J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2017 Sep 22. Epub 2017 Sep 22.

Heart Centre, Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, 9441, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.

Purpose: We aimed to assess sex differences in clinical characteristics, circumstances of arrest, and procedural characteristics in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients with ventricular fibrillation (VF) prior to angioplasty.

Methods: Cases of VF with first STEMI (n = 329; 276 men and 53 women) were identified from the GEVAMI study, which is prospectively assembled case-control study among first STEMI patients in Denmark.

Results: Compared to men, women experienced symptoms for a longer time interval prior to angioplasty (140 vs. Read More

J Am Heart Assoc 2017 Sep 22;6(9). Epub 2017 Sep 22.

Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, IL

J Am Heart Assoc 2017 Sep 22;6(9). Epub 2017 Sep 22.

University of Washington, Seattle, WA.

Background: The HeartRescue Project is a multistate public health initiative focused on establishing statewide out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) systems of care to improve case capture and OHCA care in the community, by emergency medical services (EMS), and at hospital level.

Methods And Results: From 2011 to 2015 in the 5 original HeartRescue states, all adults with EMS-treated OHCA due to a presumed cardiac cause were included. In an adult population of 32. Read More

Resuscitation 2017 Sep 19. Epub 2017 Sep 19.

Department of Congenital Heart Disease/Paediatric Cardiology, Deutsches Herzzentrum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany; German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site, Oudenarder Straße 16, 13347 Berlin, Germany.

Aim: To investigate if the serum biomarkers of cerebral injury, neuron-specific enolase and S100b protein, may classify unfavourable neurological outcome after paediatric cardiac arrest.

Methods: We performed a retrospective study of neuron-specific enolase and S100b measurements from 95 children treated in our paediatric cardiac intensive care unit after cardiac arrest. Neurological outcome at discharge was evaluated using the paediatric cerebral performance category scale, with unfavourable outcome defined as a change of >1 compared to pre-arrest status or death. Read More

J Vet Cardiol 2017 Sep 19. Epub 2017 Sep 19.

Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan Sate University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. Electronic address:

A 6-year-old castrated male Golden Retriever was diagnosed with severe subaortic stenosis with severe left atrial enlargement and high heart rate due to atrial fibrillation. Treatment with digoxin and diltiazem to control ventricular response rate was initiated. Ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring (Holter monitoring) was performed at the beginning of treatment and was repeated to evaluate the patient's response to drug therapy. Read More

Heart Rhythm 2017 Sep 15. Epub 2017 Sep 15.

Division of Cardiology/Arrhythmia Services, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; King County Emergency Medical Services, Public Health - Seattle & King County, Seattle, Washington. Electronic address:

Heart Rhythm 2017 Sep 15. Epub 2017 Sep 15.

Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

J Am Heart Assoc 2017 Sep 21;6(9). Epub 2017 Sep 21.

Inherited Cardiac Arrhythmia Program & Division of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Boston Children's Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

Background: The 2005 Bethesda Conference Guidelines advise patients with long QT syndrome against competitive sports. We assessed cardiac event rates during competitive and recreational sports, and daily activities among treated long QT syndrome patients.

Methods And Results: Long QT syndrome patients aged ≥4 years treated with anti-adrenergic therapy were included. Read More

PLoS One 2017 21;12(9):e0185046. Epub 2017 Sep 21.

Section of Emergency Medicine; Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.

Rationale: Post-ischemic changes in cellular metabolism alter myocardial and neurological function. Pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), the limiting step in mitochondrial glucose oxidation, is inhibited by increased expression of PDH kinase (PDK) during ischemia/reperfusion injury. This results in decreased utilization of glucose to generate cellular ATP. Read More

World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg 2017 Jan 1:2150135117716421. Epub 2017 Jan 1.

5 Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.

We describe the case of a 10-year-old male with a history of repaired Tetralogy of Fallot and known intramural right coronary artery (RCA) who presented for bioprosthetic pulmonary valve replacement. The operation was complicated by postoperative ventricular fibrillation arrest. Selective coronary angiography revealed external compression of the mid-RCA by a mediastinal chest tube that improved immediately upon removal of the tube. Read More

Sci Transl Med 2017 Sep;9(408)

Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Assessing the adequacy of oxygen delivery to tissues is vital, particularly in the fields of intensive care medicine and surgery. As oxygen delivery to a cell becomes deficient, changes in mitochondrial redox state precede changes in cellular function. We describe a technique for the continuous monitoring of the mitochondrial redox state on the epicardial surface using resonance Raman spectroscopy. Read More

Eur Heart J Qual Care Clin Outcomes 2017 Jan;3(1):83-92

Division of Environmental Medicine and Population Sciences, Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan.

Aims: To evaluate and compare outcomes and impacts of delay of time to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by type of first documented rhythm in paediatric patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).

Methods And Results: We enrolled 3968 paediatric (aged <18 years) OHCA patients whose events were witnessed between 2005 and 2012 from a prospective nationwide population-based cohort database in Japan. We assessed and compared their neurologically favourable 1-month survival according to first documented rhythm: pulseless ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation (pVT/VF), pulseless electrical activity (PEA), or asystole. Read More

Eur Heart J Qual Care Clin Outcomes 2017 Apr;3(2):97-98

Eur Heart J Qual Care Clin Outcomes 2017 Apr;3(2):107-113

Aims: To investigate the population attributable risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) from non-optimal sunshine duration and the relative contribution of daily sunshine hours.

Methods And Results: National registry data of all cases of OHCA occurred between 2005 and 2014 in the 47 Japanese prefectures were obtained. We examined the relationship between daily duration of sunshine and OHCA risk for each prefecture in Japan using a Poisson regression model combined with a distributed lag non-linear model, adjusting for confounding factors. Read More

Disaster Med Public Health Prep 2017 Sep 19:1-7. Epub 2017 Sep 19.

4Department of Emergency Medicine,Hallym University College of Medicine and Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital,Hwaseong,Gyeonggi,Korea.

Objective: We investigated the extent of delays in the response time of emergency medical services (EMS) as an impact of mass casualty incidences (MCIs) in the same area.

Methods: We defined an MCI case as an event that resulted in 6 or more patients being transported by EMS, and prehospital response time as the time from the call to arrival at the scene. We matched patients before and after MCIs by dividing them into categories of 3 hours before, 0-1 hour after, 1-2 hours after, and 2-3 hours after the MCIs. Read More

Ann Acad Med Singapore 2017 Aug;46(8):310-316

Emergency Medicine Department, National University Hospital, Singapore.

Introduction: Ultrasonographic evaluation of patients in cardiac arrest is currently not protocolised in the advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) algorithm. Potentially reversible causes may be identified using bedside ultrasonography that is ubiquitous in most emergency departments (EDs). This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of sonographically detectable reversible causes of cardiac arrest by incorporating an ultrasonography protocol into the ACLS algorithm. Read More

BMJ Open 2017 Sep 15;7(9):e015736. Epub 2017 Sep 15.

Core Medical Trainee, Princess Royal University Hospital Bromley, King's College NHS Trust, Bromley, UK.

Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the symptoms people with diabetes experience when having a myocardial infarction (MI), their illness narrative and how they present their symptoms to the health service.

Setting: Three London (UK) hospitals (coronary care units and medical wards).

Participants: Patients were recruited with diabetes mellitus (DM) (types 1 and 2) with a clinical presentation of MI (ST elevated MI (STEMI), non-ST elevated MI (NSTEMI), acute MI unspecified and cardiac arrest). Read More

Heart Rhythm 2017 Sep 13. Epub 2017 Sep 13.

Department of Pediatrics Thomas P. Graham Jr. Division of Cardiology, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt and the Vanderbilt Center for Arrhythmia Research and Therapeutics (VanCART), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN. Electronic address:

Heart Rhythm 2017 Sep 13. Epub 2017 Sep 13.

IRCCS-Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Milan, Italy.

Background: Pauses in chest compressions (CCs) have a negative association with survival from cardiac arrest (CA). ECG rhythm analysis and defibrillator charging are significant contributors to CC pauses.

Objective: Accuracy of the "Analysis During Compressions with Fast Reconfirmation" (ADC-FR) algorithm, which features automated rhythm analysis and charging during CCs to reduce CC pauses, was retrospectively determined in a large database of ECGs from 2,701 out-of-hospital CAs. Read More

Heart Rhythm 2017 Sep 13. Epub 2017 Sep 13.

Department of Cardiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Background: A chronic total occlusion (CTO) is common in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors with coronary artery disease. It is unclear whether a CTO contributes to ventricular arrhythmias in this population.

Objective: This study sought to evaluate the impact of unrevascularized CTO's on the occurrence of appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy and all-cause mortality in OHCA survivors with coronary artery disease. Read More

Clin Auton Res 2017 Sep 15. Epub 2017 Sep 15.

Department of Clinical Science and Education Södersjukhuset, Karolinska Institutet, Sjukhusbacken 10, 118 83, Stockholm, Sweden.

Takotsubo syndrome is a recently recognized acute cardiac disease entity with a clinical presentation resembling that of an acute coronary syndrome. The typical takotsubo syndrome patient has a unique circumferential left (bi-) ventricular contraction abnormality profile that extends beyond a coronary artery supply territory and appears to follow the anatomical cardiac sympathetic innervation. The syndrome predominantly affects postmenopausal women and is often preceded by emotional or physical stress. Read More

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017 Sep 15. Epub 2017 Sep 15.

School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, QLD, Australia;

The mammalian heart undergoes maturation during postnatal life to meet the increased functional requirements of an adult. However, the key drivers of this process remain poorly defined. We are currently unable to recapitulate postnatal maturation in human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs), limiting their potential as a model system to discover regenerative therapeutics. Read More

J Sex Med 2017 Sep 12. Epub 2017 Sep 12.

Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital, Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.

Background: Although sexual activity can cause moderate stress, it can cause natural death in individuals with pre-existing illness. The aim of this study was to identify additional pre-existing health problems, sexual practices, and potential circumstances that may trigger fatal events.

Methods: This medicolegal postmortem, retrospective, and prospective study is based on data of autopsies performed at the Institute of Legal Medicine of the University hospital, Goethe-University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2017 Sep 11. Epub 2017 Sep 11.

Department of Emergency Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Emergency Medicine, Lotung Poh-Ai Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Background: The 2015 guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) are based on an update of the 2010 guidelines with minor revisions. It is important to assess the 2010 guidelines to ensure their efficacy, which may help promote widespread adoption of the 2015 guidelines.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study in a single center that evaluated patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) between 2006 and 2014. Read More

BMC Anesthesiol 2017 Sep 15;17(1):128. Epub 2017 Sep 15.

Department of Anaesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, China.

Background: The effectiveness of a combination of a lipid emulsion with epinephrine in reversing local anesthetic-induced cardiac arrest has been confirmed. The combination of a lipid emulsion with levosimendan, was shown to be superior to administration of a lipid emulsion alone with regard to successful resuscitation. In this study, we compared the reversal effects of levosimendan, epinephrine, and a combination of the two agents in lipid-based resuscitation in a rat model of bupivacaine-induced cardiac arrest. Read More

J Oncol Pharm Pract 2017 Jan 1:1078155217729564. Epub 2017 Jan 1.

Department of Pharmacy, 12297 New York University Langone Medical Center , New York, NY.

Carfilzomib is a second-generation proteasome inhibitor that irreversibly inhibits chymotrypsin-like (CT-L) activities of the proteasome, and is indicated for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Cardiotoxicity is a well-established adverse effect of carfilzomib. The extent of cardiac toxicity in the literature spans anywhere from palpitations to cardiac arrest, with the most commonly reported manifestation being new-onset or worsening heart failure. Read More

Heart Lung 2017 Sep 11. Epub 2017 Sep 11.

Wagga Wagga Rural Referral Hospital, NSW, Australia; School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia.

Hypoxaemia increases the risk of cardiac arrest and mortality during intubation. The reduced physiological reserve and reduced efficacy of pre-oxygenation in intensive care patients makes their intubation particularly dangerous. Apnoeic oxygenation is a promising means of preventing hypoxaemia in this setting. Read More

J Am Coll Cardiol 2017 Sep;70(12):1477-1478

Canadian VIGOUR Centre, Department of Medicine (Cardiology), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 2017 Sep 14. Epub 2017 Sep 14.

Emergency Medical Service, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.

Background: Our aim was to evaluate the impact of futile resuscitation attempts to the outcome calculations of attempted resuscitation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Defined as partial resuscitations, we focused on a subgroup of patients in whom cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was initiated, but further efforts were soon abandoned due to evidence of futility.

Methods: We conducted this study using the Utstein template during a 12-month study period. Read More

Nat Rev Cardiol 2017 Sep 14. Epub 2017 Sep 14.

Laboratory of Physiological Studies, National Institutes of Health/NIAAA, 5625 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.

Dysregulation of the endogenous lipid mediators endocannabinoids and their G-protein-coupled cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 (CB1R and CB2R) has been implicated in a variety of cardiovascular pathologies. Activation of CB1R facilitates the development of cardiometabolic disease, whereas activation of CB2R (expressed primarily in immune cells) exerts anti-inflammatory effects. The psychoactive constituent of marijuana, Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is an agonist of both CB1R and CB2R, and exerts its psychoactive and adverse cardiovascular effects through the activation of CB1R in the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. Read More

Int J Legal Med 2017 Sep 13. Epub 2017 Sep 13.

Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.

Aim: To determine the frequency of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)-related injuries and factors involved in their occurrence, data based on forensic autopsy and postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) during implementation of the 2010 American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR were studied.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated data on adult patients with non-traumatic deaths who had undergone manual CPR and autopsy from January 2012 to December 2014. CPR-related injuries were analyzed on autopsy records and PMCT images and compared with results of previous studies. Read More

Circulation 2017 Sep 13. Epub 2017 Sep 13.

Rescu, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michaels Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Background -Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) commonly presents with non-shockable rhythms (asystole and pulseless electrical activity (PEA)). Whether antiarrhythmic drugs are safe and effective when these evolve to shockable rhythms (ventricular fibrillation/pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VF/VT)) during resuscitation is not known. Methods -Adults with non-traumatic OHCA, vascular access and VF/VT anytime after ≥1 shock(s) were prospectively randomized, double-blind, to receive amiodarone, lidocaine or placebo by paramedics. Read More

World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg 2017 Sep;8(5):559-563

1 Division of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.

Background: We sought to compare clinical outcomes and resource utilization for two surgical approaches for single-stage repair of coarctation of the aorta and ventricular septal defect (VSD).

Methods: This was a retrospective chart review of 21 consecutive neonates and infants undergoing single-stage repair of coarctation of the aorta and VSD. Group 1 included 13 patients with both arch repair and VSD repair completed via sternotomy. Read More

World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg 2017 Sep;8(5):600-604

1 Department of Pediatric Cardiac and Congenital Heart Surgery, National Institute of Cardiology Ignacio Chávez, Ciudad de México, México.

Background: The indications for pediatric coronary revascularization are diverse. There are a large proportion of patients with sequelae of severe inflammatory diseases such as Kawasaki disease, and other less common causes.

Methods: Retrospective review of ten pediatric patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery from January 2004 to December 2016. Read More

Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med 2017 Sep 12;25(1):93. Epub 2017 Sep 12.

Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, S-58185, Linköping, Sweden.

Background: The effectiveness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) learning methods is unclear. Our aim was to evaluate whether a web course before CPR training, teaching the importance of recognition of symptoms of stroke and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and a healthy lifestyle, could influence not only theoretical knowledge but also practical CPR skills or willingness to act in a cardiac arrest situation.

Methods: Classes with 13-year-old students were randomised to CPR training only (control) or a web course plus CPR training (intervention). Read More

Arch Argent Pediatr 2017 Oct;115(5):e291-e293

Servicio de Cardiología Pediátrica, Hospital Infantil Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, España.

Ataxia-telangiectasia is a disorder characterized by cerebellar ataxia, telangiectasia, immunodeficiency, and increased predisposition to cancer susceptibility. Mutations in the ataxia telangiectasia mutated gene seem to play an important role in normal cell function and in cardiovascular remodeling. We report a case of a 14-year-old boy with ataxia-telangiectasia and high-grade B-non-Hodgkin lymphoma who remained in continuous complete remission after chemotherapy and who was admitted into our Emergency Room presenting with episodes of presyncope. Read More

Am Heart J 2017 Sep 23;191:91-98. Epub 2017 Jun 23.

Department of Cardiology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

Background: Post-cardiac arrest (CA) patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) have a poor prognosis, with estimated survival rates of around 30%-50%. On admission, these patients have a large cerebral penumbra at risk for additional damage in case of suboptimal brain oxygenation during their stay in the ICU. The aim of the Neuroprotect post-CA trial is to investigate whether forcing mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and mixed venous oxygen saturation (SVO2) in a specific range (MAP 85-100 mm Hg, SVO2 65%-75%) with additional pharmacological support (goal-directed hemodynamic optimization) may better salvage the penumbra, reduce cerebral ischemia, and improve functional outcome when compared with current standard of care (MAP 65 mm Hg). Read More

Am Heart J 2017 Sep 9;191:21-29. Epub 2017 Jun 9.

Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC. Electronic address:

Background: Primary prevention implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) reduce all-cause mortality by reducing sudden cardiac death. There are conflicting data regarding whether patients with more advanced heart failure derive ICD benefit owing to the competing risk of nonsudden death.

Methods: We performed a patient-level meta-analysis of New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II/III heart failure patients (left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35%) from 4 primary prevention ICD trials (MADIT-I, MADIT-II, DEFINITE, SCD-HeFT). Read More

Eur Ann Allergy Clin Immunol 2017 Sep;49(5):231-234

Allergy/Immunology Section, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA. Phone: +1 318 675 7625 Fax: +1 318 675 8815 E-mail:

Summary: We describe the case of a 24-year-old male with hyper-IgE syndrome (HIES) which was diagnosed at 4 years of age and died from a very rare cardiac complication. He had typical clinical and laboratory manifestations of HIES, including total serum IgE as high as > 100,000 IU/mL. Stem cell transplantation was not available. Read More

J Vet Cardiol 2017 Sep 4. Epub 2017 Sep 4.

Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine, 4474 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4474, USA.

An adult female mixed breed dog presented for recurrent collapsing episodes over several weeks. Holter evaluation revealed periods of sinus arrest and echocardiography identified a soft tissue mass with subsequent severe dynamic obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract. The patient was euthanized five days after presentation for severe dyspnea. Read More

Tex Heart Inst J 2017 Aug 1;44(4):283-286. Epub 2017 Aug 1.

Invasion of a renal cell carcinoma thrombus into the inferior vena cava and right atrium is infrequent. Reaching and completely excising a tumor from the inferior vena cava is particularly challenging because the liver covers the surgical field. We report the case of a 61-year-old man who underwent surgery for a renal cell carcinoma of the right kidney that extended into the inferior vena cava and right atrium. Read More

Tex Heart Inst J 2017 Aug 1;44(4):260-263. Epub 2017 Aug 1.

Isolated ventricular noncompaction, a rare genetic cardiomyopathy, is thought to be caused by the arrest of normal myocardial morphogenesis. It is characterized by prominent, excessive trabeculation in a ventricular wall segment and deep intertrabecular recesses perfused from the ventricular cavity. The condition can present with heart failure, systematic embolic events, and ventricular arrhythmias. Read More

JAMA Cardiol 2017 Sep 6. Epub 2017 Sep 6.

Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, Kansas City, Missouri.

Anesth Analg 2017 Sep 2. Epub 2017 Sep 2.

From the Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan.

Background: Lipid emulsion treatment appears to have application in the treatment of local anesthetic-induced cardiac arrest. To examine whether the efficacy of lipid resuscitation in the treatment of local anesthetic-induced cardiac arrest is affected by lipophilicity, the effects of lipid infusions were compared between levobupivacaine-induced (high lipophilicity) and ropivacaine-induced (lower lipophilicity) rat cardiac arrest model.

Methods: A total of 28 female Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized using sevoflurane, which subsequently underwent tracheostomy, followed by femoral artery and vein cannulation. Read More

West J Emerg Med 2017 Aug 14;18(5):864-869. Epub 2017 Jul 14.

University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.

Introduction: Field information available to emergency medical services (EMS) about a patient's chronic health conditions or medication therapies could help direct patient care or be used to investigate outcome disparities. However, little is known about the field availability or accuracy of information of chronic health conditions or chronic medication treatments in emergent circumstances, especially when the patient cannot serve as an information resource. We evaluated the prehospital availability and accuracy of specific chronic health conditions and medication treatments among out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients. Read More

West J Emerg Med 2017 Aug 19;18(5):830-834. Epub 2017 Jul 19.

Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Emergency Medicine, Richmond, Virginia.

Introduction: Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is a well-established method of evaluating cardiac pathology. It has many advantages over transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), including the ability to image the heart during active cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This prospective simulation study aims to evaluate the ability of emergency medicine (EM) residents to learn TEE image acquisition techniques and demonstrate those techniques to identify common pathologic causes of cardiac arrest. Read More

Circulation 2017 Sep;136(10):e197

Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2017 Sep;52(3):479-484

Clinical Research Support Center, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

Objectives: This study tested the hypothesis that remote perconditioning offers effective and synergistic cardioprotection to terminal warm blood cardioplegia for prompt ventricular recovery after prolonged cardioplegic arrest in an in vivo piglet model.

Methods: Twenty-four piglets were subjected to 120 min of single-dose cardioplegic arrest and were divided into 4 groups according to the mode of reperfusion: control (simple aortic unclamp), remote perconditioning, terminal warm blood cardioplegia or remote perconditioning + terminal warm blood cardioplegia; remote perconditioning (4 cycles of 5-min ischaemia-reperfusion of the lower limb) was applied prior to aortic unclamping. Left ventricular systolic and diastolic functions were assessed by pressure-volume loop analysis at baseline and after 60 min of reperfusion. Read More

Ther Hypothermia Temp Manag 2017 Sep 5. Epub 2017 Sep 5.

1 Heart and Vascular Institute, Hartford Hospital , Hartford, Connecticut.

Background: Recent data suggest that rapid infusion of intravenous (IV) cold saline for Targeted Temperature Management (TTM) after cardiac arrest is associated with higher rates of rearrest, pulmonary edema, and hypoxia, with no difference in neurologic outcomes or survival when administered by Emergency Medical Services. We sought to determine the effects of IV cold saline administration in the hospital setting in postcardiac arrest patients to achieve TTM and its effect on clinical parameters and neurologic outcomes.

Methods And Results: A cohort of 132 patients who completed TTM after cardiac arrest in a single institution was retrospectively studied. Read More