The impact of response time reliability on CPR incidence and resuscitation success: a benchmark study from the German Resuscitation Registry.

INTRODUCTION: Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the most frequent causes of death in the world. In highly qualified emergency medical service (EMS) systems, including well trained emergency physicians, spontaneous circulation may be restored in up to 53% of patients at least until admission to hospital. Compared with these highly qualified EMS systems, in other systems markedly lower success rates are observed. These data clearly show that there are considerable differences between EMS systems concerning treatment success following cardiac arrest and resuscitation, although in all systems international guidelines for resuscitation are used. This study investigates the impact of response time reliability (RTR) on cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) incidence and resuscitation success using return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after cardiac arrest (RACA) score and data from seven German EMS systems participating in the German Resuscitation Registry. METHODS: Anonymized patient data after out of hospital cardiac arrest from 2006 to 2009 of seven EMS systems in Germany were analysed to socioeconomic factors (population, area, EMS unit hours), process quality (response time reliability, CPR incidence, special CPR measures, prehospital cooling), patient factors (age, gender, cause of cardiac arrest, bystander CPR). Endpoints were defined as ROSC, admission to hospital, 24 hour survival and hospital discharge rate. For statistical analyses, chi-square, odds-ratio and Bonferroni correction were used. RESULTS: 2,330 prehospital CPR from seven centres were included in this analysis. Incidence of sudden cardiac arrest differs from 36.0 to 65.1/100,000 inhabitants/year. We identified two EMS systems (RTR < 70%) reaching the patients within eight minutes in 62.0% and 65.6% while the other five EMS systems (RTR > 70%) achieved 70.4 up to 95.5%. EMS systems arriving relatively later at the patients side (RTR < 70%) less frequently initiate CPR and admit fewer patients alive to hospital (calculated per 100,000 inhabitants/year) (CPR incidence (1/100,000 inhabitants/year) RTR > 70% = 57.2 vs RTR < 70% = 36.1, OR = 1.586 (99% CI = 1.383 to 1.819); P < 0.01) (admitted to hospital with ROSC (1/100,000 inhabitants/year) RTR > 70% = 24.4 vs RTR < 70% = 15.6, OR = 1.57 (99% CI = 1.274 to 1.935); P < 0.01). Using ROSC rate and the multivariate RACA score to predict outcome, the two groups did not differ, but ROSC rates were higher than predicted in both groups (ROSC RTR > 70% = 46.6% vs RTR < 70% = 47.3%, OR = 0.971 (95% CI = 0.787 to 1.196); P = n.s.) (ROSC RACA RTR > 70% = 42.4% vs RTR < 70% = 39.5%, OR = 1.127 (95% CI = 0.911 to 1.395); P = n.s.). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that on the level of EMS systems, faster ones will more often initiate CPR and will increase number of patients admitted to hospital alive. Furthermore it is shown that with very different approaches, all adhering to and intensely training in the ERC guidelines 2005, superior and, according to international comparison, excellent success rates following resuscitation may be achieved.

The C-MAC videolaryngoscope for prehospital emergency intubation: a prospective, multicentre, observational study.

BACKGROUND: In this preliminary prospective observational study at four physician-led air rescue centres, the efficacy of the C-MAC (Karl Storz, Tuttlingen, Germany), a new portable videolaryngoscope, was evaluated during prehospital emergency endotracheal intubations. METHODS: 80 consecutive patients requiring prehospital emergency intubation, treated by a physician introduced in the use of the C-MAC were enrolled in this study. RESULTS: Indication for prehospital intubation was trauma in 45 cases (including maxillo-facial trauma in 10 cases), cardiopulmonary resuscitation in 14 cases, and unconsciousness of neurological aetiology and cardiogenic dyspnoea in 21 cases. Forty-nine patients were intubated with a C-MAC blade size 3, and 31 with a C-MAC blade size 4. Median time to successful intubation was 20 (min-max: 5-300) seconds; 63 patients were intubated on the first attempt, 13 on the second and four after more than two attempts. A Cormack-Lehane class 1 view of the glottis was seen in 46 patients, class 2a view in 21, class 2b in eight, class 3 in three and class 4 in two. Six patients could not be intubated with the videolaryngoscopic view, but were successfully intubated at the same attempt using the C-MAC with the direct laryngoscopic view. CONCLUSION: The C-MAC videolaryngoscope was suitable for prehospital emergency endotracheal intubations with complicated airway conditions, such as maxillo-facial trauma. The option to perform direct laryngoscopy and videolaryngoscopy with the same device appears to be exceptionally important in the prehospital setting.

[Case Report: prehospital treatment on a major injured motorcycle driver]. / Kasuistik interaktiv: Verkehrsunfall - Präklinische Versorgung eines polytraumatisierten Motorradfahrers.

This case report describes the prehospital care of a 42-year-old person damaged by a severe motorcycle accident in a rural scene. The injured person was unconscious, one pupil was dilated and rib fractures were palpable. Purposeful therapy without delay was necessary. The prehospital therapy took 35 minutes in total. The time benefit by using a rescue helicopter is illustrated: time to initial treatment is minimized and duration of transport as well - direct transport to a trauma center is possible.

[Non-invasive ventilation in prehospital emergency medicine - contra]. / Die nicht invasive Beatmung in der Notfallmedizin - Contra.

The non-invasive ventilation (NIV) has been practiced successfully for years in the clinical routine. Now this therapeutic option should be transferred in the pre hospital emergency service. But there are many risks, they must be mentioned: As a matter of fact an effective clinical therapy can not be brought to the streets easily - even if there are good and well-tried conservative therapies and just at last just a few patients.

[Inter-hospital transfer of patients in intensive care treatment. A systematic review]. / Interhospitaltransfer - Indikationen, Ablauf und Organisation.

An obvious trend of concentrating treatment options on specialized centres may take effect later in an increased need for inter-hospital transfer. Patients initially referred to secondary or tertiary hospitals require a safe and systematically organised transport in order to ensure a continuation of initiated actions in intensive care. This review will focus of appropriate preparations, equipment and transport modalities, possible sources of shortcomings as well as solutions of conflicts during inter-hospital transfers.

[Case report: prehospital therapy of the severely burned patient]. / Kasuistik interaktiv: grossflächige Verbrühung - Das Einmaleins der Brandverletzten-Versorgung.

On the basis of a case report the prehospital management of severely burned patients is discussed. The prevention of hypovolemia, hypothermia or hypoxemia are the primary targets. It is necessary to estimate the burn size and depth. The burn shock fluid resuscitation, prevention of hypothermia, pain- and airway management are described as well as the transport from the scene of accident to a proximal emergency unit or to a specialized burn intensive care unit.

[Case report: severe polytrauma after traffic accident]. / Kasuistik interaktiv: Schwerer Verkehrsunfall--Eingeklemmt, und die Zeit läuft.

This case report describes the prehospital care of a person with severe polytrauma due to being jammed in a vehicle in a traffic accident. After understanding the forces involved in causing the trauma, the therapy of impaired vital functions is demonstrated with particular regard to time management. Use of a rescue helicopter allowed for minimizing the delay to initial treatment as well as the duration of transport.

[Hypothermia after cardiac arrest--daily trained clinical practice? A survey at northern Germany hospitals]. / Milde Hypothermie nach Reanimation--Standardtherapie an norddeutschen Krankenhäusern?

Hypothermia after out of hospital cardiac arrest should be clinical practice for years. But is it really meanwhile daily trained practice? A survey at northern German hospitals gives an answer to this question.