Resuscitation
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To develop a clinically relevant experimental model of cardiac arrest and CPR in which a partial occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) is maintained during the resuscitation procedure and the initial post-resuscitation interval. ⋯ In this model of prolonged untreated cardiac arrest, maintaining a partial occlusion of the LAD during CPR and the initial post-resuscitation interval required a greater number of shocks before ROSC, increased severity of post-resuscitation myocardial dysfunction significantly and yielded less favourable outcomes.
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Motor vehicular accidents (MVA) are the leading cause of death among people under 40 years of age. Despite improvement in car safety and driver awareness of the use of safety devices, fatalities and severe injuries continue to occur. ⋯ According to our data significant association between technical crash data and injury pattern and injury severity can be assumed. In case of high speed MVA in rural areas the trauma mechanism and the circumstances (i.e., impact direction, automobile deformation) should be considered to identify patients at high risk of severe blunt trauma and multiple injuries.
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The long-term behavioral effects of mild global ischemia have not been well described. We used short (5 min) asphyxic-cardiac arrest that resulted in no apparent gross neurological deficits to study the long-term effects of mild hypoxic ischemia on the neurobehavioral status of rats. ⋯ We present a rodent model of mild CA that, despite apparent full recovery of global neurological function at 24h post-resuscitation, exhibited long-term cognitive injury lasting for at least 2 weeks after CA. This model may help understand better the injury associated with CA and develop management strategies for mild brain injury.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Assessment of Advanced Life Support competence when combining different test methods--reliability and validity.
Robust assessment of Advanced Life Support (ALS) competence is paramount to the credibility of ALS-provider certification and for estimating the learning outcome and retention of ALS competence following the courses. The European Resuscitation Council (ERC) provides two sets of MCQs and four Cardiac Arrest Simulation Test (CASTest) scenarios for the assessments according to guidelines 2005. ⋯ ERC sub-tests of ALS competence possess sufficient reliability and validity. A combined ALS score with equal weighting of one MCQ and one CASTest can be used as a single measurement of ALS competence.