (10+/-4 vs. 15+/-9%); peak inspiratory pressure (17+/-2 vs. 17+/-2 cm H(2)O) and stomach tidal volumes (16+/-30 vs. 18+/-35 ml) were comparable. In conclusion, employing the mouth-to-bag resuscitator during simulated ventilation of an unintubated patient in respiratory arrest significantly decreased inspiratory flow rate and improved lung tidal volumes, while decreasing mask leakage.
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Comparative Study
The assessment of three methods to verify tracheal tube placement in the emergency setting.
We studied prospectively the reliability of clinical methods, end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO(2)) detection, and the esophageal detector device (EDD) for verifying tracheal intubation in 137 adult patients in the emergency department. Immediately after intubation, the tracheal tube position was tested by the EDD and ETCO(2) monitor, followed by auscultation of the chest. The views obtained at laryngoscopy were classified according to the Cormack grade. ⋯ The frequencies of Cormack grade 1 or 2 were 83.9% in the non-cardiac arrest, and 95.1% in the cardiac arrest patients. In conclusion, the ETCO(2) monitor is the most reliable method for verifying tracheal intubation in non-cardiac arrest patients. During cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, however, negative results by the ETCO(2) or the EDD are not uncommon, and clinical methods are superior to the use of these devices.
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Current guidelines advise discussion with patients before issuing a 'do not attempt resuscitation' (DNAR) order. We report five audit cycles of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) documentation after introducing a proforma, the last cycle following the latest guidelines. In first audit data were collected from 75 patient discharges. ⋯ Four subsequent point prevalence audits carried out on all inpatients following proforma introduction showed documentation improved to 102/109 (94%), 135/148 (91%), 131/140 (94%) and 102/119 (86%) in cycles two, three, four and five, respectively. The last three audits also revealed that consultants consistently made more DNAR orders than trainee doctors. However, following the introduction of the latest guidelines the proportion of patients in whom a decision was made, and the percentage of those decisions that were DNAR, fell.
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Comparative Study
'Event tree' analysis of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest data: confirming the importance of bystander CPR.
The British National Service Framework (NSF) for heart disease commended the 'Utstein style' for auditing out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. The NSF also set standards for pre-hospital treatment and response times. To increase the flexibility of Utstein, an 'event tree' technique is proposed as an audit tool. Event trees consist of nodes and branches on which numbers, percentages or probability values are entered. ⋯ The event trees, when combined with the Utstein template, demonstrated the importance of examining comprehensively datasets for both witnessed and unwitnessed cardiac arrests when monitoring performance standards. The analyses also emphasised the relevance of community programmes in Greater London for teaching basic life saving skills.
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Comparative Study
Lunar phases are not related to the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death.
Mass media deliver pertinacious rumours that lunar phases influence the progress and long-term results in several medical procedures. Peer reviewed studies support this, e.g. in myocardial infarction, others do not. ⋯ Lunar phases do not appear to correlate with acute coronary events leading to myocardial infarction or sudden cardiac death.