Effect of feedback on delaying deterioration in quality of compressions during 2 minutes of continuous chest compressions: a randomized manikin study investigating performance with and without feedback

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Good quality basic life support (BLS) improves outcome following cardiac arrest. As BLS performance deteriorates over time we performed a parallel group, superiority study to investigate the effect of feedback on quality of chest compression with the hypothesis that feedback delays deterioration of quality of compressions.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Participants attending a national one-day conference on cardiac arrest and CPR in Denmark were randomized to perform single-rescuer BLS with (n = 26) or without verbal and visual feedback (n = 28) on a manikin using a ZOLL AED plus. Data were analyzed using Rescuenet Code Review. Blinding of participants was not possible, but allocation concealment was performed. Primary outcome was the proportion of delivered compressions within target depth compared over a 2-minute period within the groups and between the groups. Secondary outcome was the proportion of delivered compressions within target rate compared over a 2-minute period within the groups and between the groups. Performance variables for 30-second intervals were analyzed and compared.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>24 (92%) and 23 (82%) had CPR experience in the group with and without feedback respectively. 14 (54%) were CPR instructors in the feedback group and 18 (64%) in the group without feedback. Data from 26 and 28 participants were analyzed respectively. Although median values for proportion of delivered compressions within target depth were higher in the feedback group (0-30 s: 54.0%; 30-60 s: 88.0%; 60-90 s: 72.6%; 90-120 s: 87.0%), no significant difference was found when compared to without feedback (0-30 s: 19.6%; 30-60 s: 33.1%; 60-90 s: 44.5%; 90-120 s: 32.7%) and no significant deteriorations over time were found within the groups. In the feedback group a significant improvement was found in the proportion of delivered compressions below target depth when the subsequent intervals were compared to the first 30 seconds (0-30 s: 3.9%; 30-60 s: 0.0%; 60-90 s: 0.0%; 90-120 s: 0.0%). Significant differences were not found in secondary outcome and in other performance variables between the groups and over time</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Quality of CPR was maintained during 2 minutes of continuous compressions regardless of feedback in a group of trained rescuers.</p

Resistance Training Combined With Stretching Increases Tendon Stiffness and Is More Effective Than Stretching Alone in Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Aim: Stretching is often used to increase/maintain muscle length and improve joint range of motion (ROM) in children with cerebral palsy (CP). However, outcomes at the muscle (remodeling) and resulting function appear to be highly variable and often unsatisfactory. During passive joint rotation, the Achilles tendon lengthensmore than the in-seriesmedial gastrocnemius muscle in children with CP, which might explain the limited effectiveness of stretching interventions.We aimed to ascertain whether increasing tendon stiffness, by performing resistance training, improves the effectiveness of passive stretching, indicated by an increase in medial gastrocnemius fascicle length. Methods: Sixteen children with CP (Age median [IQR]: 9.6 [8.6, 10.5]) completed the study. Children were randomly assigned to a combined intervention of stretching and strengthening of the calf muscles (n = 9) or a control (stretching-only) group (n = 7). Medial gastrocnemius fascicle length at a resting ankle angle, lengthening during passive joint rotations, and tendon stiffness were assessed by combining dynamometry and ultrasound imaging. The study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02766491). Results: Resting fascicle length and tendon stiffness increased more in the intervention group compared to the control group (median [95% CI] increase fascicle length: 2.2 [1.3, 4.3] mm; stiffness: 13.6 [9.9, 17.7] N/mm) Maximum dorsiflexion angle increased equally in both groups. Conclusion: This study provides proof of principle that a combined resistance and stretching intervention can increase tendon stiffness and muscle fascicle length in children with CP. This demonstrates that remodeling of muscle structure is possible with non-invasive interventions in spastic CP

Mortality and admission to intensive care units after febrile neutropenia in patients with cancer

Febrile neutropenia (FN) is a critical complication of chemotherapy associated with increased in-hospital mortality. However, associations with increased mortality and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions during longer follow-up are not established. Patients treated with standard first-line chemotherapy for solid cancers at Rigshospitalet, Denmark in 2010-2016 were included. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) of all-cause, infectious and cardiovascular mortality, and ICU admissions after FN were analyzed by Poisson regression. Risk factors at the time of FN were analyzed in the subpopulation of patients with FN; all-cause mortality was further stratified by the time periods 0-30, 31-365, and 366+ days after FN. We included 9018 patients with gastric (14.4%) and breast (13.1%) cancer being the most common, 51.2% had locally advanced or disseminated disease and the patients had a median Charlson Comorbidity Index score of 0 (interquartile range, 0-0). During follow-up, 845 (9.4%) experienced FN and 4483 (49.7%) died during 18 775 person-years of follow-up. After adjustment, FN was associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality, infectious mortality, and ICU admissions with IRRs of 1.39 (95% CI, 1.24-1.56), 1.94 (95% CI, 1.43-2.62), and 2.28 (95% CI, 1.60-3.24). Among those with FN, having a positive blood culture and low lymphocytes were associated with excess risk of death and ICU admissions (predominantly the first 30 days after FN), while elevated C-reactive protein and low hemoglobin predicted mortality the first year after FN. The risk of death varied according to the time since FN; adjusted IRR per additional risk factor present for the time periods 0-30, 31-365, and 366+ days after FN were 2.00 (95% CI, 1.45-2.75), 1.36 (95% CI, 1.17-1.57), and 1.17 (95% CI, 0.98-1.41). FN was associated with increased mortality and risk of ICU admissions. An objectively identifiable subgroup of patients among those with FN carried this excess risk