Comparison of out of hospital cardiac arrest due to acute brain injury vs other causes.

BACKGROUND: Acute brain injury (ABI) can cause out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). The aim of this study was to compare clinical features, mortality and potential for organ donation in patients with OHCA due to ABI vs other causes. METHODS: From January 2017 to December 2018, all adult patients presenting to ED for OHCA were considered for the study. Two physicians established the definitive cause of OHCA, according to clinical, laboratory, diagnostic imaging and autoptic findings. Clinical features in patients with OHCA due to ABI or other causes were compared. RESULTS: 280 patients were included in the analysis. ABI was the third most frequent cause of OHCA (21, 7.5%); ABIs were 8 subarachnoid hemorrhage, 8 intracerebral hemorrhage, 2 ischemic stroke, 2 traumatic spinal cord injury and 1 status epilepticus respectively. Neurological prodromes such as seizure, headache and focal neurological signs were significantly more frequent in patients with OHCA due to ABI (OR 5.34, p = 0.03; OR 12.90, p = 0.02; and OR 66.53, p < 0.01 respectively) while among non-neurological prodromes chest pain and dyspnea were significantly more frequent in patients with OHCA due to other causes (OR 14.5, p < 0.01; and OR 10.4, p = 0.02 respectively). Anisocoria was present in 19% of patients with OHCA due to ABI vs 2.7% due to other causes (OR 8.47, p < 0.01). In 90.5% of patients with ABI and in 53.1% of patients with other causes the first cardiac rhythm was non shockable (OR 8.1; p = 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that older age, active smoking, post-traumatic OHCA, neurological prodromes, anisocoria at pupillary examination were independently associated with OHCA due to ABI. Patients with ABI showed a higher mortality compared with the other causes group (19 pts., 90.5% versus 167 pts., 64.5%; p = 0.015). Potential organ donors were more frequent among ABI than other causes group (10 pts., 47.6% vs 75 pts., 28.9%) however the difference did not reach the statistical significance (p = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS: ABI is the third cause of OHCA. Neurological prodromes, absence of chest pain and dyspnea before cardiac arrest, anisocoria and initial non-shockable rhythm might suggest a neurological etiology of the cardiac arrest. Patients with OHCA due to ABI has an unfavorable outcome, however, they could be candidate to organ donation.

A challenging diagnosis of dyspnea: A case report of contralateral reexpansion pulmonary edema.

Reexpansion pulmonary edema (RPE) is an uncommon complication of thoracentesis or chest drainage. It occurs in the ipsilateral or contralateral lung. Causes, pathogenesis and therapy are not well understood especially for contralateral RPE. We describe a case of fatal contralateral RPE in a 59-years-old woman with right lung cancer underwent ultrasound-guided thoracentesis for massive pleural effusion and severe dyspnea. Pathogenesis of contralateral RPE is probably multifactorial and in this case is mostly due to the overperfusion of the healthy lung and consequent capillary damage. The right therapy for this condition is not known.

Predictive value of "Marsh 1" type histology in subjects with suspected cealic disease.

INTRODUCTION: The diagnosis of celiac disease (CD) is based on histology in combination with anti-tissue transglutaminase (a-tTG) and anti-endomysial antibodies (EMAs). The increase of intraepithelial lymphocytes defines the Marsh 1 histology that appears not to be specific for CD. AIM: To explore the positive predictive value (PPV) and clinical relevance of Marsh 1 histology in suspected CD. METHODS: We carried out an observational prospective study including all consecutive subjects with a Marsh 1 histology. All patients were tested for a-tTG and EMAs. Diagnosis of potential CD was defined in the presence of Marsh 1 with positive a-tTG and EMAs. Patients were investigated for symptoms, CD familial aggregation, other diseases, and current medication. RESULTS: Sixty-three patients with Marsh 1 were included. Diagnosis of potential CD was made in 23 subjects (36%), so that Marsh 1 histology showed a PPV of 36%. With regard to familial aggregation, patients with potential CD showed a higher frequency of familiarity for CD (60.8% vs. 15.0%; p < 0.01). No significant difference was detected between CD and non-CD in terms of intestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms. We also documented the presence of conditions other than CD in the remaining population: 7 patients (17.5%) with immuno-mediated diseases while 5 patients (12.5%) showed Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection. About medication, 3 patients (7.5%) were on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, while another 4 (10%) patients were being treated with other drugs. CONCLUSION: The Marsh 1 type histology is not specific for CD and it can also be associated with immuno-mediated disorders, HP infection, and drugs.

Diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care cardiac ultrasound for acute coronary syndromes in patients presenting with chest pain to the emergency department: a single-center prospective study.

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: The diagnostic accuracy of focused cardiac ultrasound (FoCUS) performed in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with chest pain is currently unknown. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of regional wall motion abnormalities detected with FoCUS for non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) diagnosis. DESIGN: A Single-center prospective observational study conducted in 2022 in the ED of the University Hospital Careggi, Italy. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Adult patients presenting to the ED with acute nontraumatic chest pain were enrolled, irrespective of the presence of previous regional wall motion abnormalities. Patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarctions and patients with hemodynamic instability were excluded. FoCUS was performed at presentation by a trained ED physician. OUTCOME MEASURES AND ANALYSIS: The final diagnosis of NSTE-ACS vs. alternative diagnosis was adjudicated by an ED physician blinded to FoCUS results after a 30-day follow-up. To assess if regional wall motion abnormalities were an independent predictor of NSTE-ACS, a multivariable logistic regression model was built. Diagnostic performance measures were calculated. A sensitivity analysis considering only type-1 NSTEMIs (i.e. plaque rupture/thrombosis) was conducted. MAIN RESULTS: Among 686 patients, NSTE-ACS was adjudicated in 106 (15.5%) patients, 67 of which were NSTEMIs. A total of 87 (12.7%) patients had regional wall motion abnormalities detected by FoCUS, which were an independent predictor of NSTE-ACS in the multivariable logistic regression analysis. Regional wall motion abnormalities had a sensitivity of 42.5% (33.0-51.9), a specificity of 92.8% (90.6-94.9), a negative predictive value of 89.8% (87.4-92.2), and a positive predictive value of 51.7% (41.2-62.2), for NSTE-ACS. Results were consistent in the sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSIONS: In ED patients with chest pain and no ST elevation, the detection of regional wall motion abnormalities was a predictor of NSTE-ACS. Despite a high specificity, which indicated a possible role of FoCUS in the rule-in of NSTE-ACS, sensitivity was too low to allow a safe rule-out using FoCUS results alone.

Lung Ultrasound Improves Outcome Prediction over Clinical Judgment in COVID-19 Patients Evaluated in the Emergency Department.

In the Emergency Department (ED), the decision to hospitalize or discharge COVID-19 patients is challenging. We assessed the utility of lung ultrasound (LUS), alone or in association with a clinical rule/score. This was a multicenter observational prospective study involving six EDs (NCT046291831). From October 2020 to January 2021, COVID-19 outpatients discharged from the ED based on clinical judgment were subjected to LUS and followed-up at 30 days. The primary clinical outcome was a composite of hospitalization or death. Within 393 COVID-19 patients, 35 (8.9%) reached the primary outcome. For outcome prognostication, LUS had a C-index of 0.76 (95%CI 0.68−0.84) and showed good performance and calibration. LUS-based classification provided significant differences in Kaplan−Meier curves, with a positive LUS leading to a hazard ratio of 4.33 (95%CI 1.95−9.61) for the primary outcome. The sensitivity and specificity of LUS for primary outcome occurrence were 74.3% (95%CI 59.8−88.8) and 74% (95%CI 69.5−78.6), respectively. The integration of LUS with a clinical score further increased sensitivity. In patients with a negative LUS, the primary outcome occurred in nine (3.3%) patients (p < 0.001 vs. unselected). The efficiency for rule-out was 69.7%. In unvaccinated ED patients with COVID-19, LUS improves prognostic stratification over clinical judgment alone and may support standardized disposition decisions.

A 4C mortality score based dichotomic rule supports Emergency Department discharge of COVID-19 patients.

BACKGROUND: For COVID-19 patients evaluated in the Emergency Department (ED), decision on hospital admission vs. home discharge is challenging. The 4C mortality score (4CMS) is a prognostication tool integrating key demographic/clinical/biochemical data validated for COVID-19 inpatients. We sought to derive and validate a dichotomic rule based on 4CMS identifying patients with mild outcomes, suitable for safe ED discharge. METHODS: Derivation was performed in a prospective cohort of ED patients with suspected COVID-19 from two centers (April 2020). Validation was pursued in a prospective multicenter cohort of ED patients with confirmed COVID-19 from 6 centers (October 2020 to January 2021). Chest X-ray (CXR) images were independently scored. The primary composite outcome was all-cause 30-day mortality or hospital admission. Secondary outcomes were ED re-visit, oxygen therapy and ventilation. RESULTS: In a derivation cohort of 838 ED patients with suspected COVID-19, 4CMS≤8 was associated with low outpatient mortality (0.4%) and was thus selected as a feasible discharge rule. In a validation cohort of 521 COVID-19 outpatients, the mean age was 51±17 years; 97 (18.6%) patients had ≥1 CXR infiltrate. The 4CMS had an AUC of 0.82 for the primary outcome and 0.93 for mortality, outperforming other scores (CURB-65, qCSI, qSOFA, NEWS) and CXR. In 474 (91%) patients with 4CMS≤8, the mortality rate was 0.2% and the hospital admission rate was 6.8%, versus 12.8% and 36.2% for 4CMS≥9 (P<0.001). CXR did not provide additional discrimination. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 outpatients with 4CMS≤8 have mild outcomes and can be safely discharged from the ED. [NCT0462918].

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in cardiac arrest: results of a hands-on training for a simplified TEE protocol.

BACKGROUND: Integration of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) with Focused Cardiac Ultrasound (FoCUS) can impact decision-making, assist in the diagnosis of reversible etiologies and help guiding resuscitation of patients with cardiac arrest. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the ability of emergency physicians (EPs) to obtain and maintain skills in performing resusTEE after a course with clinical training in the cardiac surgery theatre. METHODS: Ten EPs without previous TEE experience underwent a resusTEE course, based on a 2-h workshop and an 8-h hands-on training. The training was performed in a cardiac surgery theatre tutored by cardiovascular anesthesiologists. The six taught views were mid-esophageal four-chamber (ME4CH), mid-esophageal long axis (MELAX), mid-esophageal two-chamber (ME2CH), mid-esophageal bicaval view (MEbicaval), transgastric short axis (TGSAX) and aorta view (AOview). The EPs were evaluated by a cardiovascular anesthesiologist at the end of the course as well as after 12 weeks according to a standardized evaluation method. Once the course was completed, resusTEE exams, performed by EPs in Emergency Department (ED), were monitored for a 12-week period. RESULTS: The average assessment of the ten EPs by the tutors was higher than 4 points out of 5, both at the end of the course and after 12 weeks. Probe insertion, acquisition and interpretation of the different views scored on average more than 4 points out of 5 except for TGSAX that showed worsening after 12 weeks. Trainees performed twelve resusTEE exams in ED in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) over 12 weeks after the course. EPs used only four out of six taught views in clinical practice, in the following order of frequency: ME4CH, AOview, MEbicaval and MELAX. CONCLUSIONS: EPs, after a course with clinical training in the cardiac surgery theatre, can successfully acquire and maintain the skills needed to perform resusTEE. However, among the six views learned in the course, EPs used only four of them (ME4CH, MEbicaval, MELAX and AOview).

Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients Presenting With Hypertensive Urgency in the Office Setting: The Campania Salute Network.

BACKGROUND: Hypertensive urgencies (HypUrg) are defined as severe elevation in blood pressure (BP) without acute target organ damage. In the office setting, treated asymptomatic patients, with severe BP elevation meeting criteria for urgency are often seen. We evaluate incident Cardiovascular (CV) events (n = 311) during follow-up (FU) in patients with HypUrg at first outpatient visit. METHODS: HypUrg was defined by systolic BP ≥180 mm Hg and/or diastolic BP ≥110 mm Hg. Patients were >18 years old, with available ultrasound data, without prevalent CV disease, and no more than stage III Chronic Kidney Disease. BP control was defined as the average BP during FU <140/90 mm Hg. RESULTS: Four hundred and sixty-nine of 6,929 patients presented with HypUrg at first visit. Patients with HypUrg were more likely to be women, obese and diabetic and with higher prevalence of left ventricle (LV) hypertrophy and carotid plaque (all P < 0.05). During FU patients with HypUrg had 5-fold higher risk of uncontrolled BP (95% confidence interval (CI) 4.1-6.8, P < 0.0001). In Cox regression presenting with HypUrg was not associated with increased CV risk after adjusting for significant covariates, including age, sex, BP control, LV hypertrophy, and carotid plaque (hazard ratio (HR) 1.42, 95% CI (0.96-2.11), P = 0.08). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with HypUrg have worst CV risk profile, reduced probability of BP control during FU and greater prevalence of target organ damage, but the excess CV event risk appears to be mediated through BP control, non-BP cardio-vascular disease risk factors, and demographic attributes. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT02211365.

Achievement of target SBP without attention to decrease in DBP can increase cardiovascular morbidity in treated arterial hypertension: the Campania Salute Network.

OBJECTIVES: Results of the SPRINT study have influenced recent guidelines on arterial hypertension, in the identification of target SBP, but scarce attention has been paid to the consequences on DBP. However, there is evidence that reducing DBP too much can be harmful. METHODS: We analyzed outcome in 4005 treated hypertensive patients (22% obesity, 8% diabetes and 21% current smoking habit) with target attended office SBP less than 140 mmHg, in relation to quintiles of DBP, cardiovascular risk profile and target organ damage (LV hypertrophy, carotid plaque and left atrial dilatation). Composite fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular event was the outcome variable in this analysis (stroke and myocardial infarction, sudden cardiac death, heart failure requiring hospitalization, transient ischemic attack, myocardial revascularization, de novo angina, carotid stenting and atrial fibrillation). RESULTS: Lower DBP was associated with greater proportion of women and diabetes, older age, decline in kidney function and greater values of LV mass index and left atrial volume and greater prevalence of carotid plaque (all 0.04 < P < 0.0001). The lowest quintile of DBP (74.1 ±â€Š3.7 mmHg) was associated with 1.49 higher hazard of composite cardiovascular events, independently of significant effect of older age, female sex, LV hypertrophy and borderline effect of left atrial dilatation (0.04 < P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Increased risk associated with aggressive reduction of DBP should be balanced with the advantage of reducing aggressively SBP to predict the net benefit of antihypertensive treatment, especially in the oldest old individuals.