Outcome of early cardiopulmonary resuscitation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest managed in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients require immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Early initiation of CPR and defibrillation before arrival at Emergency Department (ED) increases the chance of survival from sudden cardiac arrest. The main objective of this study was to identify the factors that influenced the outcome of early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients managed at the ED of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC). The second objective was to determine the incidence of CPR initiated by the public prior to ambulance arrival. The present study was a one-year cross-sectional study. The OHCA patients were identified from the ED resuscitation logbook. Patients’ medical records were used to obtain details of the resuscitation. Factors recorded included: aetiology of arrest, initiation of on-scene CPR, use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), mode of transportation and the incidence of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in the ED. Categorical data was analysed using chi-square and Fisher exact tests. Nine patients out of 98 had early CPR. Three patients achieved ROSC. Gender was significantly associated with ROSC (p-value=0.015). More patients who received early CPR achieved ROSC compared to those who received late CPR. The provision of early CPR and usage of AEDs by the public is still low. Female gender had a positive influence on ROSC. Efforts are required to increase the awareness and involvement of the public in initiating early CPR prior to the arrival of ambulance service

Effects of fluoxetine on functional outcomes after acute stroke (FOCUS): a pragmatic, double-blind, randomised, controlled trial

Background Results of small trials indicate that fluoxetine might improve functional outcomes after stroke. The FOCUS trial aimed to provide a precise estimate of these effects. Methods FOCUS was a pragmatic, multicentre, parallel group, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial done at 103 hospitals in the UK. Patients were eligible if they were aged 18 years or older, had a clinical stroke diagnosis, were enrolled and randomly assigned between 2 days and 15 days after onset, and had focal neurological deficits. Patients were randomly allocated fluoxetine 20 mg or matching placebo orally once daily for 6 months via a web-based system by use of a minimisation algorithm. The primary outcome was functional status, measured with the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), at 6 months. Patients, carers, health-care staff, and the trial team were masked to treatment allocation. Functional status was assessed at 6 months and 12 months after randomisation. Patients were analysed according to their treatment allocation. This trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, number ISRCTN83290762. Findings Between Sept 10, 2012, and March 31, 2017, 3127 patients were recruited. 1564 patients were allocated fluoxetine and 1563 allocated placebo. mRS data at 6 months were available for 1553 (99·3%) patients in each treatment group. The distribution across mRS categories at 6 months was similar in the fluoxetine and placebo groups (common odds ratio adjusted for minimisation variables 0·951 [95% CI 0·839–1·079]; p=0·439). Patients allocated fluoxetine were less likely than those allocated placebo to develop new depression by 6 months (210 [13·43%] patients vs 269 [17·21%]; difference 3·78% [95% CI 1·26–6·30]; p=0·0033), but they had more bone fractures (45 [2·88%] vs 23 [1·47%]; difference 1·41% [95% CI 0·38–2·43]; p=0·0070). There were no significant differences in any other event at 6 or 12 months. Interpretation Fluoxetine 20 mg given daily for 6 months after acute stroke does not seem to improve functional outcomes. Although the treatment reduced the occurrence of depression, it increased the frequency of bone fractures. These results do not support the routine use of fluoxetine either for the prevention of post-stroke depression or to promote recovery of function. Funding UK Stroke Association and NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme

Goal orientation and beliefs about causes of sport success among Malaysian athletes

The purpose of this study was to investigate goal orientations (task and ego) and beliefs (effort, external factors, ability, and illegal advantage) and how these relate to success in sports competition for both National and International level athletes in Malaysia. The sample consisted of 100 male and female Malaysian athletes (55 at National level and 45 at International level) and the study was carried out during a period of centralized training at the National Sport Council of Malaysia. The subjects completed the Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire (TEOSQ; Duda & Nicholls, 1992) and the 21-item Beliefs About the Causes of Sport Success Questionnaire (BACSSQ; Duda & Nicholls, 1992). The results showed that there was no significance difference (p > .05) between the National and International levels athletes in TEOSQ and BACSSQ, but indicated that task and effort were key orientations and beliefs towards success. To this extent the research showed that both the National and International level athletes looked towards task orientation and effort as key indicators of their motivation for success, which in turn suggested that similar training schedules, facilities, and motivations were key factors. As a result of the findings the authors also suggest that further research needs to be conducted on the International level athletes in order to explore in more depth the reasons why they selected goal orientations and effort. It is suggested that those athletes at International levels should focus more on ego orientation and abilities as their key goal orientations and beliefs towards success. Recommendations for further research which takes better account of cultural and gender difference are also suggested. Key words: Task and ego orientation, motivation behavior, cross-culture study, elite athletes and cultural differences. AJPHERD Vol.11(2) 2005: 112-12