Intensive Ambulance-Delivered Blood-Pressure Reduction in Hyperacute Stroke.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of acute stroke, before a distinction can be made between ischemic and hemorrhagic types, is challenging. Whether very early blood-pressure control in the ambulance improves outcomes among patients with undifferentiated acute stroke is uncertain. METHODS: We randomly assigned patients with suspected acute stroke that caused a motor deficit and with elevated systolic blood pressure (≥150 mm Hg), who were assessed in the ambulance within 2 hours after the onset of symptoms, to receive immediate treatment to lower the systolic blood pressure (target range, 130 to 140 mm Hg) (intervention group) or usual blood-pressure management (usual-care group). The primary efficacy outcome was functional status as assessed by the score on the modified Rankin scale (range, 0 [no symptoms] to 6 [death]) at 90 days after randomization. The primary safety outcome was any serious adverse event. RESULTS: A total of 2404 patients (mean age, 70 years) in China underwent randomization and provided consent for the trial: 1205 in the intervention group and 1199 in the usual-care group. The median time between symptom onset and randomization was 61 minutes (interquartile range, 41 to 93), and the mean blood pressure at randomization was 178/98 mm Hg. Stroke was subsequently confirmed by imaging in 2240 patients, of whom 1041 (46.5%) had a hemorrhagic stroke. At the time of patients' arrival at the hospital, the mean systolic blood pressure in the intervention group was 159 mm Hg, as compared with 170 mm Hg in the usual-care group. Overall, there was no difference in functional outcome between the two groups (common odds ratio, 1.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.87 to 1.15), and the incidence of serious adverse events was similar in the two groups. Prehospital reduction of blood pressure was associated with a decrease in the odds of a poor functional outcome among patients with hemorrhagic stroke (common odds ratio, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.60 to 0.92) but an increase among patients with cerebral ischemia (common odds ratio, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.60). CONCLUSIONS: In this trial, prehospital blood-pressure reduction did not improve functional outcomes in a cohort of patients with undifferentiated acute stroke, of whom 46.5% subsequently received a diagnosis of hemorrhagic stroke. (Funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia and others; INTERACT4 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03790800; Chinese Trial Registry number, ChiCTR1900020534.).

Prehospital Tranexamic Acid for Severe Trauma.

BACKGROUND: Whether prehospital administration of tranexamic acid increases the likelihood of survival with a favorable functional outcome among patients with major trauma and suspected trauma-induced coagulopathy who are being treated in advanced trauma systems is uncertain. METHODS: We randomly assigned adults with major trauma who were at risk for trauma-induced coagulopathy to receive tranexamic acid (administered intravenously as a bolus dose of 1 g before hospital admission, followed by a 1-g infusion over a period of 8 hours after arrival at the hospital) or matched placebo. The primary outcome was survival with a favorable functional outcome at 6 months after injury, as assessed with the use of the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOS-E). Levels on the GOS-E range from 1 (death) to 8 ("upper good recovery" [no injury-related problems]). We defined survival with a favorable functional outcome as a GOS-E level of 5 ("lower moderate disability") or higher. Secondary outcomes included death from any cause within 28 days and within 6 months after injury. RESULTS: A total of 1310 patients were recruited by 15 emergency medical services in Australia, New Zealand, and Germany. Of these patients, 661 were assigned to receive tranexamic acid, and 646 were assigned to receive placebo; the trial-group assignment was unknown for 3 patients. Survival with a favorable functional outcome at 6 months occurred in 307 of 572 patients (53.7%) in the tranexamic acid group and in 299 of 559 (53.5%) in the placebo group (risk ratio, 1.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.90 to 1.12; P = 0.95). At 28 days after injury, 113 of 653 patients (17.3%) in the tranexamic acid group and 139 of 637 (21.8%) in the placebo group had died (risk ratio, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.63 to 0.99). By 6 months, 123 of 648 patients (19.0%) in the tranexamic acid group and 144 of 629 (22.9%) in the placebo group had died (risk ratio, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.67 to 1.03). The number of serious adverse events, including vascular occlusive events, did not differ meaningfully between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Among adults with major trauma and suspected trauma-induced coagulopathy who were being treated in advanced trauma systems, prehospital administration of tranexamic acid followed by an infusion over 8 hours did not result in a greater number of patients surviving with a favorable functional outcome at 6 months than placebo. (Funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council and others; PATCH-Trauma ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02187120.).

2023 American Heart Association and American Academy of Pediatrics Focused Update on Neonatal Resuscitation: An Update to the American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care.

This 2023 focused update to the neonatal resuscitation guidelines is based on 4 systematic reviews recently completed under the direction of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation Neonatal Life Support Task Force. Systematic reviewers and content experts from this task force performed comprehensive reviews of the scientific literature on umbilical cord management in preterm, late preterm, and term newborn infants, and the optimal devices and interfaces used for administering positive-pressure ventilation during resuscitation of newborn infants. These recommendations provide new guidance on the use of intact umbilical cord milking, device selection for administering positive-pressure ventilation, and an additional primary interface for administering positive-pressure ventilation.

Critical Care Management of Patients After Cardiac Arrest: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association and Neurocritical Care Society.

The critical care management of patients after cardiac arrest is burdened by a lack of high-quality clinical studies and the resultant lack of high-certainty evidence. This results in limited practice guideline recommendations, which may lead to uncertainty and variability in management. Critical care management is crucial in patients after cardiac arrest and affects outcome. Although guidelines address some relevant topics (including temperature control and neurological prognostication of comatose survivors, 2 topics for which there are more robust clinical studies), many important subject areas have limited or nonexistent clinical studies, leading to the absence of guidelines or low-certainty evidence. The American Heart Association Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee and the Neurocritical Care Society collaborated to address this gap by organizing an expert consensus panel and conference. Twenty-four experienced practitioners (including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and a respiratory therapist) from multiple medical specialties, levels, institutions, and countries made up the panel. Topics were identified and prioritized by the panel and arranged by organ system to facilitate discussion, debate, and consensus building. Statements related to postarrest management were generated, and 80% agreement was required to approve a statement. Voting was anonymous and web based. Topics addressed include neurological, cardiac, pulmonary, hematological, infectious, gastrointestinal, endocrine, and general critical care management. Areas of uncertainty, areas for which no consensus was reached, and future research directions are also included. Until high-quality studies that inform practice guidelines in these areas are available, the expert panel consensus statements that are provided can advise clinicians on the critical care management of patients after cardiac arrest.

2023 American Heart Association Focused Update on Adult Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support: An Update to the American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care.

Cardiac arrest is common and deadly, affecting up to 700 000 people in the United States annually. Advanced cardiac life support measures are commonly used to improve outcomes. This "2023 American Heart Association Focused Update on Adult Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support" summarizes the most recent published evidence for and recommendations on the use of medications, temperature management, percutaneous coronary angiography, extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and seizure management in this population. We discuss the lack of data in recent cardiac arrest literature that limits our ability to evaluate diversity, equity, and inclusion in this population. Last, we consider how the cardiac arrest population may make up an important pool of organ donors for those awaiting organ transplantation.

Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory Management of the Comatose Adult Patient With an Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death, accounting for ≈50% of all cardiovascular deaths. The prognosis of such individuals is poor, with <10% surviving to hospital discharge. Survival with a favorable neurologic outcome is highest among individuals who present with a witnessed shockable rhythm, received bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, achieve return of spontaneous circulation within 15 minutes of arrest, and have evidence of ST-segment elevation on initial ECG after return of spontaneous circulation. The cardiac catheterization laboratory plays an important role in the coordinated Chain of Survival for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The catheterization laboratory can be used to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and resuscitative support after sudden cardiac arrest from many different cardiac causes, but it has a unique importance in the treatment of cardiac arrest resulting from underlying coronary artery disease. Over the past few years, numerous trials have clarified the role of the cardiac catheterization laboratory in the management of resuscitated patients or those with ongoing cardiac arrest. This scientific statement provides an update on the contemporary approach to managing resuscitated patients or those with ongoing cardiac arrest.

The American Heart Association Emergency Cardiovascular Care 2030 Impact Goals and Call to Action to Improve Cardiac Arrest Outcomes: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Every 10 years, the American Heart Association (AHA) Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee establishes goals to improve survival from cardiac arrest. These goals align with broader AHA Impact Goals and support the AHA's advocacy efforts and strategic investments in research, education, clinical care, and quality improvement programs. This scientific statement focuses on 2030 AHA emergency cardiovascular care priorities, with a specific focus on bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, early defibrillation, and neurologically intact survival. This scientific statement also includes aspirational goals, such as establishing cardiac arrest as a reportable disease and mandating reporting of standardized outcomes from different sources; advancing recognition of and knowledge about cardiac arrest; improving dispatch system response, availability, and access to resuscitation training in multiple settings and at multiple time points; improving availability, access, and affordability of defibrillators; providing a focus on early defibrillation, in-hospital programs, and establishing champions for debriefing and review of cardiac arrest events; and expanding measures to track outcomes beyond survival. The ability to track and report data from these broader aspirational targets will potentially require expansion of existing data sets, development of new data sets, and enhanced integration of technology to collect process and outcome data, as well as partnerships of the AHA with national, state, and local organizations. The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, disparities in COVID-19 outcomes for historically excluded racial and ethnic groups, and the longstanding disparities in cardiac arrest treatment and outcomes for Black and Hispanic or Latino populations also contributed to an explicit focus and target on equity for the AHA Emergency Cardiovascular Care 2030 Impact Goals.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Bystander CPR for Witnessed Cardiac Arrest.

BACKGROUND: Differences in the incidence of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) provided by bystanders contribute to survival disparities among persons with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. It is critical to understand whether the incidence of bystander CPR in witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrests at home and in public settings differs according to the race or ethnic group of the person with cardiac arrest in order to inform interventions. METHODS: Within a large U.S. registry, we identified 110,054 witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrests during the period from 2013 through 2019. We used a hierarchical logistic regression model to analyze the incidence of bystander CPR in Black or Hispanic persons as compared with White persons with witnessed cardiac arrests at home and in public locations. We analyzed the overall incidence as well as the incidence according to neighborhood racial or ethnic makeup and income strata. Neighborhoods were classified as predominantly White (>80% of residents), majority Black or Hispanic (>50% of residents), or integrated, and as high income (an annual median household income of >$80,000), middle income ($40,000-$80,000), or low income (<$40,000). RESULTS: Overall, 35,469 of the witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (32.2%) occurred in Black or Hispanic persons. Black and Hispanic persons were less likely to receive bystander CPR at home (38.5%) than White persons (47.4%) (adjusted odds ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72 to 0.76) and less likely to receive bystander CPR in public locations than White persons (45.6% vs. 60.0%) (adjusted odds ratio, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.60 to 0.66). The incidence of bystander CPR among Black and Hispanic persons was less than that among White persons not only in predominantly White neighborhoods at home (adjusted odds ratio, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.74 to 0.90) and in public locations (adjusted odds ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.60 to 0.75) but also in majority Black or Hispanic neighborhoods at home (adjusted odds ratio, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.75 to 0.83) and in public locations (adjusted odds ratio, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.59 to 0.68) and in integrated neighborhoods at home (adjusted odds ratio, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.74 to 0.81) and in public locations (adjusted odds ratio, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.68 to 0.77). Similarly, across all neighborhood income strata, the frequency of bystander CPR at home and in public locations was lower among Black and Hispanic persons with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest than among White persons. CONCLUSIONS: In witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, Black and Hispanic persons were less likely than White persons to receive potentially lifesaving bystander CPR at home and in public locations, regardless of the racial or ethnic makeup or income level of the neighborhood where the cardiac arrest occurred. (Funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.).

2023 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations: Summary From the Basic Life Support; Advanced Life Support; Pediatric Life Support; Neonatal Life Support; Education, Implementation, and Teams; and First Aid Task Forces.

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation engages in a continuous review of new, peer-reviewed, published cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid science. Draft Consensus on Science With Treatment Recommendations are posted online throughout the year, and this annual summary provides more concise versions of the final Consensus on Science With Treatment Recommendations from all task forces for the year. Topics addressed by systematic reviews this year include resuscitation of cardiac arrest from drowning, extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation for adults and children, calcium during cardiac arrest, double sequential defibrillation, neuroprognostication after cardiac arrest for adults and children, maintaining normal temperature after preterm birth, heart rate monitoring methods for diagnostics in neonates, detection of exhaled carbon dioxide in neonates, family presence during resuscitation of adults, and a stepwise approach to resuscitation skills training. Members from 6 International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation task forces have assessed, discussed, and debated the quality of the evidence, using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation criteria, and their statements include consensus treatment recommendations. Insights into the deliberations of the task forces are provided in the Justification and Evidence-to-Decision Framework Highlights sections. In addition, the task forces list priority knowledge gaps for further research. Additional topics are addressed with scoping reviews and evidence updates.

Association of Prior Stroke With Health Care Perceptions of Adequate Emergency Care in Women.

BACKGROUND: Women with a history of stroke represent a vulnerable patient population due to their extant disability, morbidity, and risk of recurrence. The association between prior stroke with patient experience and perception of emergency medical care is unknown. METHODS: We utilized data from the Health Care Experiences and Perception cross-sectional, online survey from the American Heart Association Research Goes Red Registry. Ordinal logistic regression models were performed to assess the association between a self-reported history of stroke in the prior 10 years and the perception of not receiving adequate care in an emergency department because of gender or race. Models were adjusted for age at the time of enrollment, race/ethnicity, myocardial infarction within 10 years, and current smoking status. RESULTS: A total of 3498 women participants met inclusion criteria: 89 participants with a history of stroke in the past 10 years (mean age, 49.4 years; 10.1% Black participants and 5.6% Hispanic participants) and 3409 participants without such history (mean age, 45.8 years; 7.8% Black participants and 7.0% Hispanic participants). In multivariate logistic regression models, stroke history was significantly associated with greater odds of answering "to a great extent" that "I will not receive adequate care in an emergency room based on my gender" (odds ratio, 3.23 [95% CI, 1.69-6.17]) and "…race/ethnicity" (odds ratio, 3.88 [95% CI, 1.45-10.39]). Similar results were seen for secondary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Women patients with a stroke history felt less likely to receive adequate emergency care based on gender and race/ethnicity. Whether these negative health perceptions are associated with delays in presentation for stroke or other time-sensitive conditions should be the focus of future studies, given that these populations are known to less frequently receive advanced therapies for stroke, in part due to delays in presentation.

Mapping the Ecological Terrain of Stroke Prehospital Delay: A Nationwide Registry Study.

BACKGROUND: Delays in hospital presentation limit access to acute stroke treatments. While prior research has focused on patient-level factors, broader ecological and social determinants have not been well studied. We aimed to create a geospatial map of prehospital delay and examine the role of community-level social vulnerability. METHODS: We studied patients with ischemic stroke who arrived by emergency medical services in 2015 to 2017 from the American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines-Stroke registry. The primary outcome was time to hospital arrival after stroke (in minutes), beginning at last known well in most cases. Using Geographic Information System mapping, we displayed the geography of delay. We then used Cox proportional hazard models to study the relationship between community-level factors and arrival time (adjusted hazard ratios [aHR] <1.0 indicate delay). The primary exposure was the social vulnerability index (SVI), a metric of social vulnerability for every ZIP Code Tabulation Area ranging from 0.0 to 1.0. RESULTS: Of 750 336 patients, 149 145 met inclusion criteria. The mean age was 73 years, and 51% were female. The median time to hospital arrival was 140 minutes (Q1: 60 minutes, Q3: 458 minutes). The geospatial map revealed that many zones of delay overlapped with socially vulnerable areas (https://harvard-cga.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=08f6e885c71b457f83cefc71013bcaa7). Cox models (aHR, 95% CI) confirmed that higher SVI, including quartiles 3 (aHR, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.93-0.98]) and 4 (aHR, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.91-0.95]), was associated with delay. Patients from SVI quartile 4 neighborhoods arrived 15.6 minutes [15-16.2] slower than patients from SVI quartile 1. Specific SVI themes associated with delay were a community's socioeconomic status (aHR, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.74-0.85]) and housing type and transportation (aHR, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.84-0.94]). CONCLUSIONS: This map of acute stroke presentation times shows areas with a high incidence of delay. Increased social vulnerability characterizes these areas. Such places should be systematically targeted to improve population-level stroke presentation times.

Emergency Medical Services Compliance With Prehospital Stroke Quality Metrics Is Associated With Faster Stroke Evaluation and Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Emergency medical services (EMS) is an important link in the stroke chain of recovery. Various prehospital quality metrics have been proposed for prehospital stroke care, but their individual impact is uncertain. We sought to measure associations between EMS quality metrics and downstream stroke care. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of a cohort of EMS-transported stroke patients assembled through a linkage between Michigan's EMS and stroke registries. We used multivariable regression to quantify the independent associations between EMS quality metric compliance (dispatch within 90 seconds of 911 call, prehospital stroke screen documentation [Prehospital stroke scale], glucose check, last known well time, maintenance of scene times ≤15 minutes, hospital prenotification, and intravenous line placement) and shorter door-to-CT times (door-to-CT ≤25), accounting for EMS recognition, age, sex, race, stroke subtype, severity, and duration of symptoms. We then developed a simple EMS quality score based on metrics associated with early CT and examined its associations with hospital stroke evaluation times, treatment, and patient outcomes. RESULTS: Five thousand seven hundred seven EMS-transported stroke cases were linked to prehospital records from January 2018 through June 2019. In multivariable analysis, prehospital stroke scale documentation (adjusted odds ratio, 1.4 [1.2-1.6]), glucose check (1.3 [1.1-1.6]), on-scene time ≤15 minutes (1.6 [1.4-1.9]), hospital prenotification ([2.0 [1.4-2.9]), and intravenous line placement (1.8 [1.5-2.1]) were independently associated with a door-to-CT ≤25 minutes. A 5-point quality score (1 point for each element) was therefore developed. In multivariable analysis, a 1-point higher EMS quality score was associated with a shorter time from EMS contact to CT (-9.2 [-10.6 to -7.8] minutes; P<0.001) and thrombolysis (-4.3 [-6.4 to -2.2] minutes; P<0.001), and higher odds of discharge to home (adjusted odds ratio, 1.1 [1.0-1.2]; P=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Five EMS actions recommended by national guidelines were associated with rapid CT imaging. A simple quality score derived from these measures was also associated with faster stroke evaluation, greater odds of reperfusion treatment, and discharge to home.

Sex Differences in Prehospital Identification of Large Vessel Occlusion in Patients With Suspected Stroke.

BACKGROUND: Differences in clinical presentation of acute ischemic stroke between men and women may affect prehospital identification of anterior circulation large vessel occlusion (aLVO). We assessed sex differences in diagnostic performance of 8 prehospital scales to detect aLVO. METHODS: We analyzed pooled individual patient data from 2 prospective cohort studies (LPSS [Leiden Prehospital Stroke Study] and PRESTO [Prehospital Triage of Patients With Suspected Stroke Study]) conducted in the Netherlands between 2018 and 2019, including consecutive patients ≥18 years suspected of acute stroke who presented within 6 hours after symptom onset. Ambulance paramedics assessed clinical items from 8 prehospital aLVO detection scales: Los Angeles Motor Scale, Rapid Arterial Occlusion Evaluation, Cincinnati Stroke Triage Assessment Tool, Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale, Prehospital Acute Stroke Severity, gaze-face-arm-speech-time, Conveniently Grasped Field Assessment Stroke Triage, and Face-Arm-Speech-Time Plus Severe Arm or Leg Motor Deficit. We assessed the diagnostic performance of these scales for identifying aLVO at prespecified cut points for men and women. RESULTS: Of 2358 patients with suspected stroke (median age, 73 years; 47% women), 231 (10%) had aLVO (100/1114 [9%] women and 131/1244 [11%] men). The area under the curve of the scales ranged from 0.70 (95% CI, 0.65-0.75) to 0.77 (95% CI, 0.73-0.82) in women versus 0.69 (95% CI, 0.64-0.73) to 0.75 (95% CI, 0.71-0.79) in men. Positive predictive values ranged from 0.23 (95% CI, 0.20-0.27) to 0.29 (95% CI, 0.26-0.31) in women versus 0.29 (95% CI, 0.24-0.33) to 0.37 (95% CI, 0.32-0.43) in men. Negative predictive values were similar (0.95 [95% CI, 0.94-0.96] to 0.98 [95% CI, 0.97-0.98] in women versus 0.94 [95% CI, 0.93-0.95] to 0.96 [95% CI, 0.94-0.97] in men). Sensitivity of the scales was slightly higher in women than in men (0.53 [95% CI, 0.43-0.63] to 0.76 [95% CI, 0.68-0.84] versus 0.49 [95% CI, 0.40-0.57] to 0.63 [95% CI, 0.55-0.73]), whereas specificity was lower (0.79 [95% CI, 0.76-0.81] to 0.87 [95% CI, 0.84-0.89] versus 0.82 [95% CI, 0.79-0.84] to 0.90 [95% CI, 0.88-0.91]). Rapid arterial occlusion evaluation showed the highest positive predictive values in both sexes (0.29 in women and 0.37 in men), reflecting the different event rates. CONCLUSIONS: aLVO scales show similar diagnostic performance in both sexes. The rapid arterial occlusion evaluation scale may help optimize prehospital transport decision-making in men as well as in women with suspected stroke.

Past meets present: Reviving 80-year-old Canadian dried serum from World War II and its significance in advancing modern freeze-dried plasma for prehospital management of haemorrhage.

During World War II, Charles H. Best utilized Charles R. Drew's plasma isolation and drying technique to lead Canada's initiative to provide dried serum as a means of primary resuscitation for British casualties on the frontlines. Serum was likely utilized over plasma for its volume expansion properties without the risk of clotting during prolonged storage. We reconstituted dried serum from 1943 and discovered intact albumin, as well as anti-thrombin, plasminogen, protein C and protein S activity. Proteomic analysis identified 71 proteins, most prominent being albumin, and positive for hepatitis B by serological testing. Transmission of blood-borne diseases ended the programme, until modern advances in testing and pathogen reduction revived this technology. We tested the latest iteration of Canadian freeze-dried plasma (FDP), which was stored for 4 years, and demonstrated that its clotting capacity remained equivalent to fresh frozen plasma. We recommend that FDP is a strong alternative to contemporary prehospital resuscitation fluids (e.g. normal saline/lactated Ringer's) in managing prehospital haemorrhage where whole blood is unavailable.

Detecting Variation in Clinical Practice Patterns for Geriatric Trauma Care Using Social Network Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize hospital-level professional networks of physicians caring for older trauma patients as a function of trauma patient age distribution. BACKGROUND: The causal factors associated with between-hospital variation in geriatric trauma outcomes are poorly understood. Variation in physician practice patterns reflected by differences in professional networks might contribute to hospital-level differences in outcomes for older trauma patients. METHODS: This is a population-based, cross-sectional study of injured older adults (age 65 or above) and their physicians from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2015, using Health Care Cost and Utilization Project inpatient data and Medicare claims from 158 hospitals in Florida. We used social network analyses to characterize the hospitals in terms of network density, cohesion, small-worldness, and heterogeneity, then used bivariate statistics to assess the relationship between network characteristics and hospital-level proportion of trauma patients who were aged 65 or above. RESULTS: We identified 107,713 older trauma patients and 169,282 patient-physician dyads. The hospital-level proportion of trauma patients who were aged 65 or above ranged from 21.5% to 89.1%. Network density, cohesion, and small-worldness in physician networks were positively correlated with hospital geriatric trauma proportions ( R =0.29, P <0.001; R =0.16, P =0.048; and R =0.19, P <0.001, respectively). Network heterogeneity was negatively correlated with geriatric trauma proportion ( R =0.40, P <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Characteristics of professional networks among physicians caring for injured older adults are associated with the hospital-level proportion of trauma patients who are older, indicating differences in practice patterns at hospitals with older trauma populations. Associations between interspecialty collaboration and patient outcomes should be explored as an opportunity to improve the treatment of injured older adults.

Association Between Emergency Medical Service Agency Volume and Mortality in Trauma Patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of annual trauma patient volume on outcomes for emergency medical services (EMS) agencies. BACKGROUND: Regionalization of trauma care saves lives. The underlying concept driving this is a volume-outcome relationship. EMS are the entry point to the trauma system, yet it is unknown if a volume-outcome relationship exists for EMS. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of prospective cohort including 8 trauma centers and 20 EMS air medical and metropolitan ground transport agencies. Patients 18 to 90 years old with injury severity scores ≥9 transported from the scene were included. Patient and agency-level risk-adjusted regression determined the association between EMS agency trauma patient volume and early mortality. RESULTS: A total of 33,511 were included with a median EMS agency volume of 374 patients annually (interquartile range: 90-580). Each 50-patient increase in EMS agency volume was associated with 5% decreased odds of 6-hour mortality (adjusted odds ratio=0.95; 95% CI: 0.92-0.99, P =0.03) and 3% decreased odds of 24-hour mortality (adjusted odds ratio=0.97; 95% CI: 0.95-0.99, P =0.04). Prespecified subgroup analysis showed EMS agency volume was associated with reduced odds of mortality for patients with prehospital shock, requiring prehospital airway placement, undergoing air medical transport, and those with traumatic brain injury. Agency-level analysis demonstrated that high-volume (>374 patients/year) EMS agencies had a significantly lower risk-standardized 6-hour mortality rate than low-volume (<374 patients/year) EMS agencies (1.9% vs 4.8%, P <0.01). CONCLUSIONS: A higher volume of trauma patients transported at the EMS agency level is associated with improved early mortality. Further investigation of this volume-outcome relationship is necessary to leverage quality improvement, benchmarking, and educational initiatives.

Prospective, Multicenter, Controlled Trial of Mobile Stroke Units.

BACKGROUND: Mobile stroke units (MSUs) are ambulances with staff and a computed tomographic scanner that may enable faster treatment with tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) than standard management by emergency medical services (EMS). Whether and how much MSUs alter outcomes has not been extensively studied. METHODS: In an observational, prospective, multicenter, alternating-week trial, we assessed outcomes from MSU or EMS management within 4.5 hours after onset of acute stroke symptoms. The primary outcome was the score on the utility-weighted modified Rankin scale (range, 0 to 1, with higher scores indicating better outcomes according to a patient value system, derived from scores on the modified Rankin scale of 0 to 6, with higher scores indicating more disability). The main analysis involved dichotomized scores on the utility-weighted modified Rankin scale (≥0.91 or <0.91, approximating scores on the modified Rankin scale of ≤1 or >1) at 90 days in patients eligible for t-PA. Analyses were also performed in all enrolled patients. RESULTS: We enrolled 1515 patients, of whom 1047 were eligible to receive t-PA; 617 received care by MSU and 430 by EMS. The median time from onset of stroke to administration of t-PA was 72 minutes in the MSU group and 108 minutes in the EMS group. Of patients eligible for t-PA, 97.1% in the MSU group received t-PA, as compared with 79.5% in the EMS group. The mean score on the utility-weighted modified Rankin scale at 90 days in patients eligible for t-PA was 0.72 in the MSU group and 0.66 in the EMS group (adjusted odds ratio for a score of ≥0.91, 2.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.75 to 3.36; P<0.001). Among the patients eligible for t-PA, 55.0% in the MSU group and 44.4% in the EMS group had a score of 0 or 1 on the modified Rankin scale at 90 days. Among all enrolled patients, the mean score on the utility-weighted modified Rankin scale at discharge was 0.57 in the MSU group and 0.51 in the EMS group (adjusted odds ratio for a score of ≥0.91, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.39 to 2.37; P<0.001). Secondary clinical outcomes generally favored MSUs. Mortality at 90 days was 8.9% in the MSU group and 11.9% in the EMS group. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with acute stroke who were eligible for t-PA, utility-weighted disability outcomes at 90 days were better with MSUs than with EMS. (Funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute; BEST-MSU ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02190500.).

The design of the PRINCESS 2 trial: A randomized trial to study the impact of ultrafast hypothermia on complete neurologic recovery after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with initial shockable rhythm.

BACKGROUND: Delayed hypothermia, initiated after hospital arrival, several hours after cardiac arrest with 8-10 hours to reach the target temperature, is likely to have limited impact on overall survival. However, the effect of ultrafast hypothermia, i.e., delivered intra-arrest or immediately after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), on functional neurologic outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is unclear. In two prior trials, prehospital trans-nasal evaporative intra-arrest cooling was safe, feasible and reduced time to target temperature compared to delayed cooling. Both studies showed trends towards improved neurologic recovery in patients with shockable rhythms. The aim of the PRINCESS2-study is to assess whether cooling, initiated either intra-arrest or immediately after ROSC, followed by in-hospital hypothermia, significantly increases survival with complete neurologic recovery as compared to standard normothermia care, in OHCA patients with shockable rhythms. METHODS/DESIGN: In this investigator-initiated, randomized, controlled trial, the emergency medical services (EMS) will randomize patients at the scene of cardiac arrest to either trans-nasal cooling within 20 minutes from EMS arrival with subsequent hypothermia at 33°C for 24 hours after hospital admission (intervention), or to standard of care with no prehospital or in-hospital cooling (control). Fever (>37,7°C) will be avoided for the first 72 hours in both groups. All patients will receive post resuscitation care and withdrawal of life support procedures according to current guidelines. Primary outcome is survival with complete neurologic recovery at 90 days, defined as modified Rankin scale (mRS) 0-1. Key secondary outcomes include survival to hospital discharge, survival at 90 days and mRS 0-3 at 90 days. In total, 1022 patients are required to detect an absolute difference of 9% (from 45 to 54%) in survival with neurologic recovery (80% power and one-sided α=0,025, ß=0,2) and assuming 2,5% lost to follow-up. Recruitment starts in Q1 2024 and we expect maximum enrolment to be achieved during Q4 2024 at 20-25 European and US sites. DISCUSSION: This trial will assess the impact of ultrafast hypothermia applied on the scene of cardiac arrest, as compared to normothermia, on 90-day survival with complete neurologic recovery in OHCA patients with initial shockable rhythm. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT06025123.

A randomized trial of expedited intra-arrest transfer versus more extended on-scene resuscitation for refractory out of hospital cardiac arrest: Rationale and design of the EVIDENCE trial.

BACKGROUND: Refractory Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (r-OHCA) is common and the benefit versus harm of intra-arrest transport of patients to hospital is not clear. OBJECTIVE: To assess the rate of survival to hospital discharge in adult patients with r-OHCA, initial rhythm pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT)/ventricular fibrillation (VF) or Pulseless Electrical Activity (PEA) treated with 1 of 2 locally accepted standards of care:1 expedited transport from scene; or2 ongoing advanced life support (ALS) resuscitation on-scene. HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesize that expedited transport from scene in r-OHCA improves survival with favorable neurological status/outcome. METHODS/DESIGN: Phase III, multi-center, partially blinded, prospective, intention-to-treat, safety and efficacy clinical trial with contemporaneous registry of patient ineligible for the clinical trial. Eligible patients for inclusion are adults with witnessed r-OHCA; estimated age 18 to 70, assumed medical cause with immediate bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR); initial rhythm of VF/pulseless VT, or PEA; no return of spontaneous circulation following 3 shocks and/or 15 minutes of professional on-scene resuscitation; with mechanical CPR available. Two hundred patients will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either expedited transport from scene or ongoing ALS at the scene of cardiac arrest. SETTING: Two urban regions in NSW Australia. OUTCOMES: Primary: survival to hospital discharge with cerebral performance category (CPC) 1 or 2. Secondary: safety, survival, prognostic factors, use of ECMO supported CPR and functional assessment at hospital discharge and 4 weeks and 6 months, quality of life, healthcare use and cost-effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: The EVIDENCE trial will determine the potential risks and benefits of an expedited transport from scene of cardiac arrest.

Could paramedics use the HEART Pathway to identify patients at low-risk of myocardial infarction in the prehospital setting?

In the Emergency Department, patients with suspected myocardial infarction can be risk stratified using the HEART pathway, which has recently been amended for prehospital use and modified for the incorporation of a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin test. In a prospective analysis, the performance of both HEART pathways in the prehospital setting, with a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin test using 3 different thresholds, was evaluated for major adverse cardiac events at 30 days. We found that both low-risk HEART pathways, when using the most conservative cardiac troponin thresholds, approached but did not reach accepted rule-out performance in the Emergency Department.