Project description:BackgroundAlthough the prognosis of patients treated at specialized facilities has improved, the relationship between the number of patients treated at hospitals and prognosis is controversial and lacks constancy in those with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). This study aimed to clarify the effect of annual hospital admissions on the prognosis of adult patients with OHCA by analyzing a large cohort.MethodsThe effect of annual hospital admissions on patient prognosis was analyzed retrospectively using data from the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine OHCA registry, a nationwide multihospital prospective database. This study analyzed 3632 of 35,754 patients hospitalized for OHCA of cardiac origin at 86 hospitals. The hospitals were divided into tertiles based on the volume of annual admissions. The effect of hospital volume on prognosis was analyzed using logistic regression analysis with multiple imputation. Furthermore, three subgroup analyses were performed for patients with return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) before arrival at the emergency department, patients admitted to critical care medical centers, and patients admitted to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation-capable hospitals.ResultsFavorable neurological outcomes 30 days after OHCA for patients overall showed no advantage for medium- and high-volume centers over low-volume centers; Odds ratio (OR) 0.989, (95% Confidence interval [CI] 0.562-1.741), OR 1.504 (95% CI 0.919-2.463), respectively. However, the frequency of favorable neurological outcomes in OHCA patients with ROSC before arrival at the emergency department at high-volume centers was higher than those at low-volume centers (OR 1.955, 95% CI 1.033-3.851).ConclusionHospital volume did not significantly affect the prognosis of adult patients with OHCA. However, transport to a high-volume hospital may improve the neurological prognosis in OHCA patients with ROSC before arrival at the emergency department.
Project description:Background. Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains a challenge for emergency physicians, given the poor prognosis. In 2020, MIRACLE2, a new and easier to apply score, was established to predict the neurological outcome of OHCA. Objective. The aim of this study is to compare the discrimination of MIRACLE2 score with cardiac arrest hospital prognosis (CAHP) score for OHCA neurologic outcomes. Methods. This retrospective cohort study was conducted between January 2015 and December 2019. Adult patients (>17 years) with cardiac arrest who were brought to the hospital by an emergency medical service crew were included. Deaths due to trauma, burn, drowning, resuscitation not initiated due to pre-ordered “do not resuscitate” orders, and patients who did not achieve return of spontaneous circulation were excluded. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis with Youden Index was performed to calculate optimal cut-off values for both scores. Results. Overall, 200 adult OHCA cases were analyzed. The threshold of the MIRACLE2 score for favorable neurologic outcomes was 5.5, with an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.70 (0.61−0.80, p < 0.001); the threshold of the CAHP score was 223.4, with an AUC of 0.77 (0.68−0.86, p < 0.001). On setting the MIRACLE2 score cut-off value, we documented 64.7% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI], 56.9−71.9%), 66.7.0% specificity (95% CI, 48.2−82.0%), 90.8% positive predictive value (PPV; 95% CI, 85.6−94.2%), and 27.2% negative predictive value (NPV; 95% CI, 21.4−33.9%). On establishing a CAHP cut-off value, we observed 68.2% sensitivity (95% CI, 60.2−75.5%), 80.6% specificity (95% CI, 62.5−92.6%), 94.6% PPV (95% CI, 88.6%−98.0%), and 33.8% NPV (95% CI, 23.2−45.7%) for unfavorable neurologic outcomes. Conclusions. The CAHP score demonstrated better discrimination than the MIRACLE2 score, affording superior sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV; however, the CAHP score remains relatively difficult to apply. Further studies are warranted to establish scores with better discrimination and ease of application.
Project description:BACKGROUND:Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) is an inflammatory cytokine released in response to tissue injury. It has prognostic value in cardiovascular diseases and other acute and chronic conditions. Here, we explored the value of GDF-15 as an early predictor of neurologic outcome after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). METHODS:Prospective registry study of patients in coma after an OHCA, admitted in the intensive cardiac care unit from a single university center. Serum levels of GDF-15 were measured on admission. Neurologic status was evaluated according to the cerebral performance category (CPC) scale. The relationship between GDF-15 levels and poor neurologic outcome at 6 months was analyzed. RESULTS:Among 62 patients included, 32 (51.6%) presented poor outcome (CPC 3-5). Patients with CPC 3-5 exhibited significantly higher GDF-15 levels (median, 17.1 [IQR, 11.1-20.4] ng/mL) compared to those with CPC 1-2 (7.6 [IQR, 4.1-13.1] ng/mL; p = 0.004). Multivariable logistic regression analyses showed that age (OR, 1.09; 95% CI 1.01-1.17; p = 0.020), home setting arrest (OR, 8.07; 95% CI 1.61-40.42; p = 0.011), no bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (OR, 7.91; 95% CI 1.84-34.01; p = 0.005), and GDF-15 levels (OR, 3.74; 95% CI 1.32-10.60; p = 0.013) were independent predictors of poor outcome. The addition of GDF-15 in a dichotomous manner (≥ 10.8 vs. < 10.8 ng/mL) to the resulting clinical model improved discrimination; it increased the area under the curve from 0.867 to 0.917, and the associated continuous net reclassification improvement was 0.90 (95% CI 0.48-1.44), which allowed reclassification of 37.1% of patients. CONCLUSIONS:After an OHCA, increased GDF-15 levels were an independent, early predictor of poor neurologic outcome. Furthermore, when added to the most common clinical factors, GDF-15 improved discrimination and allowed patient reclassification.
Project description:Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a major healthcare problem, with approximately 200 weekly cases in the Netherlands. Its critical, time-dependent nature makes it a unique medical situation, of which outcomes strongly rely on infrastructural factors and on-scene care by emergency medical services (EMS). Survival to hospital discharge is poor, although it has substantially improved, to roughly 25% over the last years. Recognised key factors, such as bystander resuscitation and automated external defibrillator use at the scene, have been markedly optimised with the introduction of technological innovations. In an era with ubiquitous smartphone use, the Dutch digital text message alert platform HartslagNu ( www.hartslagnu.nl ) increasingly contributes to timely care for OHCA victims. Guidelines emphasise the role of cardiac arrest recognition and early high-quality bystander resuscitation, which calls for education and improved registration at HartslagNu. As for EMS care, new technological developments with future potential are the selective use of mechanical chest compression devices and extracorporeal life support. As a future innovation, 'smart' defibrillators are under investigation, guiding resuscitative interventions based on ventricular fibrillation waveform characteristics. Taken together, optimisation of available prehospital technologies is crucial to further improve OHCA outcomes, with particular focus on more available trained volunteers in the first phase and additional research on advanced EMS care in the second phase.
Project description:BackgroundPediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (POHCA) has received limited attention. All causes of POHCA and outcomes were examined during a 4-year period in a Danish nationwide register and prehospital medical records. The aim was to describe the incidence, reversible causes, and survival rates for POHCA in Denmark.MethodsThis is a registry-based follow-up cohort study. All POHCA for a 4-year period (2016-2019) in Denmark were included. All prehospital medical records for the included subjects were reviewed manually by five independent raters establishing whether a presumed reversible cause could be assigned.ResultsWe identified 173 cases within the study period. The median incidence of POHCA in the population below 17 years of age was 4.2 per 100,000 persons at risk. We found a presumed reversible cause in 48.6% of cases, with hypoxia being the predominant cause of POHCA (42.2%). The thirty-day survival was 40%. Variations were seen across age groups, with the lowest survival rate in cases below 1 year of age. Defibrillators were used more frequently among survivors, with 16% of survivors defibrillated bystanders as opposed to 1.9% in non-survivors and 24% by EMS personnel as opposed to 7.8% in non-survivors. The differences in initial rhythm being shockable was 34% for survivors and 16% for non-survivors.ConclusionWe found pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrests was a rare event, with higher incidence and mortality in infants compared to other age groups of children. Use of defibrillators was disproportionally higher among survivors. Hypoxia was the most common presumed cause among all age groups.
Project description:Little is known about survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in children. We examined whether OHCA survival in children differs by age, sex, and race, as well as recent survival trends.Within the prospective Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES), we identified children (age <18 years) with an OHCA from October 2005 to December 2013. Survival to hospital discharge by age (categorized as infants [0 to 1 year], younger children [2 to 7 years], older children [8 to 12 years], and teenagers [13 to 17 years]), sex, and race was assessed using modified Poisson regression. Additionally, we assessed whether survival has improved over 3 time periods: 2005-2007, 2008-2010, and 2011-2013. Of 1980 children with an OHCA, 429 (21.7%) were infants, 952 (48.1%) younger children, 276 (13.9%) older children, and 323 (16.3%) teenagers. Fifty-nine percent of the study population was male and 31.8% of black race. Overall, 162 (8.2%) children survived to hospital discharge. After multivariable adjustment, infants (rate ratio: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.35, 0.90) and younger children (rate ratio: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.27, 0.65) were less likely to survive compared with teenagers. In contrast, there were no differences in survival by sex or race. Finally, there were no temporal trends in survival across the study periods (P=0.21).In a large, national registry, we found no evidence for racial or sex differences in survival among children with OHCA, but survival was lower in younger age groups. Unlike in adults with OHCA, survival rates in children have not improved in recent years.
Project description:The generation of harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS), including hydrogen peroxide, in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors causes systemic ischemia/reperfusion injury that may lead to multiple organ dysfunction and mortality. We hypothesized that the antioxidant enzyme catalase may attenuate these pathophysiological processes after cardiac arrest. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the predictive value of catalase levels for mortality in OHCA survivors. In a prospective, single-center study, catalase levels were determined in OHCA survivors 48 h after the return of spontaneous circulation. Thirty-day mortality was defined as the study end point. A total of 96 OHCA survivors were enrolled, of whom 26% (n = 25) died within the first 30 days after OHCA. The median plasma intensity levels (log2) of catalase were 8.25 (IQR 7.64-8.81). Plasma levels of catalase were found to be associated with mortality, with an adjusted HR of 2.13 (95% CI 1.07-4.23, p = 0.032). A Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a significant increase in 30-day mortality in patients with high catalase plasma levels compared to patients with low catalase levels (p = 0.012). High plasma levels of catalase are a strong and independent predictor for 30-day mortality in OHCA survivors. This indicates that ROS-dependent tissue damage is playing a crucial role in fatal outcomes of post-cardiac syndrome patients.