Harinder Dhindsa

Impact of resuscitation system errors on survival from in-hospital cardiac arrest

BACKGROUND An estimated 350,000-750,000 adult, in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) events occur annually in the United States. The impact of resuscitation system errors on survival during IHCA resuscitation has not been evaluated. The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the impact of resuscitation system errors on survival to hospital discharge after IHCA. METHODS AND RESULTS We evaluated subjective and objective errors in 118,387 consecutive, adult, index IHCA cases entered into the Get with the Guidelines National Registry of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation database from January 1, 2000 through August 26, 2008. Cox regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between reported resuscitation system errors and other important clinical variables and the hazard ratio for death prior to hospital discharge. Of the 108,636 patients whose initial IHCA rhythm was recorded, resuscitation system errors were committed in 9,894/24,467 (40.4%) of those with an initial rhythm of ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VF/pVT) and in 22,599/84,169 (26.8%) of those with non-VF/pVT. The most frequent system errors related to delay in medication administration (>5 min time from event recognition to first dose of a vasoconstrictor), defibrillation, airway management, and chest compression performance errors. The presence of documented resuscitation system errors on an IHCA event was associated with decreased rates of return of spontaneous circulation, survival to 24h, and survival to hospital discharge. The relative risk of death prior to hospital discharge based on hazard ratio analysis was 9.9% (95% CI 7.8, 12.0) more likely for patients whose initial documented rhythm was non-VF/pVT when resuscitation system errors were reported compared to when no errors were reported. It was 34.2% (95% CI 29.5, 39.1) more likely for those with VF/pVT. CONCLUSIONS The presence of resuscitation system errors that are evident from review of the resuscitation record is associated with decreased survival from IHCA in adults. Hospitals should target the training of first responders and code team personnel to emphasize the importance of early defibrillation, early use of vasoconstrictor medication, and compliance with ACLS protocols.

Appropriate and Safe Utilization of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services: A Joint Position Statement with Resource Document

Abstract This position statement with accompanying resource document is the result of a collaborative effort of a writing group comprised of members of the Air Medical Physician Association (AMPA), the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP), and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM). This document has been jointly approved by the boards of all four organizations. Patients benefit from the appropriate utilization of helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS). EMS and regional health care systems must have and follow guidelines for HEMS utilization to facilitate proper patient selection and ensure clinical benefit. Clinical benefit can be provided by Meaningfully shortening the time to delivery of definitive care to patients with time-sensitive medical conditions Providing necessary specialized medical expertise or equipment to patients before and/or during transport Providing transport to patients inaccessible by other means of transport The decision to use HEMS is a medical decision, separate from the aviation determination whether a transport can be completed safely. Physicians with specialized training and experience in EMS and air medical transport must be integral to HEMS utilization decisions, including guideline development and quality improvement activities. Safety management systems must be developed, adopted, and adhered to by air medical operators when making decisions to accept and continue every HEMS transport. HEMS must be fully integrated within the local, regional, and state emergency health care systems. HEMS programs cannot operate independently of the surrounding health care environment. The EMS and health care systems must be involved in the determination of the number of HEMS assets necessary to provide appropriate coverage for their region. Excessive resources may lead to competitive practices that can affect utilization and negatively impact safety. Inadequate resources will delay receipt of definitive care. National guidelines for appropriate utilization of HEMS must be developed. These guidelines should be national in scope yet allow local, regional, and state implementation. A National HEMS Agenda for the Future should be developed to address HEMS utilization and availability and to identify and support a research strategy for ongoing, evidence-based refinement of utilization guidelines. Key words: appropriateness; helicopter; HEMS; safety; utilization

Relationship of the distance between non-PCI hospitals and primary PCI centers, mode of transport, and reperfusion time among ground and air interhospital transfers using NCDR's ACTION Registry-GWTG: a report from the American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline Program.

Background—ST-segment myocardial infarction patients frequently present to non-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) hospitals and require interhospital transfer for primary PCI. The effect of distance and mode of transport to the PCI center and the frequency that recommended primary PCI times are met are not clear. Methods and Results—Data from the ACTION Registry®-GWTG™ were used to determine the distance between the Non-PCI and PCI center and first door time to balloon time based on transfer mode (ground and air) for patients having interhospital transfer for primary PCI. From July 1, 2008, to December 31, 2012, 17 052 ST-segment myocardial infarction patients were transferred to 413 PCI hospitals. The median distance from the non-PCI hospital to the primary PCI center was 31.9 miles (Q1, Q3: 19.1, 47.9; ground 25.2 miles; air 43.9 miles; P<0.001). At distances <40 miles, ground transport was the primary transport method, whereas at distances >40 miles air transport predominanted. Median first door time to balloon time time for patients transferred for primary PCI was 118 minutes (Q1, Q3: 95 152), with time for patients transported by air significantly longer (median 124 versus 113 minutes; respectively, P<0.001) than for patients transported by ground. Fifty-three percent of patients had a first door time to balloon time ⩽120 minutes, with only 20% ⩽90 minutes. A first door time to balloon time ⩽120 minutes was more likely in ground than in air transport patients (57.0% versus 45.6%; P<0.001). Conclusions—Interhospital transfer for primary PCI is associated with prolonged reperfusion times. These delays should prompt increased consideration of fibrinolytic therapy, emergency medical services hospital bypass protocols, and improved systems of care for ST-segment myocardial infarction patients requiring transfer.

Traumatic tension pneumocephalus after blunt head trauma and positive pressure ventilation.

Abstract Pneumocephalus following head trauma is relatively rare, with tension pneumocephalus occurring in an even smaller group of patients. This review presents a recent case of tension pneumocephalus following the use of a manually operated bag–valve–mask to assist ventilations prior to rapid-sequence intubation. A discussion of this case in terms of other reported cases of pneumocephalus after oxygen therapy follows. A limited number of current case reports identified in the literature indicate a connection between pneumocephalus and positive pressure ventilation following blunt trauma. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) ventilation use in patients with an undiagnosed skull fracture is the most common reported cause of ventilation-related pneumocephalus. The case review presented here identifies the use of a bag–valve–mask prior to intubation as a possible contributory cause of the tension pneumocephalus. With only one prior case reported in the literature of pneumocephalus following the use of a bag–valve–mask, this case is unique and may indicate the need for additional awareness for this rare complication. The prehospital diagnosis of pneumocephalus is difficult, as the symptoms and mechanism of injury mimic those associated with intracranial hemorrhage. The use of mannitol in the prehospital treatment of this patient and subsequent improvement in pupillary response may indicate that mannitol has a role in the treatment of tension pneumocephalus when neurosurgical services are not readily available. Additional research is needed to better understand the benefits and risks associated with this treatment modality.

Pediatric Blunt Neck Trauma Causing Esophageal and Complete Tracheal Transection

ABSTRACT Background: Blunt injuries to the cervical trachea remain rare but present unique and challenging clinical scenarios for prehospital providers. These injuries depend on prehospital providers either definitively securing the injured airway or bridging the patient to a treatment facility that can mobilize the necessary resources. Case Summary: The case presented here involves a clothesline injury to a pediatric patient that resulted in complete tracheal transection and partial esophageal transection. Ground and air prehospital providers utilized a stepwise approach to this airway injury and achieved a favorable outcome. The patient was serendipitously intubated through a blind nasal approach that entered the proximal esophagus, exited through the tear and entered the distal trachea. Discussion: There is a paucity of literature describing the successful management of these devastating injuries. While some authors have advocated for early flexible fiberoptic intubation or proceeding directly to tracheostomy, these techniques are not available in the prehospital environment. This case also highlights the inherent issues with proceeding to cricothyroidotomy in patients with tracheal trauma and should give all providers pause before considering this management technique. Conclusion: Ultimately, a systematic approach to all airways will ensure that prehospital providers are best prepared for even the most challenging scenarios.

Does the Implementation of an Advanced Life Support Quick Response Vehicle (QRV) in an Integrated Fire/EMS System Improve Patient Contact Response Time?

BACKGROUND The current Fire/Emergency Medical Services (EMS) model throughout the United States involves emergency vehicles which respond from a primary location (ie, firehouse or municipal facility) to emergency calls. Quick response vehicles (QRVs) have been used in various Fire/EMS systems; however, their effectiveness has never been studied. OBJECTIVES The goal of this study was to determine if patient response times would decrease by placing an Advanced Life Support (ALS) QRV in an integrated Fire/EMS system. METHODS Response times from an integrated Fire/EMS system with an annual EMS call volume of 3,261 were evaluated over the three years prior to the implementation of this study. For a 2-month period, an ALS QRV staffed by a firefighter/paramedic responded to emergency calls during peak call volume hours of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. The staging of this vehicle was based on historical call volume percentages using respective geocodes as well as system requirements during multiple emergency dispatches. RESULTS Prior to the study, the citywide average response time for the twelve months preceding was 5.44 minutes. During the study, the citywide average response time decreased to 4.09 minutes, resulting in a 27.62% reduction in patient response time. CONCLUSION The implementation of an ALS QRV in an integrated Fire/EMS system reduces patient response time. Having a QRV that is not staged continuously in a traditional fire station or municipal location reduces the time needed to reach patients. Also, using predictive models of historic call volume can aid Fire and EMS administrators in reduction of call response times.

Colorectal Cancer Prevention and Emergency Management

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States and the third most common cause of death for both men and women after lung and prostate for men and lung and breast for women. The American Cancer Society estimates that 136,830 people will be diagnosed with CRC and 50,310 people will die from the disease in 2014 alone (American Cancer Society. Cancer facts and figures 2012. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2012). Fortunately, the incidence of CRC has declined steadily in recent years and is largely attributed to the detection and removal of precancerous polyps with CRC screening (Edwards et al. Cancer 116:544–573, 2010).

Helicopter Transport in Regionalized Burn Care: One Program's Perspective

BACKGROUND The decision to use helicopter EMS (HEMS) for the transport of burn patients is a complex decision. This analysis sought to evaluate burn patients flown to burn centers who met predetermined criteria for patients who likely benefit from HEMS care. METHODS A retrospective transport chart review of all burn transports covering the preceding nine and a half years was conducted to evaluate for HEMS appropriate criteria defined as patients requiring advanced airway management, ventilator support, facial burns, inhalation injury, circumferential burns, electrical or chemical burn, or major burns. All ages were included. RESULTS A total of 171 cases were identified. Thirty-one (18.1%) were pediatric. Facial burns constituted the most frequent criteria met with 112 (65.5%) patients identified. Sixty-nine (40.4%) had suspected inhalation injuries. Fifty-five (32.2%) patients were intubated. Forty (28.6%) adults and twelve (38.7%) children had major burns. CONCLUSION Of the 171 burn patient transported, twenty-one (12.3%) patients did not meet any HEMS criteria. Excluding those who did not meet any criteria, 98 (57.3%) patients were flown with non-major burns. Efforts are needed to determine the risks burn patients face if slower, non-critical care transport is utilized and which patients are appropriate for HEMS.

Native Medicines and Cardiovascular Toxicity

Native medicines are available in various forms and can be obtained in a number of ways: prepared and used at home, prescribed as alternative medicines, and/or provided by traditional healers as has been done since the beginning of civilization. They contain not only botanical ingredients but also mineral- or animal-derived substances. Mostly these medicines are naturally occurring biological materials that are incorporated into home remedies or recipes, and they are generally believed to be harmless. However, the physiological, pharmacological, and potential toxic effects of native medicines are less known to health professionals, paramedics, social workers, and the public. Health care professionals, therefore, should encourage their patients to disclose the nature of any native medicines they use and recognize the effects that these medicines may have on an underlying disease, in addition to their associated interactions with any prescribed drugs. Diagnosis is made mostly from the clinical history and circumstantial evidence, and treatment is largely supportive. To achieve safety and efficacy, education and awareness programs for patients, the public, health care workers, practitioners of all specialties of medicine, and policymakers should be encouraged. Regulatory and legal systems have to be strengthened to establish and/or enforce standard guidelines. Future directives in relation to clinical, education, training, research, and regulation are also necessary.

A patient with altered mental status and possible seizure reveals an atypical aortic dissection upon workup

Aortic dissection occurs when a tear occurs in the inner muscle wall lining of the aorta, allowing blood to split the muscle layers of the aortic wall apart. It is classically characterized by pain that starts in the upper chest, which then radiates to the upper back and is tearing or ripping in quality. Our objective is to present a case followed by a brief literature review of aortic dissection and uncommon but important features that may be demonstrated. In this report, we present the case of a 57-year-old woman who was transported to the emergency department with an acute episode of altered mental status, presenting as a possible stroke with possible seizures. The patients only complaint was mild low back pain. Physical examination revealed disorientation to time with no other neurologic deficits or abnormal findings. Results from initial noncontrast head computed tomography, chest radiograph, and laboratory studies were all normal, except for an elevated D-dimer and serum creatinine. Chest computed tomography with contrast demonstrated a type A aortic dissection. The patient was taken emergently to the operating room where the aortic valve and a portion of the ascending aorta were replaced. The patient did well and was discharged from the hospital 5 days later without any permanent sequalae. Aortic dissection is both rare and life threatening and may present with atypical signs. It is important to note that patients may show no signs of typical features or may even display other symptoms based on other branches from the aorta that have been occluded.