The association between the severity of erectile dysfunction and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in patients with and without cardiovascular disease.

PURPOSE: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is considered a microvascular disorder and serves as an indicator for the potential development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) reflects early myocardial damage caused by microvascular disorders, the association between ED and LVDD remains poorly elucidated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 123 patients with ED. They underwent RigiScan, and conventional echocardiography, and attempted International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire. ED severity was evaluated by measuring changes in the penile base circumference and duration of penile rigidity (≥70%) during erection. The early diastolic velocity of mitral inflow (E) and early diastolic velocity of the mitral annulus (e') were measured using echocardiography. The patients were grouped based on the presence of CVD. RESULTS: Among 123 patients, 29 had CVD and 94 did not. Patients with CVD exhibited more pronounced ED and more severe LVDD. Associations between increased penile circumference with echocardiographic parameters were more prominent in patients with CVD than in those without CVD (ΔTtop and e' wave, r=0.508 and r=0.282, respectively, p for interaction=0.033; ΔTbase and E/e' ratio, r=-0.338 and r=-0.293, respectively, p for interaction <0.001). In the multivariate linear regression, the increase of penile base circumference was an independent risk factor for LVDD (e', B=0.503; E/e' ratio, B=-1.416, respectively, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: ED severity correlated well with LV diastolic dysfunction, particularly in the presence of CVD. This study highlighted the potential role of ED assessment as early indicator of CVD development.

Association of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios with in-hospital mortality in the early phase of severe trauma.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to examine the relationship between the immediate and early complete blood count-based scores and prognosis in trauma patients. METHODS: This retrospective observational study included adult patients admitted for severe trauma between January 2014 and December 2018. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Among the 288 patients included in the study, in-hospital mortality was 26.4% (n=76). Immediately after emergency department (ED) arrival, non-survivors had lower NLR (3.28 vs. 4.73) and PLR (55.73 vs. 87.21) and higher LMR (4.91 vs. 3.91) than survivors. At 6 h after ED arrival, non-survivors had lower NLR (4.98 vs. 8.37) and PLR (58.23 vs. 123.74) and higher LMR (2.88 vs. 1.69) than survivors. Results of multivariate regression analysis revealed that NLR (odds ratio [OR], 0.926; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.881-0.973) and PLR (OR, 0.994; 95% CI, 0.990-0.998) at 6 h after ED arrival were independently associated with in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: Lower NLR and PLR at 6 h after ED arrival were associated with in-hospital mortality in cases of severe trauma.

Glycated Hemoglobin is Associated with Glycemic Control and 6-Month Neurologic Outcome in Cardiac Arrest Survivors Undergoing Therapeutic Hypothermia.

BACKGROUND: Glucose control status after cardiac arrest depending on chronic glycemic status and the association between chronic glycemic status and outcome in cardiac arrest survivors are not well known. We investigated the association between glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and 6-month neurologic outcome in cardiac arrest survivors undergoing therapeutic hypothermia (TH) and whether mean glucose, area under curve (AUC) of glucose during TH, and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) are different between normal and high HbA1c groups. METHODS: This retrospective single-center study included adult comatose cardiac arrest survivors who underwent TH from September 2011 to December 2017. HbA1c and glucose were measured after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), and normal or high HbA1c was defined using cutoff value of 6.4% of HbA1c. Blood glucose was measured at least every 4 h and treated with a written protocol to maintain the range of 80-200 mg/dL. Hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia were defined with glucose < 70 or > 180 mg/dL. Mean glucose during induction and rewarming phase and AUC of glucose during every 6 h of maintenance were calculated, and NSE at 48 h after cardiac arrest was recorded. The primary outcome was unfavorable neurologic outcome, defined as Glasgow Pittsburgh Cerebral Performance Category scale 3-5 at 6 months after cardiac arrest. RESULTS: Of 384 included patients, 81 (21.1%) had high HbA1c and 247 (64.3%) had an unfavorable neurologic outcome. Patients with high HbA1c were more common in the unfavorable group than in favorable group (27.5% vs 9.5%, p < 0.001), and the unfavorable group had significantly higher HbA1c level (5.8% [5.4-6.8%] vs 5.6% [5.3-6.0%], p = 0.007). HbA1c level was independently associated with worse neurologic outcome (odds ratio 1.414; 95% confidence interval 1.051-1.903). High HbA1c group had higher glucose after ROSC, glucose AUC during maintenance, and rewarming phase than normal HbA1c group. High HbA1c group had significantly higher incidence of hyperglycemia throughout the TH, while normal HbA1c group had significantly higher incidence of normoglycemia. However, no glucose parameter remained as an independent predictor of neurologic outcome after adjustment, irrespective of HbA1c level. NSE showed good prognostic performance (area under curve 0.892; cutoff value 26.3 ng/mL). Although NSE level was not different between HbA1c groups, high HbA1c group had higher proportion of patient having NSE over cutoff. CONCLUSIONS: Higher HbA1c was independently associated with unfavorable neurologic outcome. Glycemic status during TH was different between normal and high HbA1c groups.

Pralidoxime administered during cardiopulmonary resuscitation facilitates successful resuscitation in a pig model of cardiac arrest.

Pralidoxime is a common antidote for organophosphate poisoning; however, studies have also reported pralidoxime's pressor effect, which may facilitate the restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after cardiac arrest by improving coronary perfusion pressure (CPP). We investigated the immediate cardiovascular effects of pralidoxime in anaesthetised normal rats and the effects of pralidoxime administration during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in a pig model of cardiac arrest. To evaluate the immediate cardiovascular effects of pralidoxime, seven anaesthetised normal rats received saline or pralidoxime (20 mg/kg) in a randomised crossover design, and the responses were determined using the conductance catheter technique. To evaluate the effects of pralidoxime administration during CPR, 22 pigs randomly received either 80 mg/kg of pralidoxime or an equivalent volume of saline during CPR. In the rats, pralidoxime significantly increased arterial pressure than saline (P = .044). The peak effect on arterial pressure was observed in the first minute. In a pig model of cardiac arrest, CPP during CPR was higher in the pralidoxime group than in the control group (P = .002). ROSC was attained in three animals (27.3%) in the control group and nine animals (81.8%) in the pralidoxime group (P = .010). Three animals (27.3%) in the control group and eight animals (72.2%) in the pralidoxime group survived the 6-hour period (P = .033). In conclusion, pralidoxime had a rapid onset of pressor effect. Pralidoxime administered during CPR led to significantly higher rates of ROSC and 6-hour survival by improving CPP in a pig model.

Performance of Three Scoring Systems in Predicting Massive Transfusion in Patients with Unstable Upper Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage.

PURPOSE: After trauma and surgery, upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is the most common condition that can require massive transfusion (MT). The present study aimed to analyze and compare the prognostic performance of the Glasgow-Blatchford (GB), pre-endoscopy Rockall (PER), and modified early warning (MEW) scores for predicting MT in patients with unstable UGIB. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective observational study included patients with UGIB from March 2016 to February 2018. Receiver operating characteristics analysis was performed to examine the prognostic performance of the GB, PER, and MEW scoring systems. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for MT, after adjusting for relevant covariates. The primary outcome was MT. RESULTS: Of the 484 included patients with unstable UGIB, 19 (3.9%) received an MT. The areas under the curves (AUCs) of the GB, PER, and MEW scores for MT were 0.577 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.531-0.621], 0.570 (95% CI, 0.525-0.615), and 0.767 (95% CI, 0.727-0.804), respectively. The AUC of the MEW score was significantly different from those of the GB and PER scores. In multivariate analysis, MEW score was independently associated with MT in patients with unstable UGIB (odds ratio, 1.495; 95% CI, 1.100-2.033; p=0.010). CONCLUSION: In unstable UGIB patients, MEW score had the best prognostic performance for MT among three scoring systems.

Disseminated intravascular coagulation is associated with the neurologic outcome of cardiac arrest survivors.

PURPOSE: We aimed to examine the serial changes in coagulofibrinolytic markers that occurred after the restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in cardiac arrest patients, who were treated with targeted temperature management (TTM). We also evaluated the association between the disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) score and clinical outcomes. METHODS: This was a single-centre, retrospective observational study that included cardiac arrest patients who were treated with TTM from May 2012 to December 2015. The prothrombin time (PT) and partial thromboplastin time (PTT), along with the levels of fibrinogen, fibrin degradation products (FDP), and D-dimer were obtained after ROSC and on day 1, 2, and 3. The DIC score was calculated after ROSC. The primary outcome was the neurologic outcome at discharge and the secondary outcome was the 6-month mortality. RESULTS: This study included 317 patients. Of these, 222 (70.0%) and 194 (61.2%) patients had a poor neurologic outcome at discharge and 6-month mortality, respectively. The PT, PTT, and fibrinogen level significantly increased over time, while the FDP and D-dimer levels decreased during first three days after ROSC. Multivariate logistic analyses revealed that the DIC score remained a significant predictor for poor neurologic outcome (odds ratio [OR], 1.800; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.323-2.451) and 6-month mortality (OR, 1.773; 95% CI, 1.307-2.405). CONCLUSION: The activity of coagulation and fibrinolysis decreased over time. An increased DIC score was an independent prognostic factor for poor neurologic outcome and 6-month mortality.

2,3-Butanedione monoxime facilitates successful resuscitation in a dose-dependent fashion in a pig model of cardiac arrest.

PURPOSE: Ischemic contracture compromises the hemodynamic effectiveness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and resuscitability from cardiac arrest. In a pig model of cardiac arrest, 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM) attenuated ischemic contracture. We investigated the effects of different doses of BDM to determine whether increasing the dose of BDM could improve the hemodynamic effectiveness of CPR further, thus ultimately improving resuscitability. METHODS: After 16minutes of untreated ventricular fibrillation and 8minutes of basic life support, 36 pigs were divided randomly into 3 groups that received 50mg/kg (low-dose group) of BDM, 100mg/kg (high-dose group) of BDM, or an equivalent volume of saline (control group) during advanced cardiovascular life support. RESULTS: During advanced cardiovascular life support, the control group showed an increase in left ventricular (LV) wall thickness and a decrease in LV chamber area. In contrast, the BDM-treated groups showed a decrease in the LV wall thickness and an increase in the LV chamber area in a dose-dependent fashion. Mixed-model analyses of the LV wall thickness and LV chamber area revealed significant group effects and group-time interactions. Central venous oxygen saturation at 3minutes after the drug administration was 21.6% (18.4-31.9), 39.2% (28.8-53.7), and 54.0% (47.5-69.4) in the control, low-dose, and high-dose groups, respectively (P<.001). Sustained restoration of spontaneous circulation was attained in 7 (58.3%), 10 (83.3%), and 12 animals (100%) in the control, low-dose, and high-dose groups, respectively (P=.046). CONCLUSION: 2,3-Butanedione monoxime administered during CPR attenuated ischemic contracture and improved the resuscitability in a dose-dependent fashion.

Effectiveness and feasibility of assistant push on improvement of chest compression quality: a crossover study.

PURPOSE: To improve the quality of chest compression (CC), we developed the assistant-push method, whereby the second rescuer pushes the back of the chest compressor during CC. We investigated the effectiveness and feasibility of assistant push in achieving and maintaining the CC quality. METHODS: This was a randomized crossover trial in which 41 subjects randomly performed both of standard CC (single-rescuer group) and CC with instructor-driven assistant push (assistant-push group) in different order. Each session of CC was performed for 2 minutes using a manikin. Subjects were also assigned to both roles of chest compressor and assistant and together performed CC with subject-driven assistant push. Depth of CC, compression to recoil ratio, duty cycle, and rate of incomplete recoil were quantified. RESULTS: The mean depth of CC (57.0 [56.0-59.0] vs 55.0 [49.5-57.5], P < .001) was significantly deeper, and the compression force (33.8 [29.3-36.4] vs 23.3 [20.4-25.3], P < .001) was stronger in the assistant-push group. The ratio of compression to recoil, duty cycle, and rate of incomplete chest recoil were comparable between the 2 groups. The CC depth in the single-rescuer group decreased significantly every 30 seconds, whereas in the assistant-push group, it was comparable at 60- and 90-second time points (P = .004). The subject assistant-push group performed CCs at a depth comparable with that of the instructor assistant-push group. CONCLUSION: The assistant-push method improved the depth of CC and attenuated its decline, eventually helping maintain adequate CC depth over time. Subjects were able to feasibly learn assistant push and performed effectively.

Effects of the administration of 2,3-butanedione monoxime during conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation on ischaemic contracture and resuscitability in a pig model of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Ischaemic contracture compromises the haemodynamic effectiveness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and resuscitability. 2,3-Butanedione monoxime (BDM) reduced ischaemic contracture by inhibiting actin-myosin crossbridge formation in an isolated heart model. We investigated the effects of BDM on ischaemic contracture and resuscitation outcomes in a pig model of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). METHODS: After 15min of untreated ventricular fibrillation, followed by 8min of basic life support, 16 pigs were randomised to receive either 2mlkg(-1) of BDM solution (25gl(-1)) or 2mlkg(-1) of saline during advanced cardiac life support (ACLS). RESULTS: During the ACLS, the control group showed an increase in left ventricular (LV) wall thickness from 10.0mm (10.0-10.8) to 13.0mm (13.0-13.0) and a decrease in LV chamber area from 8.13cm(2) (7.59-9.29) to 7.47cm(2) (5.84-8.43). In contrast, the BDM group showed a decrease in the LV wall thickness from 10mm (9.0-10.8) to 8.5mm (7.0-9.8) and an increase in the LV chamber area from 9.86cm(2) (7.22-12.39) to 12.15 cm(2) (8.02-14.40). Mixed model analyses of the LV wall thickness and LV chamber area revealed significant group effects and group-time interactions. Spontaneous circulation was restored in four (50%) animals in the control group and in eight (100%) animals in the BDM group (p=0.077). All the resuscitated animals survived during an intensive care period of 4h. CONCLUSION: BDM administered during cardiopulmonary resuscitation reversed ischaemic contracture in a pig model of OHCA.

The effect of inclined step stool on the quality of chest compression during in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

PURPOSE: A step stool is an ordinary device to improve the quality of chest compression (CC) during in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). We investigated the effect of an inclined step stool on the quality of CC during CPR on a hospital bed. METHODS: We conducted a randomized crossover study of simulation using a manikin. Two different methods of CC were performed and compared: CC using a flat stool and CC using an inclined (20°) stool. Each session of CC was performed for 2 minutes using a metronome at a rate of 110 beats per minute. The primary outcome was the depth of CC. The adequate CC rate, duty cycle, rate of incomplete recoil, and the angle between the arm of the participants and the bed were also measured. RESULTS: The median value of the mean depth of CC was 50.5 mm (45.0-57.0 mm) in the flat stool group and 54.5 mm (47.0-58.3 mm) in the inclined stool group (P = .014). The adequate CC rate was significantly higher in the inclined stool group (84.2% [37.6%-99.1%] vs 57.0% [15.2%-95.0%]; P = .016). The duty cycle and the rate of incomplete recoil were comparable between the 2 groups. The angles between the arm of the participants and the bed were more vertical in the inclined stool group (84.0° ± 5.2° vs 81.0° ± 4.8°; P = .014). CONCLUSION: Using an inclined stool resulted in an improvement in the depth of CC and the adequate CC rate without increasing the rate of incomplete chest recoil.