Resuscitation
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Multicenter Study
Cardiopulmonary arrest is the most frequent cause of the unresponsive wakefulness syndrome: A prospective population-based cohort study in Austria.
The "Unresponsive wakefulness syndrome" (UWS) or previously termed vegetative state is a possible consequence of severe brain damage where individuals just open their eyes but show no conscious behavioural reaction. While head trauma has previously been considered the prevailing cause, clinical experience suggests shows that cardiopulmonary arrest plays an increasingly important role. We therefore attempted to study this hypothesis in a well-defined region of Austria. ⋯ Cardiopulmonary resuscitation has become the major cause of UWS which leads to an increasing incidence with age. These aspects may become even more prominent with the ageing of our population and need to be considered in the organisation of care.
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To describe the echocardiographic parameters of the right ventricle (RV) in first 24h post-cardiac arrest (CA) in humans; to determine if the etiology of arrest predicts RV dysfunction; to quantify parameters of the right ventricle in the first 24h post-CA. ⋯ RV dysfunction is present in the majority of post-CA patient regardless of the etiology of arrest. Further studies are needed to investigate if there are relationships between echocardiographic findings and survival and to assess temporal findings of RV function post-CA.
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Observational Study
Hypoxic hepatitis after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: incidence, determinants and prognosis.
Hypoxic hepatitis (HH) may complicate the course of resuscitated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients admitted in intensive care unit (ICU). Aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of HH, and to describe the factors associated with HH occurrence and outcome. ⋯ HH is not a rare complication after OHCA. This complication is mainly triggered by the duration of resuscitation and is associated with increased ICU mortality.
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Editorial Comment
The Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome-A Shift in Etiology?