Resuscitation
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The Effect of Intravenous Adrenaline on Electrocardiographic Changes During Resuscitation in Patients with Initial Pulseless Electrical Activity in Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest.
Presence of electrocardiographic rhythm in the absence of palpable pulses defines pulseless electrical activity (PEA) and the electrocardiogram (ECG) may provide a source of information during resuscitation. The aim of this study was to examine the development of ECG characteristics during advanced life support (ALS) from Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) with initial PEA, and to explore the potential effects of adrenaline on these characteristics. ⋯ ECG changes during ALS in cardiac arrest were associated with prognosis, and the administration of adrenaline impacted on these changes.
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Multicenter Study
Neuron-Specific-Enolase as a Predictor of the Neurologic Outcome after Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Patients on ECMO.
Neuron-specific-enolase (NSE) is frequently used to predict the neurologic outcome in persistently unconscious patients after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). However, its predictive value is unclear in the setting of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy (ECMO). Aim of this project is to evaluate the predictive value of NSE in ECMO patients. ⋯ In post-CPR patients on ECMO, NSE can be used to assess the neurologic outcome. Importantly, specificity was highest if using serial NSE measurements. Further research using prospective datasets is needed to verify these findings.
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Review Retracted Publication
Epinephrine for out of hospital cardiac arrest: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
To evaluate the effectiveness of epinephrine, compared with control treatments, on survival at admission, ROSC, survival at discharge, and a favorable neurologic outcome in adult patients during OHCA. ⋯ In OHCA, standard or high doses of epinephrine should be used because they improved survival to hospital discharge and resulted in a meaningful clinical outcome. There was also a clear advantage of using epinephrine over a placebo or no drugs in the considered outcomes.
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Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) is a resource-intensive tool that provides haemodynamic and respiratory support in patients who have suffered cardiac arrest. In this study, we investigated the cost-utility of ECPR (cost/QALY) in cardiac arrest patients treated at our institution. ⋯ The calculated cost-utility is within the threshold considered cost-effective in the United States (<$150,000/QALY gained). These results are comparable to the cost-effectiveness of heart transplantation for end-stage heart failure. Larger studies are needed to assess the cost-utility of ECPR and to identify whether other factors, such as patient characteristics, affect the cost-utility benefit.