Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Prehospital Intervention and Survival of Patients With Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Osaka City, Japan.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic may have influenced the prehospital emergency care and deaths of individuals experiencing an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).Methods and Results: We analyzed the registry data of 2,420 and 2,371 OHCA patients in Osaka City, Japan in 2019 and 2020, respectively, according to the 3 waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Patient outcomes were compared using multivariable logistic regression analyses with the 2019 data as the reference. Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was initiated significantly less frequently in 2020 than in 2019 (2019: 48.0%, 2020: 42.7%, P<0.001), particularly during the first wave (2019: 47.2%, 2020: 42.9%, P=0.046) and second wave (2019: 48.1%, 2020: 41.2%, P=0.010), but not during the third wave (2019: 49.2%, 2020: 44.1%, P=0.066). The public-access automated external defibrillator was less frequently applied during the first wave (2019: 12.6%, 2020: 9.9%, P=0.043), with no significant difference during the second wave (2019: 12.5%, 2020: 12.8%, P=0.863) and third wave (2019: 13.7%, 2020: 13.0%, P=0.722). There was a significant difference in 1-month survival with favorable neurological outcomes (2019: 4.6%, 2020: 3.3%, P=0.018), with a 28% reduction in the adjusted odds ratio in 2020 (0.72; 95% confidence interval: 0.52-0.99, P=0.044). CONCLUSIONS: Bystander CPR and neurologically favorable outcomes after OHCA decreased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.

Pre-hospital portable monitoring of cerebral regional oxygen saturation (rSO2) by ambulance personnel during cardiopulmonary resuscitation: A prospective observational analysis of 87 cases in Osaka city, Japan.

BACKGROUND: Regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) is a non-invasive method of measuring cerebral perfusion; However, serial changes in cerebral rSO2 values among out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients in pre-hospital settings have not been sufficiently investigated. We aimed to investigate the association between the serial change in rSO2 pattern and patient outcome. METHODS: We evaluated rSO2 in OHCA patients using portable monitoring by emergency life-saving technicians (ELTs) from June 2013 to December 2019 in Osaka City, Japan. We divided the patterns of serial of rSO2 change into type 1 (increasing pattern) and type 2 (non-increasing pattern). Patients in whom measurement started after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) were excluded. The outcome measures were 'Prehospital ROSC', 'Alive at admission', '1-month survival' and 'Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) 1 or 2'. RESULTS: Eighty-seven patients were eligible for this analysis (type 1: n = 40, median age: 80.5 [IQR: 72-85.5] years, male: n = 20 [50.0%]; type 2: n = 47, 81 [72-85.5] years, male: n = 28 [59.6%]). In a multivariable logistic regression adjusted for confounding factors, outcomes of 'Prehospital ROSC' and 'Alive at admission' were significantly higher in type 1 than type 2 pattern (11/40 [27.5%] vs. 2/47 [4.26%], AOR 5.67, 95% CI 1.04-30.96, p < 0.045 and 17/40 [42.5%] vs. 6/41 [12.8%], AOR 3.56, 95% CI 1.11-11.43, p < 0.033). There was no significant difference in '1-month survival' and 'CPC 1 or 2' between patterns. CONCLUSION: Type 1 (increasing pattern) was associated with 'Prehospital ROSC' and 'Alive at admission'. Pre-hospital monitoring of cerebral rSO2 might lead to a new resuscitation strategy.

A Mobile App for Self-Triage for Pediatric Emergency Patients in Japan: 4 Year Descriptive Epidemiological Study.

BACKGROUND: When children suffer sudden illness or injury, many parents wonder whether they should go to the hospital immediately or call an ambulance. In 2015, we developed a mobile app that allows parents or guardians to determine the urgency of their child's condition or call an ambulance and that indicates available hospitals and clinics when their child is suddenly sick or injured by simple selection of the child's chief complaints and symptoms. However, the effectiveness of medical apps used by the general public has not been well evaluated. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to clarify the use profile of this mobile app based on data usage in the app. METHODS: This study was a descriptive epidemiological study with a 4-year study period running from January 2016 to December 2019. We included cases in which the app was used either by the children themselves or by their parents and other guardians. Cases in which the app was downloaded but never actually used were excluded from this study. Continuous variables are presented as median and IQR, and categorical variables are presented as actual number and percentages. RESULTS: The app was used during the study period for 59,375 children whose median age was 1 year (IQR 0-3 years). The app was used for 33,874 (57.05%) infants, 16,228 (27.33%) toddlers, 8102 (13.65%) elementary school students, and 1117 (1.88%) junior high school students, with 54 (0.09%) having an unknown status. Furthermore, 31,519 (53.08%) were male and 27,329 (46.03%) were female, with sex being unknown for 527 (0.89%) children. "Sickness" was chosen for 49,101 (78.51%) patients, and "injury, poisoning, foreign, substances and others" was chosen for 13,441 (21.49%). For "sickness," "fever" was the most commonly selected option (22,773, 36.41%), followed by "cough" (4054, 6.48%), and "nausea/vomiting" (3528, 5.64%), whereas for "injury, poisoning, foreign substances and others," "head and neck injury" was the most commonly selected option (3887, 6.22%), followed by "face and extremities injury" (1493, 2.39%) and "injury and foreign substances in eyes" (1255, 2.01%). CONCLUSIONS: This study clarified the profile of use of a self-triage app for pediatric emergency patients in Japan.

Influence of COVID-19 pandemic on bystander interventions, emergency medical service activities, and patient outcomes in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Osaka City, Japan.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic may have negatively affected bystander interventions, emergency medical service (EMS) personnel activities, and patient outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). This study assessed bystander interventions, EMS activities, and patient outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic era and compared them with those during the non-COVID-19 pandemic era in Osaka City, Japan, where public-access automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are well established. METHODS: We conducted this population-based cohort study that included all cases with non-traumatic OHCA treated by EMS personnel and excluded cases with no resuscitation attempt, traumatic cases, cases occurring in healthcare facilities, or cases witnessed by EMS personnel. Data were compared between the COVID-19 pandemic period (February 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020) and the non-COVID-19 pandemic period (February 1, 2019 to July 31, 2019). RESULTS: During the study periods, 1687 patients were eligible for analyses (COVID-19: n = 825; non-COVID-19: n = 862). Patients with OHCA during the COVID-19 pandemic period were significantly less likely to receive bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) (COVID-19: 33.0%; non-COVID-19: 41.3%; p < 0.001) and public-access AED pad application (COVID-19: 2.9%; non-COVID-19: 6.1%; p = 0.002) compared with patients during the non-COVID-19 pandemic period. There were no significant differences in 1-month survival with favorable neurological outcomes between the two periods (COVID-19: 4.6%; non-COVID-19: 6.1%; p = 0.196). CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic period did not affect patient outcomes after OHCA but changed bystander behaviors in Osaka City, Japan.

Influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on an emergency medical service system: a population-based, descriptive study in Osaka, Japan.

AIM: Novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) was confirmed in Wuhan, China in December 2019, and the COVID-19 pandemic has spread around the world. However, no clinical studies on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency medical service (EMS) systems have been carried out. METHODS: This was a retrospective study with a study period from 1 January 2020 to 14 April 2020. We included the patients transported by ambulance for acute diseases and traffic accidents in Osaka city, Japan. The main outcome of this study was the difficulty in hospital acceptance. We calculated the rate of difficulty of hospital acceptance for each month for acute diseases and traffic accidents. RESULTS: Between 1 January and 14 April 2020, 36,981 patients were transported to hospitals by ambulance for acute diseases and 3,096 patients for traffic accidents. There was no difference in the proportion of the difficulty in hospital acceptance due to traffic accidents between 2019 and 2020, but there was an increase in the proportion of the difficulty in hospital acceptance due to acute disease after the 13th week (25-31 March) of 2020 compared to that of 2019. The odds ratio in April was 2.17 (95% confidence interval, 1.84-2.58) for acute disease. CONCLUSION: We assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the EMS system in Osaka City, Japan and found that, since April 2020, the EMS system in Osaka City has been facing difficulty in terms of hospital acceptance of patients transported to hospital for acute diseases.

Gender disparities in the application of public-access AED pads among OHCA patients in public locations.

BACKGROUND: Female out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients have been reported to be less likely to receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation by bystanders compared with male patients in prehospital settings. However, no clinical studies have investigated gender disparities in the application of public-access automated external defibrillator (AED) pads among OHCA patients in public locations. METHODS: OHCA data from 2011 to 2018 were obtained from the OHCA registry in Osaka City, Japan and OHCAs that occurred in public locations were included. Gender differences in receiving public-access AED pad application by bystanders were assessed according to the age of the OHCA patient (<15, 15-49, 50-74, and ≥75 years) after controlling confounders. RESULTS: The analysis included 4358 OHCA patients (3313 male and 1045 female patients). The multivariable logistic regression analyses found no significant gender differences in the likelihood of public-access AED pad application among patients aged <15 years (5.3% in male patients vs 6.3% in female patients; adjusted OR = 1.00, p = 1.000), 50-74 years (16.8% vs 12.7%; adjusted OR = 0.96, p = 0.796), and ≥75 years (12.3% vs 14.8%; adjusted OR = 1.45, p = 0.098). In contrast, among patients aged 15-49 years, female patients were significantly less likely to receive public-access AED pad application compared with male patients (12.1% vs 5.2%; adjusted OR = 0.54, p = 0.032). CONCLUSION: In this population, female OHCA patients of reproductive age (15-49 years) were less likely to receive public-access AED pad application compared with male patients of the same age group.

Characteristics of Sports-Related Emergency Transport: A Population-Based Descriptive Study in Osaka City.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the characteristics of emergency patients transported to hospital while participating in sports activity. Hence, we identified characteristics of emergency patients transported to hospital by emergency medical service (EMS) while participating in sports activity in Osaka City. METHODS: Population-based ambulance records of Osaka Municipal Fire Department were reviewed. All sports-related emergency transport cases (ie, patients experiencing external injury or illness during/immediately after participation in sports activity and then transported to hospital by the EMS) were enrolled, including both athletes and recreational sports participants. The study was performed from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2015. Data of patient characteristics were described according to the type of sports. RESULTS: During the study, 661,190 patients required emergency transport in Osaka city; 2,642 (0.4%) were sports-related emergency transport, including 2,453 external injuries and 298 illnesses. Overall, 79.0% of patients were men and 44.4% were less than 18 years. Emergency transport during ball games accounts for the majority of cases (71.5%, 1,888/2,642), including baseball (n = 380), soccer (n = 368), and futsal (n = 209). The leading diagnosis/symptom of external injury was fracture/bone contusion (n = 701) and that of illness was heatstroke/dehydration (n = 184). Serious acute illness, such as sudden cardiac arrest, accounted for 0.6% (16/2,751) of all accidents, with half of them (n = 8) related to long-distance running. CONCLUSION: Characteristics of sports-related accidents widely varied by type of sports. Measures to prevent serious accidents during sports activities should be established based on the information on patient characteristics of each type of sports.

Public-access automated external defibrillator pad application and favorable neurological outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in public locations: A prospective population-based propensity score-matched study.

BACKGROUND: Randomized controlled trials or observational studies showed that the use of public-access automated external defibrillator (AED) was effective for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). However, it is unclear whether public-access AED use is effective for all patients with OHCA irrespective of first documented rhythm. We aimed to evaluate the effect of public-access AED use for OHCA patients considering first documented rhythm (shockable or non-shockable) in public locations. METHODS: From the Utstein-style registry in Osaka City, Japan, we obtained information on adult patients with OHCA of medical origin in public locations before emergency-medical-service personnel arrival between 2011 and 2015. Primary outcome was 1-month survival with favorable neurological outcome. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between the public-access AED pad application and favorable neurological outcome after OHCA by using one-to-one propensity score matching analysis. RESULTS: Among 1743 eligible patients, a total of 336 (19.3%) patients received public-access AED pad application. The proportion of patients who survived 1-month with favorable neurological outcome was significantly higher in the pad application group than in the non-pad application group (29.8% vs. 9.7%; adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.73-4.68, AOR after propensity score matching, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.29-4.68). In a subgroup analysis, the AORs of patients with shockable or non-shockable rhythms were 3.36 (95% CI, 1.78-6.35) and 2.38 (95% CI, 0.89-6.34), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Public-access AED pad application was associated with better outcome among patients with OHCA of medical origin in public locations irrespective of first documented rhythm.

Effectiveness of dispatcher instructions-dependent or independent bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation on neurological survival among patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the association between survival and bystandercardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with or without dispatcher instructions (DI) considering the time from emergency call receipt by the dispatch center to emergency medical services (EMS) personnel's contact with the patient (i.e. time to EMS arrival). METHODS: This prospective study conducted in Osaka City, Japan, from 2009 to 2015 included patients with medical cause-related out-of-hospital cardiac arrest who were ≥18 years old. The primary outcome was one-month favorable neurological survival. Using multiple logistic regression models, the adjusted odds ratios (AOR) of independent and DI-dependent CPR for the primary outcome were compared with no CPR. Adjustments were made for patients' age, sex, activities of daily living before the cardiac arrest, year of cardiac arrest, location, presence or absence of witnesses, etiology of cardiac arrest, and the time from EMS contact with the patient to patient's arrival at the hospital. The effective estimated "time to EMS arrival" was also calculated. RESULTS: For analyses 10,925 individuals were eligible. Independent CPR had a significantly higher one-month favorable neurological survival than no CPR whereas there was no significant difference between DI-dependent CPR and no CPR (AOR, 1.90 [1.47-2.46] and 1.16 [0.91-1.47], respectively). The estimated "time to EMS arrival" for a one-month favorable neurological survival after independent CPR was ≤13min. CONCLUSIONS: Bystander CPR that did not need DI was associated with significantly higher one-month favorable neurological survival than no CPR, with an effective estimated "time to EMS arrival" of ≤13min.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation performed by off-duty medical professionals versus laypersons and survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest among adult patients.

BACKGROUND: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performed by bystanders is a key factor for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between CPR performed by off-duty medical professionals vs. laypersons and one-month survival with favorable neurological outcome after OHCA. METHODS: Using a population-based database of OHCA patients in Osaka City, Japan, from 2013 through 2015, we enrolled adult OHCA patients with resuscitation attempts performed by bystanders before the arrival of emergency-medical-service personnel. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between CPR performed by off-duty medical professionals vs. laypersons and the OHCA outcome after adjusting for potential confounding factors. The primary outcome measure was one-month survival with favorable neurological outcome, defined as cerebral performance category of 1 or 2. RESULTS: A total of 2326 subjects were eligible for our study. Among these, 365 (15.7%) patients received CPR by off-duty medical professionals and 1,961 (84.3%) received CPR by laypersons. In the multivariable analysis, there was no difference in favorable neurological outcome between off-duty medical professionals (6.3% [23/365]) and laypersons (5.1% [100/1,961]) among eligible patients (adjusted odds ratio 0.83, 95% confidence interval [0.37-2.06]). This finding was also confirmed in propensity score-matched patients. CONCLUSIONS: In Japan where the CPR training or bystander CPR has been widely disseminating, CPR by laypersons had similar effects compared to that by off-duty medical professionals. As this study could not assess the quality of bystander CPR, further studies are essential to verify the effects of the bystander CPR type on OHCA patients.

Characteristics and Outcomes of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Occurring While in a Motor Vehicle.

This study aimed to investigate the incidence, patient characteristics, and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) occurring while in a motor vehicle in Osaka City, Japan (with a population of 2.6 million), from 2009 to 2015. The OHCA data used in this study were obtained from the population-based Utstein-style registry in Osaka City. Patients who had OHCA occurring while in a motor vehicle were included. The primary end point was 1-month survival with favorable neurologic outcome after OHCA. During the study period, 18,458 OHCAs were observed, and 264 of them (1.4%) occurred while on or in a motor vehicle (drivers, n = 179; nondrivers, n = 85). The overall incidence rate of OHCAs occurring while in a motor vehicle was 14.0 per million population per year (drivers, 9.5; nondrivers, 4.5). In the drivers with OHCAs, 78 (43.6%) and 101 (56.4%) cases were of medical origin and traffic injuries, respectively. Approximately half of OHCAs with a medical origin in drivers presumably occurred while driving (46.2%, 36 of 78). The overall proportion of 1-month survival with favorable neurologic outcome after OHCA was 6.4% (17 of 264). In the drivers, the proportion of OHCAs with a medical origin and because of traffic injuries were 11.5% (9 of 78) and 2.0% (2 of 101) (p = 0.008), respectively. In conclusion, although OHCAs occurring while in a motor vehicle represented a small subset of the overall OHCA burden, a relatively large number of cardiac arrests with a medical origin occurred in drivers.

Factors associated with prehospital death among traffic accident patients in Osaka City, Japan: A population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: Although it is important to assess the factors associated with traffic accident fatalities to decrease them as a matter of public health, such factors have not been fully identified. METHODS: Using a large-scale data set of ambulance records in Osaka City, Japan, we retrospectively analyzed all traffic accident patients transported to hospitals by emergency medical service personnel from 2013 to 2014. In this study, prehospital death was defined as that occurring at the scene or in the emergency department immediately after hospital arrival. We assessed prehospital factors associated with prehospital death due to traffic accidents by logistic regression models. RESULTS: This study enrolled 28,903 emergency patients involved in traffic accidents, of whom 68 died prehospital. In a multivariate model, elderly patients aged ≥75 years (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 4.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.29-8.23), nighttime (AOR = 2.75; 95% CI, 1.65-4.70), and type of injured person compared to bicyclists such as pedestrians (AOR = 9.58; 95% CI, 5.07-17.99), motorcyclists (AOR = 2.75; 95% CI, 1.21-6.24), and car occupants (AOR = 2.98; 95% CI, 1.39-6.40) were significantly associated with prehospital death due to traffic accidents. In addition, the AOR for automobile versus nonautomobile as the collision opponent was 4.76 (95% CI, 2.30-9.88). CONCLUSIONS: In this population, the factors associated with prehospital death due to traffic accidents were elderly people, nighttime, and pedestrian as the type of patient. The proportion of prehospital deaths due to traffic accidents was also high when the collision component was an automobile.

Evaluation of factors associated with the difficulty in finding receiving hospitals for traffic accident patients at the scene treated by emergency medical services: a population-based study in Osaka City, Japan.

Aim: Although the prolongation of the time between injury and hospital arrival of traffic accident patients can influence their prognosis, factors associated with the difficulty in hospital acceptance of these patients have not been sufficiently evaluated in Japan. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the population-based ambulance records of all traffic accident patients for whom the Osaka Municipal Fire Department (Osaka City, Japan) dispatched an ambulance in 2013. We defined "cases with difficulty in hospital acceptance" as cases that required ≥4 calls by emergency medical service personnel at the scene before receiving hospital acceptance. We included patient characteristics (age, sex, coma status, and trauma severity judged by emergency medical service personnel), time factors (day/night or weekday/holiday and weekends), and accident location for multivariable logistic regression analysis to assess factors associated with the difficulty in hospital acceptance. Results: Among 13,427 traffic accident patients, 2,033 (15.1%) were cases with difficulty in hospital acceptance. Pediatric patients (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.265; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.060-1.509), male sex (adjusted OR, 1.260; 95% CI, 1.135-1.398), moderate-grade trauma (adjusted OR, 2.241; 95% CI, 1.972-2.547), severe-grade trauma (adjusted OR, 2.057; 95% CI, 1.249-3.388), holidays and weekends (adjusted OR, 1.702; 95% CI, 1.539-1.882), and night-time (adjusted OR, 2.720; 95% CI, 2.443-3.027) were positively associated with difficulty in hospital acceptance. Conclusions: Using population-based ambulance records from a large urban community in Japan, we showed that the difficulty in hospital acceptance of patients at the scene of traffic accidents was positively associated with several prehospital factors.

Improvements in Patient Acceptance by Hospitals Following the Introduction of a Smartphone App for the Emergency Medical Service System: A Population-Based Before-and-After Observational Study in Osaka City, Japan.

BACKGROUND: Recently, the number of ambulance dispatches has been increasing in Japan, and it is therefore difficult for hospitals to accept emergency patients smoothly and appropriately because of the limited hospital capacity. To facilitate the process of requesting patient transport and hospital acceptance, an emergency information system using information technology (IT) has been built and introduced in various communities. However, its effectiveness has not been thoroughly revealed. We introduced a smartphone app system in 2013 that enables emergency medical service (EMS) personnel to share information among themselves regarding on-scene ambulances and the hospital situation. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the effects of introducing this smartphone app on the EMS system in Osaka City, Japan. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed the population-based ambulance records of Osaka Municipal Fire Department. The study period was 6 years, from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2015. We enrolled emergency patients for whom on-scene EMS personnel conducted hospital selection. The main endpoint was the difficulty experienced in gaining hospital acceptance at the scene. The definition of difficulty was making ≥5 phone calls by EMS personnel at the scene to hospitals until a decision to transport was determined. The smartphone app was introduced in January 2013, and we compared the patients treated from 2010 to 2012 (control group) with those treated from 2013 to 2015 (smartphone app group) using an interrupted time-series analysis to assess the effects of introducing this smartphone app. RESULTS: A total of 600,526 emergency patients for whom EMS personnel selected hospitals were eligible for our analysis. There were 300,131 emergency patients in the control group (50.00%, 300,313/600,526) from 2010 to 2012 and 300,395 emergency patients in the smartphone app group (50.00%, 300,395/600,526) from 2013 to 2015. The rate of difficulty in hospital acceptance was 14.19% (42,585/300,131) in the control group and 10.93% (32,819/300,395) in the smartphone app group. No change over time in the number of difficulties in hospital acceptance was found before the introduction of the smartphone app (regression coefficient: -2.43, 95% CI -5.49 to 0.64), but after its introduction, the number of difficulties in hospital acceptance gradually decreased by month (regression coefficient: -11.61, 95% CI -14.57 to -8.65). CONCLUSIONS: Sharing information between an ambulance and a hospital by using the smartphone app at the scene was associated with decreased difficulty in obtaining hospital acceptance. Our app and findings may be worth considering in other areas of the world where emergency medical information systems with IT are needed.

Factors associated with the difficulty in hospital acceptance among elderly emergency patients: A population-based study in Osaka City, Japan.

AIM: We aimed to investigate prehospital factors associated with difficulty in hospital acceptance among elderly emergency patients. METHODS: We reviewed ambulance records in Osaka City from January 2013 through December 2014, and enrolled all elderly emergency patients aged ≥65 years who were transported by on-scene emergency medical service personnel to a hospital that the personnel had selected. The definition of difficulty in hospital acceptance was to the requirement for ≥4 phone calls to hospitals by emergency medical service personnel before receiving a decision from the destination hospitals. Prehospital factors associated with difficulty in hospital acceptance were examined through logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: During the study period, 72 105 elderly patients were included, and 13 332 patients (18.5%) experienced difficulty in hospital acceptance. In the simple linear regression model, hospital selection time increased significantly with an increasing number of phone calls (R2  = 0.774). In the multivariable analysis, older age (P for trend <0.001), calls from a healthcare facility (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15-1.32), night-time (AOR 2.17, 95% CI 2.08-2.26) and weekend/holidays (AOR 1.43, 95% CI 1.38-1.49) were significantly associated with difficulty in hospital acceptance. A positive association was observed between gastrointestinal emergency-related symptoms and difficulty in hospital acceptance among elderly patients with symptoms of internal disease (AOR 1.71, 95% CI 1.53-1.91). CONCLUSIONS: In Japan, which has a rapidly aging population, a comprehensive strategy for elderly emergency patients, especially for advanced age groups or nursing home residents, is required. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 2441-2448.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests during exercise among urban inhabitants in Japan: Insights from a population-based registry of Osaka City.

BACKGROUND: The patient characteristics, pre-hospital interventions, and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) occurring during exercise, have not been sufficiently investigated among the general population. METHODS: OHCA data from 2009 to 2015 were obtained from the population-based OHCA registry in Osaka City, Japan. Patients who suffered OHCA, which occurred during exercise before the arrival of emergency medical service personnel, were included. The primary endpoint was one-month survival with a favourable neurological outcome after OHCA, defined using the Glasgow-Pittsburgh cerebral performance category scale 1 or 2. RESULTS: During the 7-year study period, 16,278 OHCAs were observed, and 52 (0.3%) occurred during exercise (male, n=41 [79%]; median age, 62 years). These incidents occurred mainly during running activities (n=14), followed by swimming (n=8), dance/social dance (n=6), tennis (n=4), and weight training (n=3). Within these exercise-related OHCAs, 47 (90%) were of cardiac origin, 45 (87%) were bystander-witnessed cardiac arrests, 49 (94%) received bystander-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and 30 (57%) received public-access defibrillation (PAD). Overall, 56% (29/52) had one-month survival with a favourable neurological outcome after OHCA, which was significantly higher among OHCAs of cardiac origin with PAD (77%, 23/30) than among those of cardiac origin without PAD (35%, 6/17) and among those of non-cardiac origin (0%, 0/5) (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: In Osaka, OHCAs during exercise represented a small subset of the overall OHCA burden, but occurred during a wide variety of exercise activities. Patients with OHCA of cardiac origin had a good prognosis, and PAD played an important role in improving patient outcomes.

Factors associated with the difficulty in hospital acceptance at the scene by emergency medical service personnel: a population-based study in Osaka City, Japan.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between the difficulty in hospital acceptance at the scene by emergency medical service (EMS) personnel and prehospital demographic factors and reasons for EMS calls. DESIGN: A retrospective, observational study. SETTING: Osaka City, Japan. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 100 649 patients transported to medical institutions by EMS from January 2013 to December 2013. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: The definition of difficulty in hospital acceptance at the scene was EMS personnel making ≥5 phone calls to medical institutions until a decision to transport was determined. Multivariable analysis was used to assess the relationship between difficulty in hospital acceptance and prehospital factors and reasons for EMS calls. RESULTS: Multivariable analysis showed the elderly, foreigners, loss of consciousness, holiday/weekend, and night-time to be positively associated with difficulty in hospital acceptance at the scene. As reasons for EMS calls, gas poisoning (adjusted OR 3.281, 95% CI 1.201 to 8.965), trauma by assault (adjusted OR 2.662, 95% CI 2.390 to 2.966), self-induced drug abuse/gas poisoning (adjusted OR 4.527, 95% CI 3.921 to 5.228) and self-induced trauma (adjusted OR 1.708, 95% CI 1.369 to 2.130) were positively associated with the difficulty in hospital acceptance at the scene. CONCLUSIONS: Ambulance records in Osaka City showed that certain prehospital factors such as night-time were positively associated with difficulty in hospital acceptance at the scene, and reasons for EMS calls, such as self-induced drug abuse/gas poisoning, were also positive predictors for difficulty in hospital acceptance at the scene.

Pre-hospital portable monitoring of cerebral regional oxygen saturation (rSO2) in seven patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, measurement of cerebral regional oxygen saturation (rSO2) has attracted attention during resuscitation. However, serial changes of cerebral rSO2 in pre-hospital settings are unclear. The objective of this study was to clarify serial changes in cerebral rSO2 of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in the pre-hospital setting. METHODS: We recently developed a portable rSO2 monitor that is small (170 × 100 × 50 mm in size and 600 g in weight) enough to carry in pre-hospital settings. The sensor is attached to the patient's forehead by the ELT (Emergency Life-saving Technician), and it monitors rSO2 continuously. RESULTS: From June 2013 through August 2014, serial changes in cerebral rSO2 in seven patients were evaluated. According to the results of the serial changes in rSO2, four patterns of rSO2 change were found, as follows. Type 1: High rSO2 (around about 60 %) type (n = 1). Initial electrocardiogram was ventricular fibrillation and ROSC (return of spontaneous circulation) could be diagnosed in pre-hospital setting. Her outcome at discharge was Good Recovery (GR). Type 2: Low rSO2 (around about 45-50 %) type (n = 3). They did not get ROSC even once. Type 3: Gradually decreasing rSO2 type (n = 2): ROSC could be diagnosed in hospital, but not in pre-hospital setting. Their outcomes at discharge were not GR. Type 4: other type (n = 1). In this patient with ROSC when ELT started cerebral rSO2 measurement, cerebral rSO2 was 67.3 % at measurement start, it dropped gradually to 54.5 %, and then rose to 74.3 %. The cerebral oxygenation was impaired due to possible cardiac arrest again, and after that, ROSC led to the recovery of cerebral blood flow. CONCLUSION: We could measure serial changes in cerebral rSO2 in seven patients with OHCA in the pre-hospital setting. Our data suggest that pre-hospital monitoring of cerebral rSO2 might lead to a new resuscitation strategy.

High-rise buildings and neurologically favorable outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

BACKGROUND: The number of people living in high-rise buildings has recently been increasing in Japan, and delayed transport time by emergency-medical-service (EMS) personnel from higher floors could lead to lower survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). However, there are no clinical studies assessing the association between the floor where patients reside and neurologically favorable outcome after OHCA. METHODS: This was a prospective, population-based study conducted in Osaka City, Japan that enrolled adults aged >=18years suffering an OHCA of cardiac origin before EMS arrival between 2013 and 2014. The primary outcome measure was one-month survival with neurologically favorable outcome. We divided OHCA patients into the following groups: those residing on >=3 floors (the high floor group) and <3 floors (the low floor group). Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess factors associated with neurologically favorable outcome. RESULTS: A total of 2979 patients were eligible for analysis. Of them, 1885 (62.3%) occurred below the third floor and 1094 (37.4%) occurred at or above the third floor. The proportion of neurologically favorable outcome after OHCA was significantly lower in the high floor group than in the low floor group (2.7% [30/1094] versus 4.8% [91/1885], P=0.005). In a multivariate analysis, neurologically favorable outcome after OHCA was significantly lower in the high floor group than in the low floor group (adjusted odds ratio, 0.59 [95% confidence interval, 0.37-0.96]). CONCLUSIONS: In this population, one-month survival with neurologically favorable outcome from OHCA was lower in the high floor group than in the low floor group.

Incidence and outcomes of emergency self-harm among adolescents: a descriptive epidemiological study in Osaka City, Japan.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the incidence and outcomes of self-harm from ambulance records. DESIGN: A retrospective, observational study. SETTING: Osaka City, Japan. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 365 adolescents aged 10-19 years with emergency self-harm such as poisoning by drugs or gas, cutting skin, jumping from heights, hanging and drowning and treated by emergency medical service personnel from January 2010 through December 2012. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Incidence per 100 000 persons and outcome at the scene or hospital arrival by age and gender. Poisson regression models for incidence evaluation were used; reporting relative risks (RRs) and their 95% CIs. RESULTS: During the study period, a total of 425 self-harm events were documented in 365 adolescents. The incidence of self-harm increased significantly between the ages of 11 and 19 years, from 6.3 to 81.0 among boys and the ages of 12 and 19 years from 6.3 to 228.3 among girls, respectively (both p<0.001). Although there was no incidence difference between girls and boys in the group aged 11-14 years (RR 1.20; 95% CI 0.59 to 2.47), the incidence was significantly higher among girls than boys in the group aged 15-19 years (RR 4.18; 95% CI 3.20 to 5.45). The overall proportion of death by self-harm was 4.9%. The proportion of hospital admission and death by self-harm was higher among boys than among girls (38.6% vs 25.2%, p=0.016 and 14.8% vs 2.4%, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of emergency treatment for self-harm by adolescents increased with age and our findings also demonstrated the gender paradox. It would be necessary to establish active, gender-specific and comprehensive prevention strategies for adolescent self-harm, based on our findings showing the age and gender differences of self-harm among adolescents.