Resuscitation
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We aim to summarize current evidence on the value of point-of-care (POC) focused echocardiography in the assessment of short-term survival in patients with cardiac arrest. ⋯ POC focused echocardiography can be used to identify reversible causes and predict short-term outcome in patients with cardiac arrest. In patients with a low pretest probability for ROSC, absence of SCM on echocardiography can predict a low likelihood of survival and guide the decision of resuscitation termination.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Integration of In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Contextual Curriculum into a Basic Life Support Course: A Randomized, Controlled Simulation Study.
The objective was to compare resuscitation performance on simulated in-hospital cardiac arrests after traditional American Heart Association (AHA) Healthcare Provider Basic Life Support course (TradBLS) versus revised course including in-hospital skills (HospBLS). ⋯ A hospital focused BLS course utilizing RCDP was associated with improved performance on hospital-specific quality measures compared with the traditional AHA course.
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Most cardiac arrest (CA) patients remain comatose post-resuscitation, prompting goals-of-care (GOC) conversations. The impact of these conversations on patient outcomes has not been well described. ⋯ Most survivors due to family wishes despite poor neurological prognosis die or have poor outcomes at one-year. However, a small number achieve favorable recovery, demonstrating limitations with current prognostication methods. Among nonsurvivors, most WLST occurs while medically unstable, suggesting an overestimation of WLST due to unfavorable neurological prognosis.
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Drowning leading to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and death is a major public health concern. Submersion with duration of less than 10min is associated with favorable neurological outcome and nearby bystanders play a considerable role in rescue and resuscitation. Drones can provide a visual overview of an accident scene, their potential as lifesaving tools in drowning has not been evaluated. ⋯ A drone transmitting live video to a tablet is feasible, time saving in comparison to traditional search parties and may be used for providing earlier location of submerged victims at a beach. Drone search can possibly contribute to earlier onset of CPR in drowning victims.
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To establish variables which are associated with favourable Advanced Life Support (ALS) course assessment outcomes, maximising learning effect. ⋯ Clinical experience through membership of cardiac arrest teams and previous ILS or ALS training were independent predictors of performance on the ALS course whilst time spent accessing e-learning materials did not affect course outcomes. This supports the blended approach to e-ALS which allows participants to tailor their e-learning experience to their specific needs.