Masakazu Matsuzaki

Nifekalant Hydrochloride and Amiodarone Hydrochloride Result in Similar Improvements for 24-Hour Survival in Cardiopulmonary Arrest Patients: The SOS-KANTO 2012 Study.

Background: Amiodarone (AMD), nifekalant (NIF), and lidocaine (LID) hydrochlorides are widely used for ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation (VT/VF). This study retrospectively investigated the NIF potency and the differential effects of 2 initial AMD doses (⩽150 mg or 300 mg) in the Japanese SOS-KANTO 2012 study population. Methods and Results: From 16,164 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases, 500 adult patients using a single antiarrhythmic drug for shock-resistant VT/VF were enrolled and categorized into 4 groups (73 LID, 47 NIF, 173 AMD-⩽150, and 207 AMD-300). Multivariate analyses evaluated the outcomes of NIF, AMD-⩽150, or AMD-300 groups versus LID group. Odds ratios (ORs) for survival to admission were 3.21 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.38–7.44, P < 0.01] in NIF and 3.09 (95% CI: 1.55–6.16, P < 0.01) in AMD-⩽150 groups and significantly higher than those of the LID group. However, the OR was 1.78 (95% CI: 0.90–3.51, P = 0.10) in AMD-300 group and was not significant than LID group. ORs for 24-hour survival were 6.68 in NIF, 4.86 in AMD-⩽150, and 2.97 in AMD-300, being significantly higher in these groups. Conclusions: NIF and AMD result in similar improvements for 24-hour survival in cardiopulmonary arrest patients, and this suggest the necessity of a randomized control study.

Changes of cerebral oxygen metabolism and hemodynamics during ECPR with hypothermia measured by near-infrared spectroscopy: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND The 2010 CPR Guidelines recommend that extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) using an emergency cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) should be considered for patients with cardiac arrest. However, it is not yet clear whether this therapy can improve cerebral circulation and oxygenation in these patients. To clarify this issue, we evaluated changes of cerebral blood oxygenation (CBO) during ECPR using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). METHODS We employed NIRS to measure CBO in the bilateral frontal lobe in patients transported to the emergency room (ER) after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest between November 2009 and June 2011. RESULTS Fifteen patients met the above criteria. The tissue oxygenation index (TOI) on arrival at the ER was 36.5 %. This increased to 67.8 % during ECPR (P < 0.001). The one patient whose TOI subsequently decreased had a favorable neurological outcome. CONCLUSION Increase of TOI during ECPR might reflect an improvement in cerebral blood flow, while decrease of TOI after ECPR might reflect oxygen utilization by the brain tissue as a result of neuronal cell survival. NIRS may be useful for monitoring cerebral hemodynamics and oxygen metabolism during CPR.

Does Antiarrhythmic Drug during Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Improve the One-month Survival: The SOS-KANTO 2012 Study

Background: Antiarrhythmic drugs (AAD) are often used for fatal ventricular arrhythmias during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). However, the efficacy of initial AAD administration during CPR in improving long-term prognosis remains unknown. This study retrospectively evaluated the effect of AAD administration during CPR on 1-month prognosis in the SOS-KANTO 2012 study population. Methods and Results: Of the 16,164 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases, 1350 shock-refractory patients were included: 747 patients not administered AAD and 603 patients administered AAD. Statistical adjustment for potential selection bias was performed using propensity score matching, yielding 1162 patients of whom 792 patients were matched (396 pairs). The primary outcome was 1-month survival. The secondary outcome was the proportion of patients with favorable neurological outcome at 1 month. Logistic regression with propensity scoring demonstrated an odds ratio (OR) for 1-month survival in the AAD group of 1.92 (P < 0.01), whereas the OR for favorable neurological outcome at 1 month was 1.44 (P = 0.26). Conclusions: Significantly greater 1-month survival was observed in the AAD group compared with the non-AAD group. However, the effect of ADD on the likelihood of a favorable neurological outcome remains unclear. The findings of the present study may indicate a requirement for future randomized controlled trials evaluating the effect of ADD administration during CPR on long-term prognosis.

Complete occlusion of the left main trunk coronary artery by a cardiac papillary fibroelastoma in a hemodynamically unstable patient

Papillary fibroelastomas are benign cardiac tumors with high embolic potential. The majority of cases of complete obstruction of the left main trunk (LMT) of the coronary artery are diagnosed via autopsy following sudden death; survival is rare in this setting. We present the case of a 60-year-old woman who underwent stent placement in the LMT three years prior to developing chest pain and cold sweats. On coronary arteriography, the catheter could not be advanced into the LMT due to resistance in the ostium. Insertion of the catheter was achieved after the resolution of resistance via catheterization of the LMT by means of an intra-aortic balloon pump drive system. The LMT was normal, and the patients circulatory failure improved. The cause of the LMT embolism was a cardiac papillary fibroelastoma. Primary surgical excision is the recommended therapy for symptomatic cardiac papillary fibroelastoma. If the patient is hemodynamically stable, it may be possible to delay surgery. However, the patient in question developed cardiogenic shock secondary to two-vessel obstruction by the tumor. Therefore, even if the tumor had been removed using an intra-aortic balloon pump, the patient may not have survived until surgery. <Learning objective: Primary surgical excision is the recommended therapy for symptomatic cardiac papillary fibroelastoma. If the patient is hemodynamically stable, it may be possible to delay surgery. However, hemodynamically unstable patients may not survive until surgery. Therefore, emergent therapy is a useful stop-gap measure until surgery is feasible.>.