A resuscitated case from asphyxia by large bronchial cast.
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A 62-year-old woman with bronchiectasis suffered from asphyxia due to a large bronchial cast that obstructed the bronchial tree. Immediate bronchoscopic suction of a bronchial cast of 17 cm in length through the intubated tube relieved the patients without any complications. Large bronchial casts appear to be rare in this century but it should be considered in patients with acute exacerbation of excessive sputa not only in patients with asthma or allergy but also in patients with respiratory tract infection. (+info)
Intraosseous lines in preterm and full term neonates.
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AIM: To evaluate the use of intraosseous lines for rapid vascular access in primary resuscitation of preterm and full term neonates. METHODS: Thirty intraosseous lines were placed in 27 newborns, in whom conventional venous access had failed. RESULTS: All the neonates survived the resuscitation procedure, with no long term side effects. CONCLUSION: Intraosseous infusion is quick, safe, and effective in compromised neonates. (+info)
Should doctors practise resuscitation skills on newly deceased patients? A survey of public opinion.
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Trainee doctors must acquire skills in resuscitation, but opportunities for learning on real patients are limited. One option is to practise these skills in newly deceased patients. We sought opinions from 400 multiethnic guests at an open-access dinner dance for members of a local community. The questionnaire could elicit the responses strongly agree, agree, unsure, disagree or strongly disagree. 332 (83%) guests responded. For non-invasive techniques, 32% of responders supported practice without consent, 74% with consent. Support diminished with increasing invasiveness of procedure. 91% of the sample were uncomfortable about the procedures, the commonest reason being 'respect for the body' (264/302). 86% of responders felt that practice should last for no more than 5 minutes. The most popular solutions were for people to carry a personal card giving consent (89%) and establishment of a central register of individuals consenting to be practised upon after death (79%). (+info)
Survival after cardiac arrest or sustained ventricular tachycardia in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
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OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) after resuscitated ventricular fibrillation or syncopal sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT/VF) when treated with low dose amiodarone or implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). BACKGROUND: Prospective data on clinical outcome in patients with HCM who survive a cardiac arrest are limited, but studies conducted before the widespread use of amiodarone and/or ICD therapy suggest that over a third die within seven years from sudden cardiac death or progressive heart failure. METHODS: Sixteen HCM patients with a history of VT/VF (nine male, age at VT/VF 19 +/- 8 years [range 10 to 36]) were studied. Syncopal sustained ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation occurred during or immediately after exertion in eight patients and was the initial presentation in eight. One patient had disabling neurologic deficit after VT/VF. Before VT/VF, two patients had angina, four had syncope and six had a family history of premature sudden cardiac death. After VT/VF all patients were in New York Heart Association class I or II, three had nonsustained VT during ambulatory electrocardiography and 11 had an abnormal exercise blood pressure response. After VT/VF eight patients were treated with low dose amiodarone and six received an ICD. Prophylactic therapy was declined by two patients. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 6.1 +/- 4.0 years (range 0.5 to 14.5). Cumulative survival (death or ICD discharge) for the entire cohort was 59% at five years (95% confidence interval: 33% to 84%). Thirteen (81%) patients were alive at last follow-up. Two patients died suddenly while taking low dose amiodarone, and one died due to neurologic complications of his initial cardiac arrest. Three patients had one or more appropriate ICD discharges during follow-up; the times to first shock after ICD implantation were 23, 197 and 1,124 days. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that patients with HCM who survive an episode of VT/VF remain at risk for a recurrent event. Implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy appears to offer the best potential benefit regarding outcome. (+info)
Outcome of very severe birth asphyxia.
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The aim of this study was to establish the outcome of very severe birth asphyxia in a group of babies intensively resuscitated at birth. 48 infants, born between 1966 and 1971 inclusive, were selected; 15 were apparently stillborn and 33 had not established spontaneous respirations by 20 minutes after birth. One-half of them died, but 3 to 7 years later three-quarters of the survivors are apparently normal. Later handicap was associated with factors leading to prolonged partial intrapartum asphyxia, while acute periods of more complete asphyxia were not necessarily harmful. (+info)
Boerhaave's syndrome presenting as tension pneumothorax.
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Boerhaave's syndrome can present initially as a case of tension pneumothorax. Mortality rate with delayed treatment is very high, therefore diagnosis should be made rapidly in the emergency department. Multidisciplinary cooperation, immediate radiological confirmation, prompt aggressive resuscitation, and surgical intervention offer the best chance of survival. (+info)
Systemic and microcirculatory effects of autologous whole blood resuscitation in severe hemorrhagic shock.
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Systemic and microcirculatory effects of autologous whole blood resuscitation after 4-h hemorrhagic shock with a mean arterial pressure (MAP) level of 40 mmHg were investigated in 63 conscious Syrian golden hamsters. Microcirculation of skeletal skin muscle and subcutaneous connective tissue was visualized in a dorsal skinfold. Shed blood was retransfused within 30 min after 4 h. Animals were grouped into survivors in good (SG) and poor condition (SP) and nonsurvivors (NS) according to 24-h outcome after resuscitation and studied before shock, during shock (60, 120, and 240 min), and 30 min and 24 h after resuscitation. Microvascular and interstitial PO2 values were determined by phosphorescence decay. Shock caused a significant increase of arterial PO2 and decrease of PCO2, pH, and base excess. In the microcirculation, there was a significant decrease in blood flow (QB), functional capillary density (FCD; capillaries with red blood cell flow), and interstitial PO2 [1.8 +/- 0.8 mmHg (SG), 1.3 +/- 1.3 mmHg (SP), and 0.9 +/- 1.1 mmHg (NS) vs. 23.0 +/- 6.1 mmHg at control]. Blood resuscitation caused immediate MAP recompensation in all animals, whereas metabolic acidosis, hyperventilation, and a significant interstitial PO2 decrease (40-60% of control) persisted. In NS (44.4% of the animals), systemic and microcirculatory alterations were significantly more severe both in shock and after resuscitation than in survivors. Whereas in SG (31.8% of the animals) there was only a slight (15-30%) but still significant impairment of microscopic tissue perfusion (QB, FCD) and oxygenation at 24 h, SP (23.8% of the animals) showed severe metabolic acidosis and substantial decreases (>/=50%) of FCD and interstitial PO2. FCD, interstitial PO2, and metabolic state were the main determinants of shock outcome. (+info)
Early experience with simulated trauma resuscitation.
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Although trauma resuscitation is best taught through direct exposure with hands-on experience, the opportunities for this type of teaching in Canada are limited by the relatively low incidence of serious injury and the consolidation of trauma care to a small number of centres. Simulators have been used extensively outside the health care environment and more recently have been used by anesthetists to simulate intraoperative crises. In this paper early experience using a realistic mannequin, controlled by a remote computer, that simulates a variety of physiologic and injury specific variables is presented. The resource implications of simulated resuscitation are reviewed, including one-time and operating costs. Simulated trauma resuscitation may be an educational alternative to "real-life" trauma resuscitation, but careful evaluation of the benefits and resource implications of this type of teaching through well-designed research studies will be important. (+info)