Survival With Favorable Neurologic Outcome and Quality of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Following In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Children With Cardiac Disease Compared With Noncardiac Disease

Survival after extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation for adolescent arrhythmogenic arrest: ECPella (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation with Impella®)-a case report

Background

The combined therapy with venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and Impella (ECPella) has been shown to improve survival in acute cardiogenic shock (CS) in adult patient. Only three paediatric cases have been reported in a multicentre study.

Case summary

We present our case, the first described to our knowledge in the UK, of a 15-year-old adolescent of Afro-Caribbean descent, weight 75 kg, who received extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (E-CPR) and ECPella implantation. The patient suffered a sudden cardiac arrest at home; his mother called for an ambulance that arrived within 10 min and commenced life support with a LUCAS device. He received three doses of adrenaline and three desynchronized shocks for an underlying rhythm of ventricular fibrillation (VF) after which return of spontaneous circulation was achieved. He was then transferred to his local hospital where he had another VF arrest with successful cardioversion and was then transferred to our institution where on arrival he had another VF arrest and received E-CPR and ECPella implantation under the institutional adult shock programme within 3 h of in-hospital cardiac arrest. Following weaning from ECPella, the patient underwent cardiac and brain magnetic resonance imaging and serial echocardiograms with complete recovery of ventricular function. After implantation of cardiac defibrillator, he was discharged home without neurological sequelae. He remains asymptomatic from a cardiac perspective, with a normal cardiac examination and with no neurological sequelae at 2-year follow-up.

Discussion

This is the first case description of ECPella use in a child in the UK and highlighted the importance of timely institution of E-CPR on survival benefit in fatal CS. The outcome success of post-resuscitation ECPella strategy in this adolescent was through collaborative interprofessional engagement of multiple supra-specialists within acute cardiology and critical care across paediatric and adult services and alignment with the institutional adult shock programme.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation employing only abdominal compressions in infants after cardiac surgery: A secondary sub-analysis of the ICU-RESUS study

Importance

Patients with underlying cardiac disease form a considerable proportion of pediatric patients who experience in-hospital cardiac arrest. In pediatric patients after cardiac surgery, CPR with abdominal compressions alone (AC-CPR) may provide an alternative to standard chest compression CPR (S-CPR) with additional procedural and physiologic advantages.

Objective

Quantitatively describe hemodynamics during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and outcomes of infants who received only abdominal compressions (AC-CPR).

Design

This is a sub-group analysis of the prospective, observational cohort from the ICU-RESUS trial NCT028374497.

Setting & Patients

A single site quaternary care pediatric cardiothoracic intensive care unit enrolled in the ICU-RESUS trial. Patients less than 1 year of age with congenital heart disease who required compressions during cardiac arrest.

Interventions

Use of AC-CPR during cardiac arrest resuscitation.

Measurements and Main Results

Invasive arterial line waveforms during CPR were analyzed for 11 patients (10 surgical cardiac and 1 medical cardiac). Median weight was 3.3 kg [IQR 3.0, 4.0]; and median duration of CPR was 5.0 [3.0, 20.0] minutes. Systolic (median 57 [IQR 48, 65] mmHg) and diastolic (median 32 [IQR 24, 43] mmHg) blood pressures were achieved with a median rate of 114 [IQR 100, 124] compressions per minute. Return of spontaneous circulation was obtained in 9 of 11 (82%) patients; 2 patients (18%) were cannulated for extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) and 6 (55%) survived to hospital discharge with favorable neurologic outcome.

Conclusions

AC-CPR may offer an alternative method to maintain perfusion for infants who experience cardiac arrest. This may have particular benefit in pediatric patients after cardiac surgery for whom external chest compressions may be harmful due to anatomic and physiologic considerations.

Principles of resuscitation for infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (sBPD) requiring invasive mechanical ventilation is a heterogeneous disease process that contributes to morbidity and mortality in infants. As the most common lung disease of prematurity, sBPD has a multitude of overlapping cardiac, airway, pulmonary vascular, and infectious phenotypic presentations that progress through four different phases of care. Premature infants with sBPD are at a high risk of acute decompensation and subsequent cardiopulmonary arrest. A comprehensive determination of the complex phenotypes that contribute to the clinical presentation will help clinicians decipher the phase of care, identify cardiopulmonary compromise earlier and guide targeted therapeutic intervention during acute episodes of deterioration. The approach to resuscitation of premature infants with sBPD undergoing an acute decompensation differs from general neonatal and pediatric resuscitation practices. This review summarizes the phenotypes of sBPD, the phases of care, the common triggers of acute exacerbations, and the principles of resuscitation of a deteriorating infant with sBPD. We offer a framework for sBPD resuscitation with a focus on prevention, assessment, and post-resuscitative care.

The approach to extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) in children. A narrative review by the paediatric ECPR working group of EuroELSO

Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (ECPR) has potential benefits compared to conventional Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CCPR) in children. Although no randomised trials for paediatric ECPR have been conducted, there is extensive literature on survival, neurological outcome and risk factors for survival. Based on current literature and guidelines, we suggest recommendations for deployment of paediatric ECPR emphasising the requirement for protocols, training, and timely intervention to enhance patient outcomes. Factors related to outcomes of paediatric ECPR include initial underlying rhythm, CCPR duration, quality of CCPR, medications during CCPR, cannulation site, acidosis and renal dysfunction. Based on current evidence and experience, we provide an approach to patient selection, ECMO initiation and management in ECPR regarding blood and sweep flow settings, unloading of the left ventricle, diagnostics whilst on ECMO, temperature targets, neuromonitoring as well as suggested weaning and decannulation strategies.

Related mechanisms and research progress in straight back syndrome

Despite the high prevalence of straight back syndrome (SBS), there is still limited research on this condition, posing challenges for effective diagnosis and treatment. The disease has been known for a long time, but there have been few related studies, which mostly consist of case reports. These studies have not been systematically summarized, making it difficult to meet the current needs of diagnosis and treatment. This article summarized the existing literature and comprehensively reviewed the diagnosis, pathogenesis, treatment, and research status of mitral valve prolapse related to SBS. We specifically emphasized the mechanisms and prognosis of SBS combined with mitral valve prolapse and discussed the latest research progress in this disease.