Resuscitation
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S(p)O(2) is routinely used to assess the well-being of patients, but it is difficult to find an evidence-based description of its normal range. The British Thoracic Society (BTS) has published guidance for oxygen administration and recommends a target S(p)O(2) of 94-98% for most adult patients. These recommendations rely on consensus opinion and small studies using arterial blood gas measurements of saturation (S(a)O(2)). ⋯ Mortality (95% CI) for patients with initial S(p)O(2) values of 97%, 96% and 95% was 3.65% (3.22-4.13); 4.47% (3.99-5.00); and 5.67% (5.03-6.38), respectively. Additional analyses of S(p)O(2) values for 37,299 medical admissions aged ≥18 years provided results that were distinctly different to those upon which the current BTS guidelines based their definition of normality. Our findings suggest that the BTS should consider changing its target saturation for actively treated patients not at risk of hypercapnic respiratory failure to 96-98%.
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Comparative Study
Coronary perfusion pressure during external chest compression in pseudo-EMD, comparison of systolic versus diastolic synchronization.
The fraction of cardiac arrest patients presenting with pulseless electrical activity is increasing, and it is likely that many of these patients have pseudo-electromechanical dissociation (P-EMD), a state in which there is residual cardiac contraction without a palpable pulse. The efficacy of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with external chest compression synchronized with the P-EMD cardiac systole and diastole has not been fully evaluated. ⋯ During P-EMD, synchronization of external chest compression with residual cardiac systole was associated with higher CPP compared to synchronization with diastole.
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In this review of published perimortem caesarean section cases more than half of the mothers survived to hospital discharge and almost 80% of these with favourable neurological outcome.
PM caesarean section was considered beneficial in 32% of cases.
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