Lower limb peripheral NIRS parameters during a vascular occlusion test: an experimental study in healthy volunteers.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to compare NIRS parameters in combination with a vascular occlusion test (VOT) at a proximal (leg) and a distal (foot) site in male and female. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective experimental study in healthy subjects. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty volunteers (10 male, 10 female, 28 ± 4 years) were investigated during 4 experimental steps: baseline, ischemia, reperfusion, and baseline. For each volunteer, 3 NIRS optodes were placed on right and left calves and the left arch of the foot. Blood pressure, heart rate and peripheral pulse oxymetry were monitored. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed at baseline between regional oxygen saturation (rSO2) values according to the site of measurement (proximal rSO2 81 ± 9% vs distal rSO2 60 ± 5%, P<0.001) but not according to gender. Both decreases in proximal and distal rSO2 during ischemia and increases over baseline values during reperfusion depended on group membership (male or female). NIRS parameters during the VOT were significantly higher in male when compared with female at the proximal site: desaturation rate 5.6% (IQR: 5.5) vs 2.5% (IQR: 0.8), P=0.001; resaturation rate 40.7% (IQR: 6.6) vs 21.7% (IQR: 5.4), P=0.003; and ΔrSO2 10.0% (IQR: 7.0) vs 5.5% (IQR: 6.0), P=0.041. CONCLUSIONS: Values of rSO2 at the lower limb varied according to the anatomical site of measurement. A VOT induced major changes in rSO2 that differed between male and female. These results should be taken into account in further clinical studies.

[Epidemiology of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest in « Basse-Normandie ¼ according to RéAC registry]. / Épidémiologie des arrêts cardiaques extrahospitaliers recensés en Basse-Normandie par le registre RéAC.

OBJECTIVE: Identify from the RéAC registry, out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest in Caen and it's suburbs, to study epidemiology and assess our medical practices. STUDY DESIGN: Observational, prospective and monocentric study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From March 2012 to March 2013, we identified 151 patients. Demographic parameters, delays until treatment, drugs given and patient outcomes were analyzed from the RéAC data registry. Depending on the variable studied, the statistical analysis used Mann-Whitney or the Chi(2) tests. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients were excluded (no resuscitation attempt and patients who were transported to hospital with chest compressions only, in the absence of spontaneous circulation). One hundred and twenty-nine sudden cardiac arrests were analyzed: 107 (83%) with medical origin and 22 (17%) with traumatic origin. Direct witnesses were present for 94 (73%) of them. Basic life support actions were begun for 59 (46%) patients and a telephone advice was issued by the medical response team for 47 (36%) of them. After an advanced life support, 74 (57%) patients died on the spot. Of the 55 patients reaching the hospital alive, 39 (71%) died in the intensive care unit and 16 (29%) were discharged alive from hospital, of whom 14 (88%) with a favorable neurological outcome. CONCLUSION: RéAC national registry has allowed us to analyze epidemiological data on out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrests in our center. This register has also allowed us to highlight areas for improvement. They should be taken into account to improve our medical practices.