Prehospital use of hemostatic dressings in emergency medical services in the Netherlands: A prospective study of 66 cases

BackgroundUncontrolled haemorrhage is the leading cause of potentially preventable death in both civilian and military trauma patients. Animal studies and several case series have shown that hemostatic dressings reduce haemorrhage and might improve survival. One of these products is HemCon ChitoGauze^®. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness and safety of ChitoGauze in achieving hemostasis in massive traumatic bleeding in civilian emergency medical services.MethodsFrom June 2012 to December 2014, all ambulances of two emergency medical services in the Netherlands were equipped with ChitoGauze. The dressing was used according to protocol; if conventional treatment (gauze dressing with manual pressure) failed to control external traumatic bleeding or if conventional treatment was unlikely to achieve hemostasis. The ambulance personnel filled in an evaluation form after each use.ResultsA total of 66 patients were treated with ChitoGauze during the study period. Twenty-one patients were taking anticoagulants or suffered from a clotting disorder. The injuries were located in the extremities (n = 29), the head and face (n = 29), or the neck, thorax and groin (n = 8). In 46/66 patients, the use of ChitoGauze resulted in cessation of haemorrhage. In 13/66 patients, Chitogauze application reduced haemorrhage. ChitoGauze failed to control haemorrhage in 7/66 patients, whereby user error was a contributing factor in 3 of these failures. No side effects have been observed during treatment or transport of the patients and no adverse effects have been reported in discharge letters.ConclusionThis is the largest prospective study in civilian healthcare and the second largest case series with prehospital use of hemostatic dressings. It demonstrated that ChitoGauze is an effective and safe adjunct in the prehospital treatment of massive external traumatic haemorrhage.     

Prehospital airway management: A prospective case study

We conducted a one-year prospective study involving a prehospital Emergency Medical Service in the Netherlands to investigate the incidence of failed or difficult prehospital endotracheal intubation. During the study period the paramedics were asked to fill in a registration questionnaire after every endotracheal intubation. Of the 26,271 patient contacts, 256 endotracheal intubations were performed by paramedics in one year. Endotracheal intubation failed in 12 patients (4.8%). In 12.0% of 249 patients, a Cormack and Lehane grade III laryngoscopy was reported and a grade IV laryngoscopy was reported in 10.4%. The average number of endotracheal intubations per paramedic in one year was 4.2 and varied from zero to a maximum of 12. The median time between arrival on the scene and a positive capnograph was 7 min.38 s in the case of a Cormack and Lehane grade I laryngoscopy and 14 min.58 s in the case of a Cormack and Lehane grade 4 laryngoscopy. The incidence of endotracheal intubations performed by Dutch paramedics in one year was low, but endotracheal intubation was successful in 95.2%, which is comparable with findings in international literature. Early capnography should be used consistently in prehospital airway management.     

Prehospital hypoxia affects outcome in patients with traumatic brain injury: a prospective multicenter study

BACKGROUND: The goals of this study were to determine the incidence and duration of hypotension and hypoxia in the prehospital setting in patients with potentially survivable brain injuries, and to prospectively examine the association of these secondary insults with mortality and disability at hospital discharge. METHODS: Trauma patients with suspected brain injuries underwent continuous blood pressure and pulse oximetry monitoring during helicopter transport. Postadmission inclusion criteria were (1) diagnosis of acute traumatic brain injury (TBI) confirmed by computed tomography (CT) scan, operative findings, or autopsy findings; and (2) Head Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) score of > or = 3 or Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of < or = 12 within the first 24 hours of admission. Patients were excluded with (1) no abnormal intracranial findings on the patient's CT scan; (2) determination of a nonsurvivable injury (based on an AIS score of 6 for any body region; or, (3) death in less than 12 hours after injury. Primary outcome measures included mortality and Disability Rating Scale score at discharge. RESULTS: We enrolled 150 patients into the study. Fifty-seven patients had at least one secondary insult; 37 had only hypoxic episodes, 14 had only hypotensive episodes, and 6 patients had both. Demographics and injury characteristics did not differ between those with and those without secondary insults. The mortality for patients without secondary insults was 20%, compared with 37% for patients with hypoxic episodes, 8% for patients with hypotensive episodes, and 24% for patients with both. The Disability Rating Scale score at discharge was significantly higher in patients with secondary insults. Using multivariate analysis, the calculated odds ratio of mortality caused by prehospital hypoxia after head injury was 2.66 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Secondary insults after TBI are common, and these insults are associated with disability. Hypoxia in the prehospital setting significantly increases the odds of mortality after brain injury controlled for multiple variables.     

成人重症患者超声引导外周静脉血管穿刺的证据总结

目的 检索、评价和总结成人重症患者超声引导外周静脉血管穿刺的最佳证据。 方法 按照“6S”金字塔模型,进行计算机文献检索,检索时限为建库至2020年5月。 由2名研究人员采用英国2012年更新的《临床指南研究与评价系统》和澳大利亚JBI循证卫生保健中心对应的评价标准（2016）对文献质量进行独立评价,结合专业人员的判断,对符合标准的文献进行资料提取并依据JBI证据预分级系统（2014版）进行证据分级。 结果 共筛选出23篇文献,包括2篇临床决策、5篇指南、3篇证据总结、5篇专家共识、4篇系统评价及4篇随机对照试验。从基于超声的血管评估、穿刺前准备、超声引导穿刺方法、穿刺后观察、教育及培训5个方面汇总证据33条。 结论 总结的成人患者超声引导血管穿刺最佳证据,可作为护士实施超声引导外周静脉血管穿刺的指引与规范,以提升外周静脉穿刺成功率,减少穿刺相关并发症,保证患者安全。     

The anesthesiologist's role in the French emergency medical system

The present system of French emergency medicine and its philosophy were described from my experience at SAMU (service d'aide medicale urgente). Three factors of emergency medicine; pre-hospital care, emergency transport and emergency information service are managed by anesthesiologists. Anesthesiologists on duty at the tele-medicine center give medical team instructions to start at once. The team is composed of an anesthesiologist, a nurse and an ambulancier. They start to give intensive care medicine to critically ill patients on the spot. The philosophy of SAMU is that doctors should go out of the hospital. Anesthesiologists in the area organize the emergency medical system in France.     

Non-theatre emergency airway management: a multicentre prospective observational study

Emergency airway management events are common, unpredictable and associated with high complication rates. This multicentre prospective observational study across eight acute NHS hospitals in southeast England reports the incidence and nature of non-theatre emergency airway management events. Data were collected from non-theatre emergency airway management, including adverse events, over a continuous 28-day window, and recorded on an electronic case report form. Events were classified according to type (advanced airway; simple airway; and cardiac arrest). A total of 166 events were recorded, with 111 advanced airway events involving tracheal intubation or tracheostomy management. Senior personnel with three or more years of airway management experience were present for 105/111 (95%) advanced airway management episodes. There was a significant reduction in consultant or equivalent presence out-of-hours (21/64, 33%) vs. in-hours (34/47, 72%) (p < 0.001). We found high utilisation of videolaryngoscopy (95/106, 90%) and universal use of capnography for all advanced airway management events. This was lower during cardiac arrest when videolaryngoscopy was used in 11/16 (69%) of tracheal intubations and capnography in 21/32 (66%) of all cardiac arrest episodes. Adverse outcomes during advanced airway management (excluding during cardiac arrest) occurred in 53/111 (48%) episodes, including hypoxia (desaturation to S_pO₂ < 80% in 14/111, 13%) and hypotension (systolic blood pressure < 80 mmHg in 27/111, 25%). Adverse outcomes were not associated with time of day or experience level of airway practitioners. We conclude that there is a disparity between consultant presence for advanced airway interventions in- and out-of-hours; high utilisation of videolaryngoscopy and capnography, especially for advanced airway interventions; and a high incidence of hypotension and hypoxaemia, including critical values, during non-theatre airway management.     

Final inline filtration for intravenous infusions: a prospective hospital study

Phlebitis is the most common complication of intravenous therapy affecting more than 50 per cent of infusions. Particles in or added to infusions have been implicated, hence a filter with pore size of 0.2 micron containing both hydrophobic and hydrophilic elements (Pall Biomedical) has been evaluated. All infusions of likely duration greater than 48 h, set up in a 2-month period at this hospital, were randomized to filter or identical dummy. The endpoints and statistical power of the study were determined at the outset. Of the 226 infusions randomized, 32 failed within 24 h and were excluded leaving 194 of whom 93 had dummy and 101 filter. Only 38 infusions with dummy survived until no longer required compared to 63 infusions with filter (chi 2 = 7.68, P less than 0.01). Analysed by life table, the trend for filtered infusions to survive longer failed to achieve statistical significance, but inline filtration prolonged the phlebitis-free survival of infusions (P less than 0.01). These benefits were most marked in the 49 infusions where antibiotics were administered via the drip site. Inline filtration delays the onset of phlebitis, thus more infusions survive until they are no longer required. This effect is not sufficiently strong to institute an overall hospital policy but filters may be indicated in patients requiring intravenous antibiotics.     

Feasibility and outcome of emergency ureteroscopic removal of lower ureteral stone under intravenous sedation: A prospective study

ObjectiveTo compare the efficacy of emergency ureteroscopy (URS) with that of elective URS in the treatment of distal ureteral calculi.Patients and methodsThis prospective study included 132 patients diagnosed with a distal unilateral ureteral stone ≤5 mm and treated with either emergency or elective URS between August 2013 and July 2014. The indication for emergency URS was intractable renal pain not responding to narcotic analgesia. Children, pregnant women and patients with bilateral disease were excluded. The patients were categorized into two groups: Group I included 42 patients who underwent emergency URS under intravenous sedation, while Group II included 90 patients who underwent elective URS. The patients’ demographic data, the stone criteria, perioperative complications, procedure outcome and degree of patient satisfaction were recorded and statistically analyzed.ResultsThe mean stone size was 4.2 ± 0.5 mm in Group I and 4.1 ± 0.6 mm in Group II. The success rate was 90.5% and 97.8% in Groups I and II, respectively with a statistically insignificant difference. Complete stone retrieval without fragmentation was achieved in 83.3% in Group I and in 82.2% in Group II. The stone migrated proximally in 4 patients in Group I and in only 2 patients of Group II; these patients received ureteral stents. Mucosal injury was observed in 3 and 4 patients of Groups I and II, respectively. Thirty-seven patients of Group I (88%) reported that they were satisfied with the procedure and its outcome compared to 78 patients of Group II (87%).ConclusionEmergency URS under intravenous sedation is feasible, safe and equally effective when compared to elective URS for small lower ureteral stones.     

Reliability of frailty assessment in the critically ill: a multicentre prospective observational study

Demand for critical care among older patients is increasing in many countries. Assessment of frailty may inform discussions and decision making, but acute illness and reliance on proxies for history-taking pose particular challenges in patients who are critically ill. Our aim was to investigate the inter-rater reliability of the Clinical Frailty Scale for assessing frailty in patients admitted to critical care. We conducted a prospective, multi-centre study comparing assessments of frailty by staff from medical, nursing and physiotherapy backgrounds. Each assessment was made independently by two assessors after review of clinical notes and interview with an individual who maintained close contact with the patient. Frailty was defined as a Clinical Frailty Scale rating > 4. We made 202 assessments in 101 patients (median (IQR [range]) age 69 (65–75 [60–80]) years, median (IQR [range]) Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score 19 (15–23 [7–33])). Fifty-two (51%) of the included patients were able to participate in the interview; 35 patients (35%) were considered frail. Linear weighted kappa was 0.74 (95%CI 0.67–0.80) indicating a good level of agreement between assessors. However, frailty rating differed by at least one category in 47 (47%) cases. Factors independently associated with higher frailty ratings were: female sex; higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score; higher category of pre-hospital dependence; and the assessor having a medical background. We identified a good level of agreement in frailty assessment using the Clinical Frailty Scale, supporting its use in clinical care, but identified factors independently associated with higher ratings which could indicate personal bias.     

Radiation-free quantitative assessment of scoliosis: a multi center prospective study

Accurate quantitative measurements of the spine are essential for deformity diagnosis and assessment of curve progression. There is much concern related to the multiple exposures to ionizing radiation associated with the Cobb method of radiographic measurement, currently the standard procedure for diagnosis and follow-up of the progression of scoliosis. In addition, the Cobb method relies on 2-D analysis of a 3-D deformity. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the clinical value of Ortelius800^TM that provides a radiation-free method for scoliosis assessment in three planes (coronal, sagittal, apical), with simultaneous automatic calculation of the Cobb angle in both coronal and sagittal views. Analysis of the clinical value of the device for assessing spinal deformities was performed on patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, deformity angles ranging from 10° to 48°. Correlation between Cobb angles measured manually on standard erect posteroanterior radiographs and those calculated by Ortelius800^TM showed an absolute difference between the measurements to be significantly less than ± 5° for coronal measurements and significantly less than ± 6° for sagittal measurements indicating good correlation between the two methods. The measurements from four independent sites and six independent examiners were not significantly different. We found the novel clinical tool to be reliable for following mild and moderate idiopathic curves in both coronal and sagittal planes, without exposing the patient to ionizing radiation. Considering the need for further validation of this new method, any change in treatment protocol should still be based on radiographic control.