Comparison of esCCO and transthoracic echocardiography for non-invasive measurement of cardiac output intensive care.

BACKGROUND: The esCCO monitor (ECG- estimated Continuous Cardiac Output, Nihon Kohden(®)) is a new non-invasive tool for estimating cardiac output (CO). It derives CO from the pulse wave transit time (PWTT) estimated by the ECG and the plethysmographic wave. An initial calibration is needed to refine the relation linking pulse pressure (measured by arterial pressure cuff) to PWTT. To assess the accuracy and reliability of the esCCO system, we performed an analysis of agreement of CO values obtained by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). METHODS: Thirty-eight intensive care unit patients were prospectively included. CO was determined simultaneously using esCCO (CO(esCCO)) and TTE (CO(TTE)) as our reference method. RESULTS: A total of 103 paired readings from 38 patients were collected. The correlation coefficient between CO(esCCO) and CO(TTE) was 0.61 (P<0.001). The Bland and Altman analysis corrected for repeated measures showed a bias of -1.6 litre min(-1) and limits of agreement from -4.7 to +1.5 litre min(-1), with a percentage error (2 sd/mean CO) of 49%. The correlation for CO changes was significant (R=0.63, P<0.001), but the concordance rate was poor (73%). Polar plot analysis showed an angular bias of -9° with radial limits of agreement from -54° to +36°. The bias appeared to correlate with systemic vascular resistance (R=-0.45, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In critically ill patients, the performance of the esCCO monitor was not clinically acceptable, and this monitor cannot be recommended in this setting. Moreover, the esCCO failed to trend CO data reliably.

[Training to management of violence in hospital setting]. / Formation à la gestion des situations violentes en contexte hospitalier.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the typology of violence in hospital setting, study the psychophysiological state of care givers dealing with the aggression and provide appropriate training. STUDY DESIGN: Single centre, observational. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A first anonymous questionnaire was given to a sample of emergency and intensive care providers in Narbonne Hospital. The parameters studied included: demographics data, the Trait Anxiety Inventory test, the typology of aggressions, and the psycho-physiological state of subjects dealing with the aggression. Robert Paturel, an instructor of French Special Forces (Recherche-Assistance-Intervention-Dissuasion [RAID]), has provided training for the management of violence. A second questionnaire assessed satisfaction for proposed formation. RESULTS: Forty-one questionnaires were returned. The rates of verbal and physical violence touching care givers were respectively 97 % and 41 % (median of 7years [1-36] experience on the job). Eighty-five percent of care givers wanted training in psychology of conflict and 93 % wanted a formation with a self-defense aspect. The first reason of violence was drugs and alcohol abuse. The "tunnel effect" during stress was identified in 34 % of care givers, and 20 % were unaware of its nature. Twenty-one percent of care givers spontaneously adopting a safe distance of more than 1m during a conflict had been physically assaulted versus 63 % for those staying less than 1m (P=0.03). The proposed formation, including psychology of conflict and self-defense, was satisfactory to all care givers who participated (median score 9/10 [7-10]). CONCLUSION: The verbal and physical violence affecting emergency departments is a common phenomenon warranting appropriate training. The proposed formation included the comprehension of the conflict causality, self-defense and self-control.