Out-of hospital cardiac arrest in Okayama city (Japan): outcome report according to the "Utstein Style".

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the city of Okayama, Japan, during a 1-year period after the reorganization of defibrillation by Emergency Life-Saving Technicians (ELSTs) with standing orders of CPR. The data were collected prospectively according to an Utstein style between June 1, 2003 and May 31, 2004; OHCA was confirmed in 363 patients. Cardiac arrest of presumed cardiac etiology (179) was witnessed by a bystander in 62 (34.6%) cases. Of this group, ventricular fibrillation (VF) was documented in 20 cases (32.3%), and 1 patient (5%) was discharged alive without severe neurological disability. This outcome is average in Japan, but it is quite low level compared with Western countries because there is less VF in Japan. The Utstein style revealed that we must try to detect VF before the rhythm changes and to provide defibrillation as soon as possible in order to improve outcomes. Further research will be required to accurately evaluate OHCA in Okayama city.</p

Effect of pentoxifylline on diaphragmatic contractility in septic rats.

We investigated the effects of pentoxifylline (PTX) on endotoxin-induced diaphragmatic dysfunction in vitro. Seventy-two rats were divided into 3 groups: a group in which endotoxin (20 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally (endotoxin-group), a group in which PTX (100 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally 30 min before injection of endotoxin (endotoxin-PTX group), and a group in which only saline was given (sham group). Left hemidiaphragms were removed 4 h after injection of endotoxin. We evaluated the diaphragmatic contractility by twitch characteristics and force-frequency curves in vitro. We measured serum TNF-alpha concentrations, diaphragm malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (an index of oxygen-derived free radical-mediated lipid peroxidation), and diaphragm cAMP concentrations. Diaphragmatic force generation capacity was signifi cantly reduced after injection of endotoxin. Serum TNF-alpha concentrations and diaphragmatic MDA levels were significantly elevated after injection of endotoxin. PTX administration significantly improved diaphragmatic contractility and prevented the elevation in TNF-alpha concentrations and MDA levels after injection of endotoxin. There were no significant changes in the diaphragm cAMP concentrations among the 3 groups. These results demonstrated that PTX administration prevented endotoxin-induced diaphragmatic dysfunction without changing diaphragm muscle cAMP concentrations. The protective effects of PTX against endotoxininduced diaphragmatic contractile deterioration might be caused by attenuating TNF-alpha-mediated oxygen-derived free radical production.</p

A New Classification System for Evaluating Patients with Severe Trauma Using B-type Natriuretic Peptide Levels and Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate

Current systems for the evaluation of trauma severity are tedious and difficult to apply in an actual emergency setting. We aimed to develop and assess the accuracy of a more efficient severity evaluation system, termed the Ugawa classification, using brain-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) measurement and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Two-hundred trauma patients were divided into 2 groups using an eGFR cut-off value of 90ml/min/1.73m2 as an indicator of normal renal function and 2 additional groups according to whether the BNP values were greater or less than the age in years. This resulted in 4 subject groups with different combinations of eGFR and BNP. The mean SOFA score, injury severity scores (ISS), trauma and injury severity scores (TRISS), and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scores of the groups were compared by Kruskal-Wallis test, and the mortality rate after 90 days was calculated. Significant intergroup differences were found in SOFA scores, ISS scores, and APACHE II-predicted mortality rates. Although no significant differences were found in the mortality rate after 90 days or TRISS-predicted mortality rate among the 4 groups, there was a trend toward increasing trauma severity from group 1 to 4. Thus, the Ugawa classification is as accurate as existing systems, has greater efficiency, and is user-friendly

Evaluation of pressure support ventilation with seven different ventilators using Active Servo Lung 5000

In modern emergency and critical care, physicians tend to choose the mode of mechanical ventilation based on spontaneous breathing for the purpose of promoting discharge of pulmonary secretion and preventing atelectasis in patients with acute respiratory insufficiency. However, we often observe &#34;differences in recovery&#34; among patients treated using the same PSV settings beyond &#34;differences in individual characteristics.&#34; We evaluated the Pressure Support Ventilation (PSV) mode aiming to certify the difference among 7 representative mechanical ventilators using the Active Servo Lung 5000 (ASL5000) respiratory simulation system. The following parameters were measured: The time delay that resulted in the lowest inspiratory pressure from the point at which the ventilator recognized spontaneous breathing (TD), the lowest inspiratory airway pressure (cmH2O) generated prior to the initiation of PSV (DeltaPaw), the work of breathing while triggering required to achieve the lowest inspiratory negative pressure from the beginning of inspiratory support (WOBtrig), and the inspiratory work of breathing (WOBi). The mean TD of the Puritan-Bennett type 840 (PB840) was signifi cantly shorter than those of other ventilators (p0.01). The WOBtrig of the PB840 was significantly lower than those of others (p0.01). However, the WOBi values of the Servo-I and T-Bird were greater than the others, with the Evita series showing the smallest WOBi of the 7 ventilators tested. According to this simulation study using ASL 5000, we concluded that PB840 was the most rapid response ventilator, but the Evita series was the gentlest mechanical ventilator among 7 ventilators from the standpoint of the total work of breathing during the inspiration phase in the setting of PSV.</p

Humidification of Base Flow Gas during Adult High-Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation:An Experimental Study Using a Lung Model

In adult high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) with an R100 artificial ventilator, exhaled gas from patientʼs lung may warm the temperature probe and thereby disturb the humidification of base flow (BF) gas. We measured the humidity of BF gas during HFOV with frequencies of 6, 8 and 10Hz, maximum stroke volumes (SV) of 285, 205, and 160ml at the respective frequencies, and, BFs of 20, 30, 40l/min using an original lung model. The R100 device was equipped with a heated humidifier, HummaxⅡ, consisting of a porous hollow fiber in circuit. A 50-cm length of circuit was added between temperature probe (located at 50cm proximal from Y-piece) and the hollow fiber. The lung model was made of a plastic container and a circuit equipped with another HummaxⅡ. The lung model temperature was controlled at 37℃. The HummaxⅡ of the R100 was inactivated in study-1 and was set at 35℃ or 37℃ in study-2. The humidity was measured at the distal end of the added circuit in study-1 and at the proximal end in study-2. In study-1, humidity was detected at 6Hz (SV 285ml) and BF 20l/min, indicating the direct reach of the exhaled gas from the lung model to the temperature probe. In study-2 the absolute humidity of the BF gas decreased by increasing SV and by increasing BF and it was low with setting of 35℃. In this study setting, increasing the SV induced significant reduction of humidification of the BF gas during HFOV with R100

Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Short-term Consequences of Traumatic Brain Injury-associated Hyponatremia

Hyponatremia, a common electrolyte disorder associated with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), has high mortality and morbidity rates. The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for hyponatremia associated with TBI. We retrospectively analyzed the cases of TBI patients who were admitted to the emergency intensive care unit at Okayama University Hospital between October 2011 and September 2014. A total of 82 TBI patients were enrolled. The incidences of hyponatremia (serum sodium level of＜135mEq/L) and severe hyponatremia (serum sodium level of＜130mEq/L) within the first 14 days after admission were 51ｵ (n＝42) and 20ｵ (n＝16), respectively. After admission, hyponatremia took a median period of 7 days to develop and lasted for a median of 3 days. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that higher fluid intake from days 1 to 3 and the presence of cranial fractures were risk factors for hyponatremia. The 58 patients with hyponatremia experienced fewer ventilator-free days, longer intensive care unit stays, and less favorable outcomes compared to the 24 patients without hyponatremia;however, these differences were not significant. Further studies are needed to determine the optimal management strategy for TBI-associated hyponatremia in the intensive care unit setting

Characteristics and Costs of Ladder Fall Injuries: A Report from a Single Emergency Center in Okayama

We sought to identify the incidence, injury patterns, and financial burden of ladder fall injuries to provide a reference for reinforcing guidelines on the prevention of such injuries. We enrolled the patients who were injured in a ladder-related fall and required intensive care between April 2012 and March 2014 at Okayama University Hospital, a tertiary care hospital in Okayama City:9 patients injured in 7 stepladder falls and 2 straight ladder falls. The median patient age was 69 years, and 8 were males. Six falls occurred in non-occupational settings. Head injuries predominated, and the injury severity score ranged from 2 to 35 (mean＝21±12). At the time of discharge from the intensive care unit, one patient had died and 5 patients had some neurological disabilities. The case fatality rate was 11%. The total cost of care during the review period was ￥16,705,794, with a mean cost of ￥1,856,199 per patient. Ladder fall injuries are associated with a high rate of neurological sequelae and pose a financial burden on the health insurance system. A prevention education campaign targeting at older-aged males in non-occupational settings may be a worthwhile health service investment in this community

Hemodynamic Effects of Intravenous Calcium Administration on Septic Shock Patients:A Retrospective Study

We evaluated the hemodynamics and outcomes of septic shock (SS) patients who did not respond to fluid resuscitation, after treatment with or without intravenous calcium. We retrospectively collected information on 154 eligible SS patients who were admitted to Fukuyama City Hospital Emergency Medical Center and did not respond to fluid resuscitation. To compare their degree of hemodynamic impairment, we compared the changes in the vasoactive-inotropic score (VIS) in the calcium-treated group (n＝112) and the noncalcium-treated group (n＝42). We compared the length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital, in-hospital deaths, 28-day deaths, and changes in the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score within 72h of ICU admission between the 2 groups. Changes in the VIS at 1h after the baseline time were significantly greater in the calcium-treated group than in the noncalcium-treated group (1.41 vs. －1.25, respectively;p＜0.001). However, the changes in the VIS at 3, 6, 24, 48, and 72h did not differ between the 2 groups. The secondary outcomes also did not differ between the groups. Our findings indicate that calcium administered to SS patients might reduce their hemodynamic stabilization, but only for a short time after its administration

Successful Extracorporeal Life Support for Life-threatening Hypercapnia with Bronchiolitis Obliterans after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) is a disease with a poor prognosis, and a key factor that limits long-term survival after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We here report a case of a 31-year woman with acute lymphatic leukemia, which was treated by chemotherapy and HSCT, and consequently developed BO 2 years after HSCT. A non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection occurred and showed gradual exacerbation. She started taking anti-mycobacterial drugs, but lost appetite, felt tired and finally lost consciousness one month after beginning medication. Arterial blood gas revealed marked hypercapnia. Using extracorporeal life support (ECLS), the carbon dioxide concentration was reduced and her consciousness recovered. To our knowledge, this is the first case in which ECLS was successfully used for hypercapnia in a patient with BO

Mean Lung Pressure during Adult High-Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation: An Experimental Study Using a Lung Model

In adult high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV), stroke volume (SV) and mean lung pressure (PLung) are important for lung protection. We measured the airway pressure at the Y-piece and the lung pressure during HFOV using a lung model and HFOV ventilators for adults (R100 and 3100B). The lung model was made of a 20-liter, airtight rigid plastic container (adiabatic compliance: 19.3ml/cmH2O) with or without a resistor (20cmH2O/l/sec). The ventilator settings were as follows: mean airway pressure (MAP), 30cmH2O;frequency, 5-15Hz (every 1Hz);airway pressure amplitude (AMP), maximum;and % of inspiratory time (IT), 50% for R100, 33% or 50% for 3100B. The measurements were also performed with an AMP of 2/3 or 1/3 maximum at 5, 10 and 15Hz. The PLung and the measured MAP were not consistently identical to the setting MAP in either ventilator, and decreasing IT decreased the PLung in 3100B. In conclusion, we must pay attention to the possible discrepancy between the PLung and the setting MAP during adult HFOV