Goal-directed cardiopulmonary resuscitation for refractory out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the emergency Department: A feasibility study

Implementation of advanced vascular access, physiological monitoring and goal-directed resuscitation during OHCA in a helicopter emergency medical service

Outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remain poor in the UK. In order to increase the chances of successful resuscitation, international society guidelines on cardiopulmonary resuscitation quality have recommended titration of chest compression parameters and vasopressor administration to arterial diastolic blood pressure if invasive catheters are in situ at the time of cardiac arrest. However, prehospital initiation of arterial and central venous catheterisation is seldom undertaken due to the risks and significant technical challenges in the context of ongoing resuscitation in this environment. In 2019, a dedicated programme was started at East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) to enable the safe introduction of contemporary emergency vascular access devices, in order to improve physiological monitoring intra-arrest and deliver nuanced, goal-directed resuscitation in OHCA patients. This programme was entitled Specialist Percutaneous Emergency Aortic Resuscitation (SPEAR). This article details the EAAA SPEAR technique; and the development, implementation and governance of this novel endovascular strategy in our UK physician-paramedic staffed helicopter emergency medical service.

Use of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) and ultrasound-guided left stellate ganglion block to rescue out of hospital cardiac arrest due to refractory ventricular fibrillation: A case report

Out of hospital cardiac arrest from shockable rhythms that is refractory to standard treatment is a unique challenge. Such patients can achieve neurological recovery even with long low-flow times if perfusion can somehow be restored to the heart and brain. Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an effective treatment for refractory cardiac arrest if applied early and accurately, but often cannot be directly implemented by frontline providers and has strict inclusion/exclusion criteria. We present the case of a novel treatment strategy for out of hospital cardiac arrest due to refractory ventricular fibrillation utilizing Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation and intra-arrest left stellate ganglion blockade to achieve return of spontaneous circulation and eventual good neurological outcome after 101 minutes of downtime.

Resuscitation Strategies for Maximizing Survival

There is no single resuscitation strategy that will uniformly improve cardiac arrest outcomes. Traditional vital signs cannot be relied on in cardiac arrest, and the use of continuous capnography, regional cerebral tissue oxygenation, and continuous arterial monitoring are options for use early defibrillation are critical elements of resuscitation. Cardio-cerebral perfusion may be improved with the use of active compression-decompression CPR, an impedance threshold device, and head-up CPR. In refractory shockable arrest, if ECPR is not an option, consider changing defibrillator pad placement and/or double defibrillation, additional medication options, and possibly stellate ganglion block.

Using point-of-care testing for adult patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest resuscitated at the emergency department to predict return of spontaneous circulation: Development and external validation of POC-ED-ROSC model

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE

Most prediction models, like return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after cardiac arrest (RACA) or Utstein-based (UB)-ROSC score, were developed for prehospital settings to predict the probability of ROSC in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). A prediction model has been lacking for the probability of ROSC in patients with OHCA at emergency departments (EDs).

OBJECTIVE

In the present study, a point-of-care (POC) testing-based model, POC-ED-ROSC, was developed and validated for predicting ROSC of OHCA at EDs.

DESIGN, SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS

Prospectively collected data for adult OHCA patients between 2015 and 2020 were analysed. POC blood gas analysis obtained within 5 min of ED arrival was used.

OUTCOMES MEASURE AND ANALYSIS

The primary outcome was ROSC. In the derivation cohort, multivariable logistic regression was used to develop the POC-ED-ROSC model. In the temporally split validation cohort, the discriminative performance of the POC-ED-ROSC model was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) and compared with RACA or UB-ROSC score using DeLong test.

MAIN RESULTS

The study included 606 and 270 patients in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. In the total cohort, 471 patients achieved ROSC. Age, initial cardiac rhythm at ED, pre-hospital resuscitation duration, and POC testing-measured blood levels of lactate, potassium and glucose were significant predictors included in the POC-ED-ROSC model. The model was validated with fair discriminative performance (AUC: 0.75, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.69-0.81) with no significant differences from RACA (AUC: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.62-0.74) or UB-ROSC score (AUC: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.68-0.79).

CONCLUSION

Using only six easily accessible variables, the POC-ED-ROSC model can predict ROSC for OHCA resuscitated at ED with fair accuracy.

Advanced and Invasive Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Techniques as an Adjunct to Advanced Cardiac Life Support

BACKGROUND

Despite numerous promising innovations, the chance of survival from sudden cardiac arrest has remained virtually unchanged for decades. Recently, technological advances have been made, user-friendly portable devices have been developed, and advanced invasive procedures have been described that could improve this unsatisfactory situation.

METHODS

A selective literature search in the core databases with a focus on randomized controlled trials and guidelines.

RESULTS

Technical aids, such as feedback systems or automated mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) devices, can improve chest compression quality. The latter, as well as extracorporeal CPR, might serve as a bridge to treatment (with extracorporeal CPR even as a bridge to recovery). Sonography may be used to improve thoracic compressions on the one hand and to rule out potentially reversible causes of cardiac arrest on the other. Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta might enhance myocardial and cerebral perfusion. Minithoracostomy, pericardiocentesis, or clamshell thoracotomy might resolve reversible causes of cardiac arrest.

CONCLUSIONS

It is crucial to identify those patients who may benefit from an advanced or invasive procedure and make the decision to implement the intervention in a timely manner. As with all infrequently performed procedures, sound education and regular training are paramount.

Resuscitative endovascular occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) as a mechanical method for increasing the coronary perfusion pressure in non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients

AIM

of the study Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA), originally designed to block blood flow to the distal part of the aorta by placing a balloon in trauma patients, has recently been shown to increase coronary perfusion in cardiac arrest patients. This study evaluated the effect of REBOA on aortic pressure and coronary perfusion pressure (CPP) in non-traumatic out of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients.

METHODS

Adult OHCA patients with cerebral performance category 1 or 2 prior to cardiac arrest, and without evidence of aortic disease, were enrolled from January to December 2021. Aortic pressure and right atrial pressure were measured before and after balloon occlusion. The CPP was calculated using the measured aortic and right atrial pressures, and the values before and after the balloon occlusion were compared.

RESULTS

Fifteen non-traumatic OHCA patients were enrolled in the study. The median call to balloon time was 46.0 (IQR, 38.0-54.5) min. The median CPP before and after balloon occlusion was 13.5 (IQR, 5.8-25.0) and 25.2 (IQR, 12.0-44.6) mmHg, respectively (P = 0.001). The median increase in the estimated CPP after balloon occlusion was 86.7%.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study suggest that REBOA may increase the CPP during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in patients with non-traumatic OHCA. Additional studies are needed to investigate the effect on clinical outcomes.