Health system costs of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in relation to time to shock. (1/127)

BACKGROUND: Early defibrillation results in higher admission rates and healthcare costs. This study determined the healthcare resources used and related medical costs after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in relation to time to shock. We assessed the incremental healthcare costs per life gained from reduction in time to shock of 2, 4, and 6 minutes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Clinical and costs data of patients in witnessed OHCA with ventricular fibrillation as initial rhythm were collected. Each patient's time to shock was estimated and assigned to 1 of 3 categories: < or =7 minutes (early), 7 to 12 minutes (intermediate), and >12 minutes (late). Incremental cost-effectiveness analysis and Monte Carlo simulation compared scenarios of reduction in time to shock of 2, 4, and 6 minutes. Six-month survival was 22%. Mean prehospital, in-hospital, and posthospital costs in the first half-year after OHCA were 559 Euros, 6869 Euros and 666 Euros. Mean costs were 28,636 Euros per survivor and 2384 Euros per nonsurvivor. Among patients shocked early (n=24), 46% survived, with costs averaging 20,253 Euros. Of the intermediate group (n=149), 26% survived, with costs averaging 31,467 Euros. Among patients shocked late (n=135), 13% survived, with costs averaging 27,781 Euros. The point estimates of the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of reduction of time to shock of 2, 4, and 6 minutes compared with baseline were 17,508 Euros, 14,303 Euros, and 12,708 Euros per life saved, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Costs per survivor were lowest with the shortest time to shock because of shorter stay in the intensive care unit. Reducing the time to defibrillation increases the healthcare costs by an acceptable amount according to current standards and is economically attractive.  (+info)

Simplified cardioversion service with intravenous midazolam. (2/127)

OBJECTIVE: To assess the results of a new cardioversion service that used intravenous midazolam sedation with cardioversion performed with a biphasic defibrillator by an experienced doctor with a prior review of patients in a pre-cardioversion clinic. METHODS: 368 consecutive patients who were treated under the new service over its first 12 months (group 1) were compared with 210 consecutive patients who attended under the old system during the preceding 12 months (group 2). Patients of group 2 had cardioversion under general anaesthesia by junior doctors with a monophasic defibrillator. RESULTS: There were no anaesthetic or respiratory complications in group 1. Of the patients in group 1, 10.3% remembered the shocks, with only 3.5% considering them unpleasant. Cardioversion was successful in 94.6% of group 1 patients after a mean energy of 117 J compared with 81.4% (p < 0.0001) and a mean energy of 242 J (p < 0.0001) for group 2 patients. Cancellations on the day of the procedure were reduced from 24% in group 2 to 3.4% in group 1. CONCLUSIONS: The new service was found to be safe and more efficient. It has led to a large reduction in the waiting time for cardioversion.  (+info)

Simultaneous double external DC shock technique for refractory atrial fibrillation in concomitant heart disease. (3/127)

Atrial fibrillation (AF) has been treated with DC shocks delivered transthoracically, but in 5-30% of patients, the procedures fail to restore sinus rhythm (SR). We hypothesized that applying high energy shock waves to the chest may overcome the inadequate penetration of electrical shock to the atrium. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of higher energy external DC shock for the treatment of refractory AF coexisting with cardiovascular disease using a synchronized double external defibrillator. Fifteen patients (mean age 65 +/- 8) with refractory AF to standard DC cardioversion (CV) underwent higher energy DC shock using a double external defibrillator. Concomitant heart disease was present in all patients. Warfarin and amiodarone (600 mg/day), were administered for at least three weeks duration before DC CV. Sedation was performed with IV midazolam. Two defibrillator paddles were positioned on the anterior and posterior chest wall in a right lateral decubitus position. Defibrillators were synchronized to the R waves and simultaneously 720 joules of energy was administered to the patients. Amiodarone (200 mg/day) was continuously administered after DC shock to maintain SR. Sinus rhythm was obtained in 13 patients. Sinus rhythm was persistent in 11 patients for six months duration. Creatine kinase MB fractions were normal at 4 (22 +/- 4 IU/L) and 12 hours (18 +/- 4 IU/L). None of the patients developed significant hemodynamic compromise or congestive heart failure, higher AV block, stroke, or transient ischemic cerebral events. The results indicate that higher energy DC shock application using a double external defibrillator is an effective and safe method for the cardioversion of refractory AF. We believe this procedure should be performed before internal atrial cardioversion.  (+info)

Effect of automatic external defibrillator audio prompts on cardiopulmonary resuscitation performance. (4/127)

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effectiveness of the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) audio prompts in an automatic external defibrillator in 24 lay subjects, before and after CPR training. METHODS: Untrained subjects were asked to perform CPR on a manikin with and without the assistance of audio prompts. All subjects were then trained in CPR, and retested them eight weeks later. RESULTS: Untrained subjects who performed CPR first without audio prompts performed poorly, with only (mean (SD)) 24.5% (32%) of compressions at the correct site and depth, a mean compression rate of 52 (31) per minute, and with 15% (32%) of ventilatory attempts adequate. Repeat performance by this group with audio prompts resulted in significant improvements in compression rate (91(12), p = 0.0002, paired t test), and percentage of correct ventilations (47% (40%), p = 0.01 paired t test), but not in the percentage correct compressions (23% (29%)). Those who performed CPR first with audio prompts performed significantly better in compression rate (87 (19), p = 003, unpaired t test), and the percentage of correct ventilations (51 (34), p = 0.003 unpaired t test), but not in the percentage of correct compressions (18 (27)) than those without audio prompts. After training, CPR performance was significantly better than before training, but there was no difference in performance with or without audio prompts, although 73% of subjects commented that they felt more comfortable performing CPR with audio prompts. CONCLUSIONS: For untrained subjects, the quality of CPR may be improved by using this device, while for trained subjects the willingness to perform CPR may be increased.  (+info)

Survey of oral and maxillofacial surgeons' offices in Virginia: anesthesia team characteristics. (5/127)

This survey assesses whether oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the state of Virginia are prepared for inspection of their offices. A survey asking pertinent questions on the availability of specific equipment and the educational qualifications of the anesthesia care team was developed and sent to 155 offices. Seven questions were asked regarding the availability of nurses, types of life support training, (formal or informal), the surgeons and anesthesia care personnel, and the presence of a defibrillator. Questionnaires were short and simple to encourage compliance with the study guidelines. A total of 128 (82.6%) questionnaires were returned. Only 42 of 128 (32.8%) offices employed nurses, and 6 of the 42 nurses were not considered as part of the anesthesia care team. Only 36 of 128 (28.1%) of the offices had assistants with formal anesthesia assistant course training from the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) or the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology (ADSA). However, 93% of the assistants who participated in the anesthesia had current basic life support training (BLS) training, and 74% of the surgeons had current advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) training. The AAOMS Office Emergency Manual was present in 118 of 128 offices (92.2%), and 124 of 128 offices (96.9%) had defibrillators. The survey suggests that the surgeons are well prepared from the standpoint of having a defibrillator present and the AAOMS Office Emergency Manual available as a template for the team to use in order to answer questions that the inspection team may ask of the primary anesthesia care provider and surgeon. The majority of the surgeons had current ACLS certification, and the office anesthesia assistants had current BLS training. Most of the assistants did not have formal course training, which indicates that on-the-job training is probably the norm. Less than one third of the offices had nurses.  (+info)

Automatic external defibrillation in a 6 year old. (6/127)

A case is reported in which an automatic external defibrillator (AED) was used during the successful resuscitation of a 6 year old child in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, despite the fact that these devices are not recommended in children under 8 years. The interpretation of resuscitation protocols is discussed and new developments in this area reported.  (+info)

Better outcome after pediatric defibrillation dosage than adult dosage in a swine model of pediatric ventricular fibrillation. (7/127)

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to compare outcome after adult defibrillation dosing versus pediatric dosing in a piglet model of prolonged prehospital ventricular fibrillation (VF). BACKGROUND: Weight-based 2 to 4 J/kg monophasic defibrillation dosing is recommended for children in VF, but impractical for automated external defibrillator (AED) use. Present AEDs can only provide adult shock doses or newly developed attenuated adult doses intended for children. A single escalating energy sequence (50/75/86 J) of attenuated adult-dose biphasic shocks (pediatric dosing) is at least as effective as escalating monophasic weight-based dosing for prolonged VF in piglets, but this approach has not been compared to standard adult biphasic dosing. METHODS: Following 7 min of untreated VF, piglets weighing 13 to 26 kg (19 +/- 1 kg) received either biphasic 50/75/86 J (pediatric dose) or biphasic 200/300/360 J (adult dose) therapies during simulated prehospital life support. RESULTS: Return of spontaneous circulation was attained in 15 of 16 pediatric-dose piglets and 14 of 16 adult-dose piglets. Four hours postresuscitation, pediatric dosing resulted in fewer elevations of cardiac troponin T (0 of 12 piglets vs. 6 of 11 piglets, p = 0.005) and less depression of left ventricular ejection fraction (p < 0.05). Most importantly, more piglets survived to 24 h with good neurologic scores after pediatric shocks than adult shocks (13 of 16 piglets vs. 4 of 16 piglets, p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: In this model, pediatric shocks resulted in superior outcome compared with adult shocks. These data suggest that adult defibrillation dosing may be harmful to pediatric patients with VF and support the use of attenuating electrodes with adult biphasic AEDs to defibrillate children.  (+info)

Public access defibrillation: suppression of 16.7 Hz interference generated by the power supply of the railway systems. (8/127)

BACKGROUND: A specific problem using the public access defibrillators (PADs) arises at the railway stations. Some countries as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway and Sweden are using AC railroad net power-supply system with rated 16.7 Hz frequency modulated from 15.69 Hz to 17.36 Hz. The power supply frequency contaminates the electrocardiogram (ECG). It is difficult to be suppressed or eliminated due to the fact that it considerably overlaps the frequency spectra of the ECG. The interference impedes the automated decision of the PADs whether a patient should be (or should not be) shocked. The aim of this study is the suppression of the 16.7 Hz interference generated by the power supply of the railway systems. METHODS: Software solution using adaptive filtering method was proposed for 16.7 Hz interference suppression. The optimal performance of the filter is achieved, embedding a reference channel in the PADs to record the interference. The method was tested with ECGs from AHA database. RESULTS: The method was tested with patients of normal sinus rhythms, symptoms of tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. Simulated interference with frequency modulation from 15.69 Hz to 17.36 Hz changing at a rate of 2% per second was added to the ECGs, and then processed by the suggested adaptive filtering. The method totally suppresses the noise with no visible distortions of the original signals. CONCLUSION: The proposed adaptive filter for noise suppression generated by the power supply of the railway systems has a simple structure requiring a low level of computational resources, but a good reference signal as well.  (+info)