Tae Ho Lim

Endotracheal intubation using a GlideScope video laryngoscope by emergency physicians: a multicentre analysis of 345 attempts in adult patients

Objective To investigate the use and success rates of the GlideScope (GVL) by emergency physicians (EPs) during the initial two years after its introduction. Methods We performed an observational study using registry data of five emergency departments. The success rates in adult patients were evaluated and compared with those of conventional laryngoscope (CL). Results The GVL was used in 345 (10.7%) of 3233 intubation attempts by EPs. The overall success rate of the GVL was not higher than a CL (79.1% vs 77.6%, p=0.538). The success rate for the patients with difficult airway was higher in the GVL than a CL (80.0% vs 50.4%, p<0.001). Conclusion The GVL was not used frequently by EPs during the initial two years after its introduction. Although the GVL provides a better glottic view, the overall success rates were similar to a CL. The GVL may be useful in patients with difficult airway.

What factors affect the success rate of the first attempt at endotracheal intubation in emergency departments

Study objective This study aimed to determine the factors associated with successful endotracheal intubation (ETI) on the first-attempt in an emergency department. Method We studied all of the ETI data at two urban emergency departments over a 5-year period. We assessed the intubators specialty and training level, intubation method, device used, predicted airway difficulty and cause of ETIs. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify factors affecting the first-attempt success (FAS) of ETI in emergency departments. Results A total of 1478 adult ETIs were analysed. A multivariate logistic analysis revealed that factors such as a non-difficult airway (OR=5.11; 95% CI 3.38 to 7.72), senior physicians (2nd-year to 4th-year resident and attending physicians) (OR=2.39; 95% CI 1.61 to 3.55) and the rapid sequence intubation/induction (RSI) method (OR=2.06; 95% CI 1.04 to 3.03) had significant associations with the FAS for emergency medicine (EM) physicians. For non-EM physicians, however, a non-difficult airway was the only independent predictor of FAS (OR=3.10; 95% CI 1.82 to 5.28). Conclusions The predicted airway difficulty was the major factor associated with FAS in emergency department ETI on adults regardless of intubators specialty. Especially in EM physician group, level of training and using of RSI also affecting on first–attempt success. The overall ETI success rate on first attempt was 80.1%, but EM physicians had success rate of 87.3%. Systematic technical and non-technical airway skill training focused on RSI and continuous quality control and ETI recording could help non-EM physicians increase their FAS rate.

Feasibility of dynamic cardiac ultrasound transmission via mobile phone for basic emergency teleconsultation

We assessed the feasibility of using a camcorder mobile phone for teleconsulting about cardiac echocardiography. The diagnostic performance of evaluating left ventricle (LV) systolic function was measured by three emergency medicine physicians. A total of 138 short echocardiography video sequences (from 70 subjects) was selected from previous emergency room ultrasound examinations. The measurement of LV ejection fraction based on the transmitted video displayed on a mobile phone was compared with the original video displayed on the LCD monitor of the ultrasound machine. The image quality was evaluated using the double stimulation impairment scale (DSIS). All observers showed high sensitivity. There was an improvement in specificity with the observers increasing experience of cardiac ultrasound. Although the image quality of video on the mobile phone was lower than that of the original, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated that there was no significant difference in diagnostic performance. Immediate basic teleconsulting of echocardiography movies is possible using current commercially-available mobile phone systems.

Efficacy of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation compared to conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation for adult cardiac arrest patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

We performed a meta-analysis to compare the impact of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) to that of conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CCPR) in adult patients who experience cardiac arrest of cardiac origin. A literature search was performed using criteria set forth in a predefined protocol. Report inclusion criteria were that ECPR was compared to CCPR in adult patients with cardiac arrest of cardiac origin, and that survival and neurological outcome data were available. Exclusion criteria were reports describing non-cardiac origin arrest, review articles, editorials, and nonhuman studies. The efficacies of ECPR and CCPR were compared in terms of survival and neurological outcome. A total of 38,160 patients from 7 studies were ultimately included. ECPR showed similar survival (odds ratio [OR] 2.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.45–11.20) and neurologic outcomes (OR 3.14, 95% CI 0.66–14.85) to CCPR in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients. For in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) patients, however, ECPR was associated with significantly better survival (OR 2.40, 95% CI 1.44–3.98) and neurologic outcomes (OR 2.63, 95% CI 1.38–5.02) than CCPR. Hence, ECPR may be more effective than CCPR as an adjuvant therapy for survival and neurologic outcome in cardiac-origin IHCA patients.

A survey of nurses' perceived competence and educational needs in performing resuscitation.

BACKGROUND Effective training is needed for high-quality performance of staff nurses, who are often the first responders in initiating resuscitation. There is insufficient evidence to identify specific educational strategies that improve outcomes, including early recognition and rescue of the critical patient. This study was conducted to identify perceived competence and educational needs as well as to examine factors influencing perceived competence in resuscitation among staff nurses to build a resuscitation training curriculum. METHODS A convenience sample of 502 staff nurses was recruited from 11 hospitals in a single city. Staff nurses were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS On a five-point scale, chest compression was the lowest-rated technical skill (M = 3.33, SD = 0.80), whereas staying calm and focusing on required tasks was the lowest-rated non-technical skill (M = 3.30, SD = 0.80). Work duration, the usefulness of simulation, recent code experience, and recent simulation-based training were significant factors in perceived competence, F(4, 496) = 45.94, p < .001. Simulation-based resuscitation training was the most preferred training modality, and cardiac arrest was the most preferred training topic. CONCLUSION Based on this needs assessment, a simulation-based resuscitation training curriculum with cardiac arrest scenarios is suggested to improve the resuscitation skills of staff nurses.

Smartwatches as chest compression feedback devices: A feasibility study

BACKGROUND Recently, there have been attempts to use smartphones and smartwatches as the feedback devices to improve the quality of chest compressions. In this study, we compared chest compression depth feedback accuracy between a smartphone and a smartwatch in a hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation scenario, using a manikin with a displacement sensor system. METHODS Ten basic life support providers participated in this study. Guided by the chest compression depths displayed on the monitor of a laptop, which received data from the manikin, each participant performed 2min of chest compressions for each target depth (35mm and 55mm) on a manikin while gripping a smartphone and wearing a smartwatch. Participants had a rest of 1h between the instances, and the first target depth was set at random. Each chest compression depth data value from the smartphone and smartwatch and a corresponding reference value from the manikin with the displacement system were recorded. To compare the accuracy between the smartphone and smartwatch, the errors, expressed as the absolute of the differences between the reference and each device, were calculated. RESULTS At both target depths, the error of the smartwatch were significantly smaller than that of the smartphone (the errors of the smartphone vs. smartwatch at 35mm: 3.4 (1.3) vs. 2.1 (0.8) mm; p=0.008; at 55mm: 5.3 (2.8) vs. 2.3 (0.9) mm; p=0.023). CONCLUSION The smartwatch-based chest compression depth feedback was more accurate than smartphone-based feedback.

Comparisons of the Pentax-AWS, Glidescope, and Macintosh Laryngoscopes for Intubation Performance during Mechanical Chest Compressions in Left Lateral Tilt: A Randomized Simulation Study of Maternal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Purpose. Rapid advanced airway management is important in maternal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This study aimed to compare intubation performances among Pentax-AWS (AWS), Glidescope (GVL), and Macintosh laryngoscope (MCL) during mechanical chest compression in 15° and 30° left lateral tilt. Methods. In 19 emergency physicians, a prospective randomized crossover study was conducted to examine the three laryngoscopes. Primary outcomes were the intubation time and the success rate for intubation. Results. The median intubation time using AWS was shorter than that of GVL and MCL in both tilt degrees. The time to visualize the glottic view in GVL and AWS was significantly lower than that of MCL (all P < 0.05), whereas there was no significant difference between the two video laryngoscopes (in 15° tilt, P = 1; in 30° tilt, P = 0.71). The progression of tracheal tube using AWS was faster than that of MCL and GVL in both degrees (all P < 0.001). Intubations using AWS and GVL showed higher success rate than that of Macintosh laryngoscopes. Conclusions. The AWS could be an appropriate laryngoscope for airway management of pregnant women in tilt CPR considering intubation time and success rate.

The timing of surgery and mortality in elderly hip fractures A retrospective, multicenteric cohort study

Background: Early surgery is recommended for elderly hip fracture patients, but some studies show no clear advantage. The benefits of early surgery may differ according to the medical environment in different countries. The purpose of this study was to identify the potential benefits of early surgery in elderly hip fracture patients by evaluating the effect of timing of surgery on mortality. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at multiple centers on hip fracture patients aged over 65 years. The primary outcome was 1 year mortality and the secondary outcomes were 30-day/6-month mortality and complications during admission. The effect of time to surgery on mortality was analyzed using a Cox proportional-hazards model. Results: Among the 874 patients, 162 (18.5%) received surgery within 3 days and their 1-year mortality rate was 9.9%. However, the 1-year mortality rate for the delayed surgery group was 12.5%. After adjustment for potential confounders, the 1-year mortality rates in patients who received surgery in 3-7 days (Hazard ratio = 1.0; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.7-1.6) and over 7 days (hazard ratio = 1.3; 95% CI: 0.9-1.8) were not significantly different. In addition, the time to surgery did not have a significant effect on 30-day mortality, 60-day mortality or complications arising during hospitalization. Conclusions: The time to surgery did not affect short and long term mortality or the in hospital complication rate in elderly hip fracture patients. We recommend concentrating more on optimizing the condition of patients early with sufficient medical treatment rather than being bound by absolute timing of surgery.

Comparison of the Pentax Airwayscope, Glidescope Video Laryngoscope, and Macintosh Laryngoscope During Chest Compression According to Bed Height.

Abstract We aimed to investigate whether bed height affects intubation performance in the setting of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and which type of laryngoscope shows the best performance at each bed height. A randomized crossover manikin study was conducted. Twenty-one participants were enrolled, and they were randomly allocated to 2 groups: group A (n = 10) and group B (n = 11). The participants underwent emergency endotracheal intubation (ETI) using the Airwayscope (AWS), Glidescope video laryngoscope, and Macintosh laryngoscope in random order while chest compression was performed. Each ETI was conducted at 2 levels of bed height (minimum bed height: 68.9 cm and maximum bed height: 101.3 cm). The primary outcomes were the time to intubation (TTI) and the success rate of ETI. The P value for statistical significance was set at 0.05 and 0.017 in post-hoc test. The success rate of ETI was always 100% regardless of the type of laryngoscope or the bed height. TTI was not significantly different between the 2 bed heights regardless of the type of laryngoscope (all P > 0.05). The time for AWS was the shortest among the 3 laryngoscopes at both bed heights (13.7 ± 3.6 at the minimum bed height and 13.4 ± 4.7 at the maximum bed height) (all P < 0.017). The TTI of Glidescope video laryngoscope was not significantly shorter than that of Macintosh laryngoscope at the minimum height (17.6 ± 4.0 vs 19.6 ± 4.8; P = 0.02). The bed height, whether adjusted to the minimum or maximum setting, did not affect intubation performance. In addition, regardless of the bed height, the intubation time with the video laryngoscopes, especially AWS, was significantly shorter than that with the direct laryngoscope during chest compression.

Therapeutic and prognostic implications of subarachnoid hemorrhage in patients who suffered cardiopulmonary arrest and underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation during an emergency room stay.

OBJECTIVE Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a well-known cause of sudden cardio-pulmonary arrest (CPA). Even after successful cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the prognosis of patients following an aneurysmal SAH presenting with CPA remains dismal. However, there have been anecdotal reports of good outcomes with appropriate interventions. Pseudo-SAH resulting from marked elevation of intracranial pressure (ICP) after CPR, can mimic SAH in head computed tomographic (CT) scan. Such manifestations hamper resuscitation or delay appropriate neurosurgical management. This study assessed incidence and clinical characteristics of SAH-CPR or pseudo-SAH-CPR patients among non-traumatic CPA-CPR patients, and investigated their therapeutic and prognostic implication. METHODS During the 5-year observation period, 63 non-traumatic coma patients with CT evidence of high attenuation areas in the basal cistern who suffered arrest and underwent CPR during initial resuscitation in the emergency room, were reviewed retrospectively. They were divided into two groups according to the imaging pattern: true-SAH vs. pseudo-SAH, and then true-SAH group were further divided into two groups according to the CT acquisition time: brain CT before arrest vs. brain CT after arrest. Demographic, clinical, and CT data were assessed, and the primary outcome was measured using the 30-day Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score, and the final outcome was evaluated at the end of 3 months post-ictus. RESULTS When compared with pseudo-SAH (n=28) patients, true-SAH (n=35) patients showed a higher Hounsfield unit values in the affected area, earlier CT acquisition time before CPR, more survivors beyond 3 months (all p<0.05); however, the 30-day survival rate was not significantly different. Of the true-SAH patients, ruptured intracranial aneurysms were found in eight patients, and definite intervention was administered in four patients. When SAH patients were categorized according to the temporal relationship with CPR, the group of 24 patients undergoing CT scan before CPR showed a lower frequency of intraventricular hemorrhage, but showed a higher chance of surgical treatment and survival at 30 days and 3 months compared to the group undergoing CT scan after CPR. CONCLUSION The overall survival between true-SAH and pseudo-SAH group was different significantly. Administering definite treatment for a ruptured aneurysm in instances of true SAH could save patients, albeit infrequently. A Prompt CT scan could guarantee recognition of high-density area, blood in the ventricle, and subsequent identification of the ruptured aneurysm, altogether preventing re-bleeding and warranting further systemic resuscitation.