Pre-hospital ECPR in an Australian metropolitan setting: a single-arm feasibility assessment-The CPR, pre-hospital ECPR and early reperfusion (CHEER3) study.

INTRODUCTION: Survival from refractory out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) without timely return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) utilising conventional advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) therapies is dismal. CHEER3 was a safety and feasibility study of pre-hospital deployed extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) for refractory OHCA in metropolitan Australia. METHODS: This was a single jurisdiction, single-arm feasibility study. Physicians, with pre-existing ECMO expertise, responded to witnessed OHCA, age < 65 yrs, within 30 min driving-time, using an ECMO equipped rapid response vehicle. If pre-hospital ECPR was undertaken, patients were transported to hospital for investigations and therapies including emergent coronary catheterisation, and standard intensive care (ICU) therapy until either cardiac and neurological recovery or palliation occurred. Analyses were descriptive. RESULTS: From February 2020 to May 2023, over 117 days, the team responded to 709 "potential cardiac arrest" emergency calls. 358 were confirmed OHCA. Time from emergency call to scene arrival was 27 min (15-37 min). 10 patients fulfilled the pre-defined inclusion criteria and all were successfully cannulated on scene. Time from emergency call to ECMO initiation was 50 min (35-62 min). Time from decision to ECMO support was 16 min (11-26 min). CPR duration was 46 min (32-62 min). All 10 patients were transferred to hospital for investigations and therapy. 4 patients (40%) survived to hospital discharge neurologically intact (CPC 1/2). CONCLUSION: Pre-hospital ECPR was feasible, using an experienced ECMO team from a single-centre. Overall survival was promising in this highly selected group. Further prospective studies are now warranted.

The influence of intensive care unit-acquired central line-associated bloodstream infection on in-hospital mortality: A single-center risk-adjusted analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the risk-adjusted association between intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) and in-hospital mortality. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. SETTING: Forty-five-bed adult ICU. PATIENTS: All non-extracorporeal membrane oxygenation ICU admissions between July 1, 2008, and April 30, 2014, requiring a central venous catheter (CVC), with a length of stay > 48 hours, were included. METHODS: Data were extracted from our infection prevention and ICU databases. A multivariable logistic regression model was constructed to identify independent risk factors for ICU-acquired CLABSI. The propensity toward developing CLABSI was then included in a logistic regression of in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Six thousand three hundred fifty-three admissions were included. Forty-six cases of ICU-acquired CLABSI were identified. The overall CLABSI rate was 1.12 per 1,000 ICU CVC-days. Significant independent risk factors for ICU-acquired CLABSI included: double lumen catheter insertion (odds ratio [OR], 2.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16-5.77), CVC exposure > 7 days (OR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.06-4.04), and CVC insertion before 2011 (OR, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.22-3.97). ICU-acquired CLABSI was crudely associated with greater in-hospital mortality, although this was attenuated once the propensity to develop CLABSI was adjusted for (OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 0.54-2.68). CONCLUSIONS: A greater propensity toward ICU-acquired CLABSI was independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality, although line infection itself was not. The requirement for prolonged specialized central venous access appears to be a key risk factor for ICU-acquired CLABSI, and likely informs mortality as a marker of persistent organ dysfunction.

Structure-function studies of designed DDT-binding polypeptides.

An artificial 24-residue DDT-binding polypeptide (Moser, R., Thomas, R.M., and Gutte, B. (1983) FEBS Lett. 157, 247-251) and several analogues of this peptide were characterized by ligand binding, spectroscopic, and immunological studies. Comparison of dissociation constants showed that Phe14 and His16 were important for DDT binding and that the designed peptide had noticeable ligand specificity. Measurement of the circular dichroism of the artificial DDT-binding peptide revealed a high proportion of beta-structure which was abolished only partly by 8 M urea. When Tyr15, Tyr17, and Phe3 whose side chains were on the same side of the proposed beta-sheet were replaced by non-aromatic amino acids, the cross-reactivity with antibodies against the original DDT-binding peptide decreased stepwise. In summary, the results of this study support essential features of our structural model of the designed 24-residue DDT-binding peptide.