Falls from height in children: epidemiology and outcome.

INTRODUCTION: Childhood injury is one of the leading causes of death globally, with falls being the sixth leading cause. This study aimed to examine the demographics, patterns of injury and temporal risk factors for falls from height above 3 m in Singapore. METHODS: This is a retrospective study conducted on patients who presented after a fall to a paediatric emergency department at a tertiary hospital between January 2011 and July 2017. Electronic medical records were reviewed to extract demographics and data on the patterns of injuries. Criteria for inclusion were patients under 18 years of age and the occurrence of fall from a height of 3 m or above. RESULTS: A total of 149 children met the inclusion criteria. The median age was 10 years and 69.1% were boys. Death occurred in two (1.3%) cases; 84 (56.4%) were admitted and survived. Of those admitted, five (3.4%) required care in the intensive care unit and 11 (7.4%) required surgery. Falls occurred mostly at homes or residential buildings (n = 59, 39.6%). The two cases of mortality were due to falls from windows at homes. Twenty (33.9%) children fell from windows at homes, with two requiring admission to the intensive care unit. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that falls from windows of homes are an important cause of mortality. Height of fall was also an important predictor of morbidity that led to a higher level of hospitalisation care. Preventive measures should be implemented to ensure safety in high-rise residential buildings to prevent paediatric falls from heights.

Impact of time-to-compression on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival outcomes: A national registry study.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to quantify the association of no-flow interval in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) with the odds of neurologically favorable survival and survival to hospital discharge/ 30th day. Our secondary aim was to explore futility thresholds to guide clinical decisions, such as prehospital termination of resuscitation. METHODS: All OHCAs from 2012 to 2017 in Singapore were extracted. We examined the association between no-flow interval (continuous variable) and survival outcomes using univariate and multivariable logistic regressions. The primary outcome was survival with favorable cerebral performance (Glasgow-Pittsburgh Cerebral Performance Categories 1/2), the secondary outcome was survival to hospital discharge/ 30th day if not discharged. To determine futility thresholds, we plotted the adjusted probability of good neurological outcomes to no-flow interval. RESULTS: 12,771 OHCAs were analyzed. The per-minute adjusted OR when no-flow interval was incorporated as a continuous variable in the multivariable model was: good neurological function- aOR 0.98 (95%CI: 0.97-0.98); survival to discharge- aOR 0.98 (95%CI: 0.98-0.99). Taking the 1% futility of survival line gave a no-flow interval cutoff of 12 mins (NPV 99%, sensitivity 85% and specificity 42%) overall and 7.5 mins for witnessed arrests. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that prolonged no-flow interval had a significant effect on lower odds of favorable neurological outcomes, with medical futility occurring when no-flow interval was >12 mins (>7.5 mins for witnessed arrest). Our study adds to the literature of the importance of early CPR and EMS response and provided a threshold beyond traditional 'down-times', which could aid clinical decisions in TOR or OHCA management.

Long-Term Outcomes after Non-Traumatic Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Pediatric Patients: A Systematic Review.

Long-term outcomes after non-traumatic pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) are not well understood. This systematic review aimed to summarize long-term outcomes (1 year and beyond), including overall survival, survival with favorable neurological outcomes, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes) amongst pediatric OHCA patients who survived to discharge. Embase, Medline, and The Cochrane Library were searched from inception to October 6, 2021. Studies were included if they reported outcomes at 1 year or beyond after pediatric OHCA. Data abstraction and quality assessment was conducted by three authors independently. Qualitative outcomes were reported systematically. Seven studies were included, and amongst patients that survived to hospital discharge or to 30 days, longer-term survival was at least 95% at 24 months of follow up. A highly variable proportion (range 10-71%) of patients had favorable neurological outcomes at 24 months of follow up. With regard to health-related quality of life outcomes, at a time point distal to 1 year, at least 60% of pediatric non-traumatic OHCA patients were reported to have good outcomes. Our study found that at least 95% of pediatric OHCA patients, who survived to discharge, survived to a time point distal to 1 year. There is a general paucity of data surrounding the pediatric OHCA population.

Validation of the CaRdiac Arrest Survival Score (CRASS) for predicting good neurological outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in an Asian emergency medical service system.

BACKGROUND: Survival with favorable neurological outcomes is an important indicator of successful resuscitation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). We sought to validate the CaRdiac Arrest Survival Score (CRASS), derived using data from the German Resuscitation Registry, in predicting the likelihood of good neurological outcomes after OHCA in Singapore. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective population-based validation study among EMS-attended OHCA patients (≥18 years) in Singapore, using data from the prospective Pan-Asian Resuscitation Outcomes Study registry. Good neurological outcome was defined as a cerebral performance category of 1 or 2. To evaluate the CRASS score in light of the difference in patient characteristics, we used the default constant coefficient (0.8) and the adjusted coefficient (0.2) to calculate the probability of good neurological outcomes. RESULTS: Out of 11,404 analyzed patients recruited between April 2010 and December 2018, 260 had good and 11,144 had poor neurological function. The CRASS score demonstrated good discrimination, with an area under the curve of 0.963 (95% confidence interval: 0.952-0.974). Using the default constant coefficient of 0.8, the CRASS score consistently overestimated the predicted probability of a good outcome. Following adjustment of the coefficient to 0.2, the CRASS score showed improved calibration. CONCLUSION: CRASS demonstrated good discrimination and moderate calibration in predicting favorable neurological outcomes in the validation Singapore cohort. Our study established a good foundation for future large-scale, cross-country validations of the CRASS score in diverse sociocultural, geographical, and clinical settings.

Pre-hospital airway management and survival outcomes after paediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.

BACKGROUND: Paediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) results in high mortality and poor neurological outcomes. We conducted this study to describe and compare the effects of pre-hospital airway management on survival outcomes for paediatric OHCA in the Asia-pacific region. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of the Pan Asian Resuscitation Outcomes Study (PAROS) data from January 2009 to June 2018. PAROS is a prospective, observational, multi-centre cohort study from eleven countries. The primary outcomes were one-month survival and survival with favourable neurological status, defined as Cerebral Performance Category1 or 2. We performed multivariate analyses of the unmatched and propensity matched cohort. RESULTS: We included 3131 patients less than 18 years in the study. 2679 (85.6%) children received bag-valve-mask (BVM) ventilations, 81 (2.6%) endotracheal intubations (ETI) and 371 (11.8%) supraglottic airways (SGA). 792 patients underwent propensity score matching. In the matched cohort, advanced airway management (AAM: SGA and ETI) when compared with BVM group was associated with decreased one-month survival [AAM: 28/396 (7.1%) versus BVM: 55/396 (13.9%); adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 0.46 (95% CI, 0.29 - 0.75); p = 0.002] and survival with favourable neurological status [AAM: 8/396 (2.0%) versus BVM: 31/396 (7.8%); aOR, 0.22 (95% CI, 0.10 - 0.50); p < 0.001]. For SGA group, we observed less 1-month survival [SGA: 24/337 (7.1%) versus BVM: 52/337 (15.4%); aOR, 0.41 (95 %CI, 0.25-0.69), p = 0.001] and survival with favourable neurological status. CONCLUSION: In children with OHCA in the Asia-Pacific region, pre-hospital AAM was associated with decreased one-month survival and less favourable neurological status.

The association between mode of transport and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes in Singapore.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine the survival outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients, stratified by the transportation modes to the Emergency Department (ED). METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of Singapore's Pan-Asian Resuscitation Outcomes Study registry from Apr 2010-Dec 2017. The primary outcome was survival to discharge or 30 days post-arrest. Secondary outcomes were the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) rate and neurological outcomes. A subgroup analysis was performed for OHCA cases who collapsed enroute. RESULTS: A total of 15,376 cases were analysed. 15,129 (98.4%) were conveyed by Emergency Medical Services (EMS), 111 (0.72%) by private ambulance, 106 (0.69%) by own transport and 30 (0.2%) by public transport. 80% of patients brought by public transport arrested enroute, compared to 48.1% by own transport, 25.2% by private ambulance and 2.5% in the EMS group. 33/120 (27.5%) of paediatric OHCA cases were brought in by non-EMS transport to paediatric hospitals. The EMS group had the lowest survival rate at 4.5%, compared to 13.3% for public transport, 11.3% for own transport and 14.4% for private ambulance. ROSC rate was statistically significant but not for neurological outcomes. For the subgroup analysis, there was no statistical difference for primary and secondary outcomes across the groups. CONCLUSION: In Singapore, most OHCA patients are conveyed by EMS to the hospital, but some OHCA patients still arrive via alternative transport without prehospital interventions like bystander CPR. More can be done to educate the public to recognise an impending cardiac arrest and to activate EMS early for such cases.

An unusual case of a foreign body: A child's tongue entrapped in a soft drink bottle.

Young children often present at the emergency department (ED) with foreign bodies in their mouths, including the occasional bottles and cans. Previous reports of tongue entrapment have presented cases where bottles were mostly made of glass or metal. A 4-year-old girl presented to the ED with her tongue entrapped in a uniquely designed plastic bottle. Attempts at conservative methods of removal such as gentle traction, breaking of the vacuum seal and use of lubricants were unsuccessful. The child was brought to the operating theatre for further management. Anaesthesia induction with a facemask was not possible as the plastic bottle was protruding from the tongue and would not allow an adequate seal around the nose and mouth. To overcome such challenges of a shared airway and workspace, the child was placed under intravenous propofol sedation initially until the prompt removal of foreign body allowed subsequent mask placement and oral intubation. The foreign body was eventually removed by sectioning the inflexible plastic into two pieces with a water-cooled high speed dental diamond bur. The child remained stable intra-operatively and subsequent post-operative recovery was uneventful. This report highlights the importance of multidisciplinary coordination to reduce delays when liberating the entrapped tongue so as to minimize potential complications from the injury.

Incidence and predictors of respiratory adverse events in children undergoing procedural sedation with intramuscular ketamine in a paediatric emergency department.

INTRODUCTION: Although ketamine is one of the commonest medications used in procedural sedation of children, to our knowledge, there is currently no published report on predictors of respiratory adverse events during ketamine sedation in Asian children. We aimed to determine the incidence of and factors associated with respiratory adverse events in children undergoing procedural sedation with intramuscular (IM) ketamine in a paediatric emergency department (ED) in Singapore. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted of all children who underwent procedural sedation with IM ketamine in the paediatric ED between 1 April 2013 and 31 October 2017. Demographics and epidemiological data, including any adverse events and interventions, were extracted electronically from the prospective paediatric sedation database. The site of procedure was determined through reviewing medical records. Descriptive statistics were used for incidence and baseline characteristics. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine significant predictors. RESULTS: Among 5,476 children, 102 (1.9%) developed respiratory adverse events. None required intubation or cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Only one required bag-valve-mask ventilation. The incidence rate was higher in children aged less than three years, at 3.6% compared to 1.0% in older children (odds ratio [OR] 3.524, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.354-5.276; p < 0.001). Higher initial ketamine dose (adjusted OR 2.061, 95% CI 1.371-3.100; p = 0.001) and the type of procedure (adjusted OR 0.190 (95% CI 0.038-0.953; p = 0.044) were significant independent predictors. CONCLUSION: The overall incidence of respiratory adverse events was 1.9%. Age, initial dose of IM ketamine and type of procedure were significant predictors.

Assessing unrealised potential for organ donation after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

BACKGROUND: Organ donation after brain death is the standard practice in many countries. Rates are low globally. This study explores the potential national number of candidates for uncontrolled donations after cardiac death (uDCD) amongst out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients and the influence of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) on the candidacy of these potential organ donors using Singapore as a case study. METHODS: Using Singapore data from the Pan-Asian Resuscitation Outcomes Study, we identified all non-traumatic OHCA cases from 2010 to 2016. Four established criteria for identifying uDCD candidates (Madrid, San Carlos Madrid, Maastricht and Paris) were retrospectively applied onto the population. Within these four groups, a condensed ECPR eligibility criteria was employed and thereafter, an estimated ECPR survival rate was applied, extrapolating for possible neurologically intact survivors had ECPR been administered. RESULTS: 12,546 OHCA cases (64.8% male, mean age 65.2 years old) qualified for analysis. The estimated number of OHCA patients who were eligible for uDCD ranged from 4.3 to 19.6%. The final projected percentage of potential uDCD donors readjusted for ECPR survivors was 4.2% (Paris criteria worst-case scenario, n = 532) to 19.4% of all OHCA cases (Maastricht criteria best-case scenario, n = 2428), for an estimated 14.3 to 65.4 uDCD donors per million population per year (pmp/year). CONCLUSIONS: In Singapore case study, we demonstrated the potential numbers of candidates for uDCD among resuscitated OHCA cases. This sizeable pool of potential donors demonstrates the potential for an uDCD program to expand the organ donor pool. A small proportion of these patients might however survive had they been administered ECPR. Further research into the factors influencing local organ and patient outcomes following uDCD and ECPR is indicated.

Singapore Paediatric Resuscitation Guidelines 2021.

We present the 2021 Singapore Paediatric Resuscitation Guidelines. The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation's Pediatric Taskforce Consensus Statements on Science and Treatment Recommendations, which was published in October 2020, and the updated resuscitation guidelines from the American Heart Association and European Resuscitation Council, were reviewed and discussed by the committee. These recommendations were derived after deliberation of peer-reviewed evidence updates on paediatric resuscitation and took into consideration the local setting and clinical practice.

Improved Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Survival with a Comprehensive Dispatcher-Assisted CPR Program in a Developing Emergency Care System.

OBJECTIVE: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is associated with poor survival. Studies have demonstrated improved survival with early bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (BCPR). This study evaluated the impact of a dispatcher-assisted CPR (DA-CPR) program on BCPR rate and outcomes of OHCA in a developing emergency medical services (EMS) system setting. METHODS: Data were extracted from the national cardiac arrest registry. A before-after analysis was performed between OHCA cases with cardiac etiology conveyed by EMS from April 2010-June 2012 (pre-intervention) and July 2012-December 2015 (post-intervention). Primary outcomes were survival-to-discharge/30 days post-arrest and favorable cerebral performance (Glasgow-Pittsburgh cerebral performance categories 1 and 2). RESULTS: 6365 OHCA cases were analyzed with 2129 in the pre-intervention and 4236 in the post-intervention group. In the post-intervention group, there was an increase in BCPR rates from 24.8% to 53.8% (p < 0.001), adjusted OR 3.67 (aOR; 95%CI: 3.26-4.13). OHCA outcomes also improved with survival-to-discharge rates increasing from 3.0%-4.5% (p < 0.01), aOR 2.10 (95%CI: 1.40-3.17) and favorable cerebral performance increasing from 1.6% to 2.7% (p < 0.05), aOR 2.82 (95%CI: 1.65-4.82). In patients with initial shockable rhythm, BCPR without dispatcher assistance was associated with significantly higher odds of survival-to-discharge (aOR 1.67, 95%CI: 1.06-2.64) and favorable cerebral performance (aOR 2.32, 95%CI: 1.26-4.27) compared to no BCPR. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that a simplified DA-CPR program can be successfully implemented in a developing EMS system and can contribute to higher BCPR rate and in turn, improve OHCA survival. Future studies can examine bystanders' characteristics and quality of the CPR performed to understand their impact on survival.

Implementation of a National 5-Year Plan for Prehospital Emergency Care in Singapore and Impact on Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Outcomes From 2011 to 2016.

Background Outcomes of patients from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) vary widely globally because of differences in prehospital systems of emergency care. National efforts had gone into improving OHCA outcomes in Singapore in recent years including community and prehospital initiatives. We aimed to document the impact of implementation of a national 5-year Plan for prehospital emergency care in Singapore on OHCA outcomes from 2011 to 2016. Methods and Results Prospective, population-based data of OHCA brought to Emergency Departments were obtained from the Pan-Asian Resuscitation Outcomes Study cohort. The primary outcome was Utstein (bystander witnessed, shockable rhythm) survival-to-discharge or 30-day postarrest. Mid-year population estimates were used to calculate age-standardized incidence. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify prehospital characteristics associated with survival-to-discharge across time. A total of 11 465 cases qualified for analysis. Age-standardized incidence increased from 26.1 per 100 000 in 2011 to 39.2 per 100 000 in 2016. From 2011 to 2016, Utstein survival rates nearly doubled from 11.6% to 23.1% (P=0.006). Overall survival rates improved from 3.6% to 6.5% (P<0.001). Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation rates more than doubled from 21.9% to 56.3% and bystander automated external defibrillation rates also increased from 1.8% to 4.6%. Age ≤65 years, nonresidential location, witnessed arrest, shockable rhythm, bystander automated external defibrillation, and year 2016 were independently associated with improved survival. Conclusions Implementation of a national prehospital strategy doubled OHCA survival in Singapore from 2011 to 2016, along with corresponding increases in bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation and bystander automated external defibrillation. This can be an implementation model for other systems trying to improve OHCA outcomes.

Impact of bystander-focused public health interventions on cardiopulmonary resuscitation and survival: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) increases an individual's chance of survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), but the frequency of bystander CPR is low in many communities. We aimed to assess the cumulative effect of CPR-targeted public health interventions in Singapore, which were incrementally introduced between 2012 and 2016. METHODS: We did a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study of adult, non-traumatic OHCAs, through the Singapore registry. National interventions introduced during this time included emergency services interventions, as well as dispatch-assisted CPR (introduced on July 1, 2012), a training programme for CPR and automated external defibrillators (April 1, 2014), and a first responder mobile application (myResponder; April 17, 2015). Using multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression, we modelled the likelihood of receiving bystander CPR with the increasing number of interventions, accounting for year as a random effect. FINDINGS: The Singapore registry contained 11 465 OHCA events between Jan 1, 2011, and Dec 31, 2016. Paediatric arrests, arrests witnessed by emergency medical services, and healthcare-facility arrests were excluded, and 6788 events were analysed. Bystander CPR was administered in 3248 (48%) of 6788 events. Compared with no intervention, likelihood of bystander CPR was not significantly altered by the addition of emergency medical services interventions (odds ratio [OR] 1·33 [95% CI 0·98-1·79]; p=0·065), but increased with implementation of dispatch-assisted CPR (3·72 [2·84-4·88]; p<0·0001), with addition of the CPR and automated external defibrillator training programme (6·16 [4·66-8·14]; p<0·0001), and with addition of the myResponder application (7·66 [5·85-10·03]; p<0·0001). Survival to hospital discharge increased after the addition of all interventions, compared with no intervention (OR 3·10 [95% CI 1·53-6·26]; p<0·0001). INTERPRETATION: National bystander-focused public health interventions were associated with an increased likelihood of bystander CPR, and an increased survival to hospital discharge. Understanding the combined impact of public health interventions might improve strategies to increase the likelihood of bystander CPR, and inform targeted initiatives to improve survival from OHCA. FUNDING: National Medical Research Council, Clinician Scientist Award, Singapore and Ministry of Health, Health Services Research Grant, Singapore.

Safety and effectiveness of intramuscular ketamine sedation in the management of children with oro-dental trauma in a paediatric emergency department.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Ketamine sedation has not been reported to be widely used as a pharmacological behavioural management strategy to facilitate the treatment of acute paediatric oro-dental trauma. The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and effectiveness of intramuscular ketamine sedation for managing paediatric oro-dental trauma in a paediatric Emergency Department (ED). METHODS: The database of all paediatric procedural sedations performed in the hospital ED from 01 January 2014 to 31 December 2016 was reviewed to identify cases where intramuscular ketamine sedation was administered for dentists' treatment of oro-dental trauma. Patient demographics and epidemiological data, the type and number of sedation-related adverse events, and interventions performed were extracted from the database. Clinical notes were reviewed to verify the dental diagnoses and dental treatment performed. Adverse events were further risk stratified using the World SIVA adverse event reporting tool. RESULTS: In the study period, 167 intramuscular ketamine sedations were administered by ED doctors for dental treatment of oro-dental trauma. The patients' median age was 3.6 years (range 1.1 to 12 years). All dental procedures were successfully completed. Nineteen adverse events were reported (11.4%, n = 19) with the most common being emesis (9.0%) followed by transient desaturation (1.8%) and hypersalivation (0.6%). The lowest oxygen saturation level was 90%. None of the patients aspirated, and none required assisted ventilation or chest compression. The most common dental diagnosis was primary tooth luxation (49.1%). The most common dental treatment was primary teeth extraction (70.7%). When adverse events were stratified using the World SIVA tool, there were only 17 (10.2%) minor risk outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The data support the safety and effectiveness of intramuscular ketamine sedation administered by trained ED doctors to facilitate the management of paediatric oro-dental trauma emergencies.

Effectiveness of a community based out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) interventional bundle: Results of a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: 70% of Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) in Singapore occur in residential areas, and are associated with poorer outcomes. We hypothesized that an interventional bundle consisting of Save-A-life (SAL) initiative (cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)/automated external defibrillator (AED) training and public-housing AED installation), dispatcher-assisted CPR (DA-CPR) program and myResponder (mobile application) will improve OHCA survival. METHODS: This is pilot data from initial implementation of a stepped-wedge, before-after, real-world interventional bundle in six selected regions. Under the SAL initiative, 30,000 individuals were CPR/AED trained, with 360 AEDs installed. Data was obtained from Singapore's national OHCA Registry. We included all adult patients who experienced OHCA in Singapore from 2011 to 2016 within study regions, excluding EMS-witnessed cases and cases due to trauma/drowning/ electrocution. Cases occurring before and after intervention were allocated as control and intervention groups respectively. Survival was assessed via multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: 1241 patients were included for analysis (Intervention: 361; Control: 880). The intervention group had higher mean age (70 vs 67 years), survival (3.3% [12/361] vs. 2.2% [19/880]), pre-hospital return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) (9.1% [33/361] vs 5.1% [45/880]), bystander CPR (63.7% [230/361] vs 44.8% [394/880]) and bystander AED application (2.8% [10/361] vs 1.1% [10/880]). After adjusting for age, gender, race and significant covariates, the intervention was associated with increased odds ratio (OR) for survival (OR 2.39 [1.02-5.62]), pre-hospital ROSC (OR 1.94 [1.15-3.25]) and bystander CPR (OR 2.29 [1.77-2.96]). CONCLUSION: The OHCA interventional bundle (SAL initiative, DA-CPR, myResponder) significantly improved survival and is being scaled up as a national program.

Dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation for paediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A structured evaluation of communication issues using the SACCIA® safe communication typology.

AIM: To evaluate communication issues during dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DACPR) for paediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in a structured manner to facilitate recommendations for training improvement. METHODS: A retrospective observational study evaluated DACPR communication issues using the SACCIA® Safe Communication typology (Sufficiency, Accuracy, Clarity, Contextualization, Interpersonal Adaptation). Telephone recordings of 31 cases were transcribed verbatim and analysed with respect to encoding, decoding and transactional communication issues. RESULTS: Sixty SACCIA communication issues were observed in the 31 cases, averaging 1.9 issues per case. A majority of the issues were related to sufficiency (35%) and accuracy (35%) of communication between dispatcher and caller. Situation specific guideline application was observed in CPR practice, (co)counting and methods of compressions. CONCLUSION: This structured evaluation identified specific issues in paediatric DACPR communication. Our training recommendations focus on situation and language specific guideline application and moving beyond verbal communication by utilizing the smart phone's functions. Prospective efforts are necessary to follow-up its translation into better paediatric DACPR outcomes.

Effect of vertical location on survival outcomes for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Singapore.

BACKGROUND: A large proportion of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) cases occur in high-rise residential buildings. This study aims to investigate the effect of vertical location on survival outcomes and response times. METHODS: This is a retrospective study based on data obtained from the Singapore cohort of the Pan-Asian Resuscitation Outcomes Study (PAROS) from January 2011 to December 2014. Study subjects were OHCA cases, unwitnessed and transported by EMS personnel, with known vertical location (floor) data. Traumatic arrests with no resuscitation attempted and missing vertical locations were excluded. The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge or 30 days post-cardiac arrest. RESULTS: A total of 5678 OHCA cases were included in the study. The effect of floors on survival was manifested as a U-shaped response. Survival rates of 4.5% for the 4 pooled basement floors and 6.2% for the ground floor (floor 1) were contrasted by a substantial drop to 2.7% at floor 2 and continuing decline to 0.7% at floor 6. In a multivariable model using stepwise logistic regression, both linear (p = 0.0285) and quadratic (p = 0.0018) floor effects remained significant after adjustment for other significant risk factors, age, bystander witnessed arrest, first arrest rhythm, ROSC on scene/enroute, and EMS response times. Harrell's C-statistic for a predictive model incorporating these variables was 0.933. CONCLUSIONS: Vertical location is associated with OHCA survival probability with a U-shaped response, and this significance remained after adjustment for other significant OHCA variables. This relationship is likely multifactorial and more research is needed to elucidate the various factors.

Comparison of Outcomes and Characteristics of Emergency Medical Services (EMS)-Witnessed, Bystander-Witnessed, and Unwitnessed Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests in Singapore.

Objectives: The objective was to compare the survival outcomes of emergency medical services (EMS)-witnessed to bystander-witnessed, and unwitnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) in Singapore. Secondary aims are to describe the 5-year trend in survival rates of EMS-witnessed arrests. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of the Singapore's OHCA registry data from 2011 to 2015. Excluded from the analysis were patients younger than 18 years old, arrests of traumatic etiology, resuscitation not attempted, and cases not conveyed by EMS. The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge or 30 days post-arrest. Secondary outcomes were return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and survival to hospital admission. Results: 8,394 cases were analyzed, with 650 (7.7%) EMS-witnessed arrests, 4480 (53.4%) bystander-witnessed arrests, and 3264 (38.9%) unwitnessed arrests. Among EMS-witnessed arrests, the majority were presumed to be of cardiac etiology (62.8%) and the most common presenting rhythm was pulseless electrical activity (PEA; 57.2%). Survival to discharge or 30th day post-arrest was higher in EMS-witnessed arrests compared to bystander-witnessed and unwitnessed arrests (11.2% vs. 5.3% and 1.3%, p < 0.001). Survival to discharge for EMS-witnessed cases increased from 2011 (13.2%) to 2015 (18.9%). Conclusions: EMS-witnessed OHCAs were more likely to have favorable outcomes compared to bystander-witnessed and unwitnessed OHCAs. High PEA rates in EMS-witnessed arrests were associated with older patients with underlying preexisting medical conditions. Increasing public awareness on recognition of prodromal symptoms and early activation of EMS could improve post-arrest survival and neurological outcomes of OHCA.