Association Between the Quantity of Subcutaneous Fat and the Inter-Device Agreement of 2 Tissue Oximeters.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the association between the quantity of subcutaneous fat (assessed by skinfold thickness) and the inter-device agreement of 2 tissue oximeters. DESIGN: This is a prospective cohort study. SETTING: This study was conducted in a tertiary care academic urban hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Healthy volunteers were recruited. INTERVENTIONS: All patients recruited had their tissue saturations and skinfold thickness measured at 4 different sites (shoulder, forearm, knee, and calf) on both sides of the body using 2 tissue oximeters, the INVOS 5100C and the EQUANOX 7600. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Higher skinfold measures were associated with an increase in the difference between measures provided by both oximeters (slope = -0.59, Pearson correlation coefficient = -0.51, p < 0.001). This observed association persisted in a linear mixed model (-0.48 [95% confidence interval [CI] -0.61 to -0.36], p < 0.001). The sex of the volunteers also influenced the inter-oximeter agreement (women: -5.77 [95% CI -8.43 to -3.11], p < 0.001), as well as the forearm sites (left forearm: -7.16 [95% CI -9.85 to -4.47], p < 0.001; right forearm:-7.01 [95% CI -9.61 to -4.40], p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The inter-device agreement of the 2 studied oximeters is correlated to the quantity of subcutaneous fat. Monitoring using tissue oximetry should be interpreted with great care when sensors are placed on sites with a significant quantity of subcutaneous fat. In addition to the monitoring of cerebral oximetry, following the variations of saturations at the same peripheral site seems to remain the most secure way to use that technology for the monitoring of critically ill patients.

Accuracy of a self-report prescription opioid use diary for patients discharge from the emergency department with acute pain: a multicentre prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Self-reported approaches that assess opioid usage can be subject to social desirability and recall biases that may underestimate actual pill consumption. Our objective was to determine the accuracy of patient self-reported opioid consumption using a 14-day daily paper or electronic diary. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Multicentre study conducted in four Québec (Canada) emergency departments (ED): three university-affiliated centres, two of them Level I trauma centres and one urban community hospital. PARTICIPANTS: ED patients aged ≥18 years with acute pain (≤2 weeks) who were discharged with an opioid prescription. Patients completed a 14-day daily diary (paper or electronic) assessing the quantity of opioids consumed. On diary completion, a random sample from the main cohort was selected for a follow-up visit to the hospital or a virtual video visit where they had to show and count the remaining pills. Patients were blinded to the main objective of the follow-up visit. OUTCOMES: Quantity of opioid pills consumed during the 2-week follow-up period self-reported in the 14-day diary (paper or electronic) and calculated from remaining pills counted during the follow-up visit. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman plots were used to assess accuracy. RESULTS: A total of 166 participants completed the 14-day diary as well as the in-person or virtual visit; 49.4% were women and median age was 47 years (IQR=21). The self-reported consumed quantity of opioid in the 14-day diary and the one calculated from counting remaining opioid pills during the follow-up visit were very similar (ICC=0.992; 95% CI: 0.989 to 0.994). The mean difference between both measures from Bland-Altman analysis was almost zero (0.048 pills; 95% CI: -3.77 to 3.87). CONCLUSION: Self-reported prescription opioid use in a 14-day diary is an accurate assessment of the quantity of opioids consumed in ED discharged patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03953534.

Use of tabletop exercises for healthcare education: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: There is a growing interest in developing interprofessional education (IPE) in the community of healthcare educators. Tabletop exercises (TTX) have been proposed as a mean to cultivate collaborative practice. A TTX simulates an emergent situation in an informal environment. Healthcare professionals need to take charge of this situation as a team through a discussion-based approach. As TTX are gaining in popularity, performing a review about their uses could guide educators and researchers. The aim of this scoping review is to map the uses of TTX in healthcare. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A search of the literature will be conducted using medical subject heading terms and keywords in PubMed, Medline, EBM Reviews (Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews), CINAHL (Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Embase and ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), along with a search of the grey literature. The search will be performed after the publication of this protocol (estimated to be January 1st 2020) and will be repeated 1 month prior to the submission for publication of the final review (estimated to be June 1st 2020). Studies reporting on TTX in healthcare and published in English or French will be included. Two reviewers will screen the articles and extract the data. The quality of the included articles will be assessed by two reviewers. To better map their uses, the varying TTX activities will be classified as performed in the context of disaster health or not, for IPE or not and using a board game or not. Moreover, following the same mapping objective, outcomes of TTX will be reported according to the Kirkpatrick model of outcomes of educational programs. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: No institutional review board approval is required for this review. Results will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The findings of this review will inform future efforts to TTX into the training of healthcare professionals.

Prognostic impact of the conversion to a shockable rhythm from a non-shockable rhythm for patients suffering from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

OBJECTIVE: For patients suffering from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), having an initial shockable rhythm is a marker of good prognosis. It has been suggested as one of the main prognosticating factors for the selection of patients for extracorporeal resuscitation (E-CPR). However, the prognostic implication of converting from a non-shockable to a shockable rhythm, as compared to having an initial shockable rhythm, remains uncertain, especially among patients that can otherwise be considered eligible for E-CPR. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between the initial rhythm and its subsequent conversion and survival following an OHCA, for the general population and for E-CPR candidates. METHODS: This study used a registry of OHCA in Montreal, Canada. Adult patients suffering from a non-traumatic OHCA for whom the initial rhythm was known were included. The association between the initial rhythm and its subsequent conversion or not and survival to discharge was assessed using a multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 6681 included patients, 1788 (27%) had an initial shockable rhythm, 1749 (26%) had pulseless electrical activity (PEA) and no subsequent shockable rhythm, 295 (4%) had PEA and a subsequent shockable rhythm, 2694 (40%) had asystole and no subsequent shockable rhythm, and 155 (2%) asystole and a subsequent shockable rhythm. As compared to patients having an initial shockable rhythm, patients in all other groups had significantly lower odds of survival to hospital discharge (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). Univariate analyses were performed for E-CPR candidates. Among these 556 (8%) patients, more patients with an initial shockable rhythm survived than patients in all other groups (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). CONCLUSIONS: The initial rhythm remains a much better prognostic marker than subsequent rhythms for all patients suffering from an OHCA, including in the subset of potential E-CPR candidates.

The prognostic significance of repeated prehospital shocks for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival.

OBJECTIVES: Patients suffering from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) associated with an initial shockable rhythm have a better prognosis than their counterparts. The implications of recurrent or refractory malignant arrhythmia in such context remain unclear. The objective of this study is to evaluate the association between the number of prehospital shocks delivered and survival to hospital discharge among patients in OHCA. METHODS: This cohort study included adult patients with an initial shockable rhythm over a 5-year period from a registry of OHCA in Montreal, Canada. The relationship between the number of prehospital shocks delivered and survival to discharge was described using dynamic probabilities. The association between the number of prehospital shocks delivered and survival to discharge was assessed using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 1,788 patients (78% male with a mean age of 64 years) were included in this analysis, of whom 536 (30%) received treatments from an advanced care paramedic. A third of the cohort (583 patients, 33%) survived to hospital discharge. The probability of survival was highest with the first shock (33% [95% confidence interval 30%-35%]), but decreased to 8% (95% confidence interval 4%-13%) following nine shocks. A higher number of prehospital shocks was independently associated with lower odds of survival (adjusted odds ratio=0.88 [95% confidence interval 0.85-0.92], p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Survival remains possible even after a high number of shocks for patients suffering from an OHCA with an initial shockable rhythm. However, requiring more shocks is independently associated with worse survival.

Impact of the direct transfer to percutaneous coronary intervention-capable hospitals on survival to hospital discharge for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

AIMS: Patients suffering from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) are frequently transported to the closest hospital. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is often indicated following OHCA. This study's primary objective was to determine the association between being transported to a PCI-capable hospital and survival to discharge for patients with OHCA. The additional delay to hospital arrival which could offset a potential increase in survival associated with being transported to a PCI-capable center was also evaluated. METHODS: This study used a registry of OHCA in Montreal, Canada. Adult patients transported to a hospital following a non-traumatic OHCA were included. Hospitals were dichotomized based on whether PCI was available on-site or not. The effect of hospital type on survival to discharge was assessed using a multivariable logistic regression. The added prehospital delay which could offset the increase in survival associated with being transported to a PCI-capable center was calculated using that regression. RESULTS: A total of 4922 patients were included, of whom 2389 (48%) were transported to a PCI-capable hospital and 2533 (52%) to a non-PCI-capable hospital. There was an association between being transported to a PCI-capable center and survival to discharge (adjusted odds ratio = 1.60 [95% confidence interval 1.25-2.05], p < .001). Increasing the delay from call to hospital arrival by 14.0 min would offset the potential benefit of being transported to a PCI-capable center. CONCLUSIONS: It could be advantageous to redirect patients suffering from OHCA patients to PCI-capable centers if the resulting expected delay is of less than 14 min.

Lactic Acidosis with Chloramphenicol Treatment in a Child with Cystic Fibrosis.

Children with cystic fibrosis are commonly colonized with multi-resistant bacteria. In such patients, infectious exacerbation may require salvage therapy with uncommonly used antimicrobials, including chloramphenicol. Chloramphenicol is rarely used nowadays because of the associated severe adverse events. We describe the case of a 15-year-old female with terminal cystic fibrosis who required intravenous (IV) chloramphenicol treatment for a Burkholderia cepacia (B. cepacia) exacerbation. The child subsequently developed lactic acidosis and secondary respiratory compensation adding to her baseline respiratory distress. Based on the Naranjo scale, the probability of chloramphenicol being the cause of the hyperlactatemia and associated respiratory distress was rated as probable, as the adverse effects resolved upon discontinuation of the drug. Subsequent genotyping for mitochondrial polymorphism (G3010A) confirmed a possible susceptibility to lactic acidosis from mitochondrial RNA-inhibiting agents such as chloramphenicol. Hyperlactatemia is a rare but life threatening adverse effect that has been previously reported with chloramphenicol exposure, but is not generally thought of. Clinicians should be aware of this potentially life threatening, but reversible adverse event. Lactate should be monitored under chloramphenicol and it should be discontinued as soon as this complication is suspected, especially in patients with low respiratory reserve.

Prehospital Advanced Cardiac Life Support for Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: Out-of-hospital advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) has not consistently shown a positive impact on survival. Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (E-CPR) could render prolonged on-site resuscitation (ACLS or basic cardiac life support [BCLS]) undesirable in selected cases. The objectives of this study were to evaluate, in patients suffering from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and in a subgroup of potential E-CPR candidates, the association between the addition of prehospital ACLS to BCLS and survival to hospital discharge, prehospital return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), and delay from call to hospital arrival. METHODS: This cohort study targets adult patients treated for OHCA between April 2010 and December 2015 in the city of Montreal, Canada. We defined potential E-CPR candidates using clinical criteria previously described in the literature (65 years of age or younger, initial shockable rhythm, absence of ROSC after 15 minutes of prehospital resuscitation, and emergency medical services-witnessed collapse or witnessed collapse with bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation). Associations were evaluated using multivariate regression models. RESULTS: A total of 7,134 patients with OHCA were included, 761 (10.7%) of whom survived to discharge. No independent association between survival to hospital discharge and the addition of prehospital ACLS to BCLS was found in either the entire cohort (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.05 [95% confidence interval {CI} = 0.84-1.32], p = 0.68) or among the 246 potential E-CPR candidates (AOR = 0.82 [95% CI = 0.36-1.84], p = 0.63). The addition of prehospital ACLS to BCLS was associated with a significant increase in the rate of prehospital ROSC in all patients experiencing OHCA (AOR = 3.92 [95% CI = 3.38-4.55], p < 0.001) and in potential E-CPR candidates (AOR = 3.48 [95% CI = 1. 76-6.88], p < 0.001) compared to isolated prehospital BCLS. Delay from call to hospital arrival was longer in the ACLS group than in the BCLS group (difference = 16 minutes [95% CI = 15-16 minutes], p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In a tiered-response urban emergency medical service setting, prehospital ACLS is not associated with an improvement in survival to hospital discharge in patients suffering from OHCA and in potential E-CPR candidates, but with an improvement in prehospital ROSC and with longer delay to hospital arrival.

Potential impact of a prehospital redirection system for refractory cardiac arrest.

AIM: A change in prehospital redirection practice could potentially increase the proportion of E-CPR eligible patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) transported to extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (E-CPR) capable centers. The objective of this study was to quantify this potential increase of E-CPR candidates transported to E-CPR capable centers. METHODS: Adults with non-traumatic OHCA refractory to 15min of resuscitation were selected from a registry of adult OHCA collected between 2010 and 2015 in Montreal, Canada. Using this cohort, three simulation scenarios allowing prehospital redirection to E-CPR centers were created. Stringent eligibility criteria for E-CPR and redirection for E-CPR (e.g. age <60years old, initial shockable rhythm) were used in the first scenario, intermediate eligibility criteria (e.g. age <65years old, at least one shock given) in the second scenario and inclusive eligibility criteria (e.g. age <70years old, initial rhythm ≠ asystole) in the third scenario. All three scenarios were contrasted with equivalent scenarios in which patients were transported to the closest hospital. Proportions were compared using McNemar's test. RESULTS: The proportion of E-CPR eligible patients transported to E-CPR capable centers increased in each scenario (stringent criteria: 48 [24.5%] vs 155 patients [79.1%], p<0.001; intermediate criteria: 81 [29.6%] vs 262 patients [95.6%], p<0.001; inclusive criteria: 238 [23.9%] vs 981 patients [98.5%], p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A prehospital redirection system could significantly increase the number of patients with refractory OHCA transported to E-CPR capable centers, thus increasing their access to this potentially life-saving procedure, provided allocated resources are planned accordingly.

Near-infrared Spectroscopy Monitoring During Cardiac Arrest: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Tissue oximetry using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a noninvasive monitor of cerebral oxygenation. This new technology has been used during cardiac arrest (CA) because of its ability to give measures in low-blood-flow situations. The aim of this study was to assess the evidence regarding the association between the types of NIRS measurements (mean, initial, and highest values) and resuscitation outcomes (return of spontaneous circulation [ROSC], survival to discharge, and good neurologic outcome) in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation. METHODS: This review was registered (Prospero CRD42015017380) and is reported as per the PRISMA guidelines. Medline, Embase, and CENTRAL were searched. All studies, except case reports and case series of fewer than five patients, reporting on adults that had NIRS monitoring during CA were eligible for inclusion. Two reviewers assessed the quality of the included articles and extracted the data. The outcome effect was standardized using standardized mean difference (SMD). RESULTS: Twenty nonrandomized observational studies (15 articles and five conference abstracts) were included in this review, for a total of 2,436 patients. We found a stronger association between ROSC and mean NIRS values (SMD = 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.92 to 1.74) than between ROSC and initial NIRS measurements (SMD = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.23 to 0.78). There was too much heterogeneity among the highest NIRS measurements group to perform meta-analysis. Only two of the 75 patients who experienced ROSC had a mean NIRS saturation under 30%. Patients who survived to discharge and who had good neurologic outcome displayed superior combined initial and mean NIRS values than their counterparts (SMD = 1.63; 95% CI = 1.34 to 1.92; and SMD = 2.12; 95% CI = 1.14 to 3.10). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with good resuscitation outcomes have significantly higher NIRS saturations during resuscitation than their counterparts. The types of NIRS measurements during resuscitation influenced the association between ROSC and NIRS saturation. Prolonged failure to obtain a NIRS saturation higher than 30% may be included in a multimodal approach to the decision of terminating resuscitation efforts (Class IIb, Level of Evidence C-Limited Data).

Reproducibility, interchangeability of measures, time to measure stabilization, and reference values of two tissue oximeters in healthy volunteers.

This study aimed to compare two tissue oximeters, the INVOS 5100c and the Equanox 7600, in terms of their reproducibility and the interchangeability of their measures. In a randomized order, three measurements were taken at six different sites on both sides of the body in 53 healthy volunteers. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and within-subject standard deviation (Sw) were calculated for each device. The ICCs were compared using Fisher r-to-z transformation and the Sw were compared using paired-sample t-tests. We found no difference between the reproducibility of the INVOS {ICC=0.92 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.90 to 0.93]} and Equanox [ICC=0.90 (95% CI 0.88 to 0.93)] in terms of ICCs (p=0.06). However, the Equanox [Sw=1.96 (95% CI 1.91 to 2.02)] showed a better Sw than the INVOS [Sw=2.11 (95% CI 2.05 to 2.17)] (p=0.019). Also, when compared directly to stable condition, the readings produced by the two oximeters varied considerably [ICC 0.43 (95% CI 0.36 to 0.49)]. When taken individually, both tissue oximeters displayed good reproducibility, the Equanox being slightly better than the INVOS in terms of absolute reproducibility. However, when compared, the oximeters showed poor interdevices agreement. Reference values were also described.