Resuscitation
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Multicenter Study
Adherence to advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS) guidelines during in-hospital cardiac arrest is associated with improved outcomes.
Identifying modifiable factors associated with survival following in-hospital cardiac arrest is crucial. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which adherence to the 2010 American Heart Association (AHA) Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) guidelines in their entirety affects patient outcomes. In addition, we explored the role of code leader training level on patient outcomes. ⋯ We found that higher numbers of deviations from ACLS guidelines were associated with a lower likelihood of ROSC and survival to hospital discharge. These findings emphasize the importance of adherence to ACLS guidelines and the need for training healthcare personnel in resuscitation guidelines in order to improve outcomes for victims of in-hospital cardiac arrest.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Surviving out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: The neurological and functional outcome and health-related quality of life one year later.
Data on long-term functional outcome and quality of life (QoL) after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) are limited. We assessed long-term functional outcome and health-related QoL of OHCA survivors regardless of arrest aetiology. ⋯ Long-term functional outcome was good in over 90% of patients surviving OHCA, with health-related quality of life similar to that of an age and gender matched population.
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Observational Study
Chest compressions during ventilation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cause reversed airflow.
During cardiopulmonary resuscitation, once the patient is intubated, compressions and ventilations are performed simultaneously. Chest compressions during the inspiratory phase of ventilation may force air out of the lungs, causing so-called "reversed airflow", which may lead to ineffective ventilation. The purpose of this study is to determine the occurrence of this phenomenon and to quantify the volume of reversed airflow. ⋯ Chest compressions during ventilation in intubated patients generated reversed airflow in most patients. There was wide variation in the number of episodes and volume of the reversed airflow between patients. The effect of this phenomenon on the efficacy of ventilation during resuscitation and on outcome needs further investigation.
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Birth asphyxia, defined as 5-minute Apgar score <7 in apneic newborns, is a major cause of newborn mortality. Heart rate (HR) response to ventilation is considered an important indicator of effective resuscitation. ⋯ The risk of death in apneic newborns can be predicted by the fetal HR (absent or abnormal), initial newborn HR (bradycardia), and the HR response to ventilation. These findings stress the importance of reliable fetal HR monitoring during labor and providing effective ventilation following birth to enhance survival.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Medical emergency response in non-hospitalized patients (Code Whites) in a rural tertiary academic medical center: A 7 year observational study.