PP20 UK Ambulance Service resuscitation management of pulseless electrical activity: a systematic review of text and opinion

2021 ◽  
Vol 38 (9) ◽  
pp. A9.2-A9
Author(s):  
Ali Coppola ◽  
Michael A Smyth ◽  
Sasha Johnston ◽  
Sarah Black ◽  
Ruth Endacott

BackgroundIn the United Kingdom, out of hospital cardiac arrest patients with pulseless electrical activity (PEA) have a poor survival to discharge rate of 5.3%.1 PEA is managed according to national guidelines.2 These guidelines are imperfect due to limited research resulting in ambulance services locally amending guidelines to support resuscitation decisions.3 This review aimed to examine the local guidelines of UK ambulance services for the management of PEA.MethodsA three-step search strategy was applied from August 2020 to October 2020. 1) A search of UK ambulance service websites was conducted to identify published local guidelines. Where guidelines were not available a written request was made for the guideline, associated guideline or a narrative summary in the absence of a guideline. 2) Documents referenced within the local guidelines specific to pulseless electrical activity were identified and extracted as supporting literature. 3) Documents referenced in the supporting literature identified as having pulseless electrical activity in the title were extracted.ResultsTwenty-two documents of textual data met the inclusion criteria. Twenty-nine conclusions were extracted and analysed to generate ten categories, forming three synthesised themes relating to the variability in the clinical management of PEA between UK ambulance services, the early identification of reversible causes and appropriate treatment options to increase survivability and the consensus for further research.ConclusionComprehensive national guidelines are lacking due to limited research. The local clinical guidelines and practices of UK ambulance services which aim to address the gaps in research, introduce variability in the management of pulseless electrical activity. Early identification and treatment to reverse the cause of pulseless electrical activity was highlighted to improve patient survival, however, this was complex and challenging to achieve during pre-hospital resuscitation. There was a consensus in the paucity of evidence and the potential for future prognostic research to improve patient outcomes.

Author(s):  
Ali Coppola ◽  
Sarah Black ◽  
Ruth Endacott

Abstract Background Evidenced-based guidelines on when to cease resuscitation for pulseless electrical activity are limited and support for paramedics typically defaults to the senior clinician. Senior clinicians include paramedics employed to work beyond the scope of clinical guidelines as there may be a point at which it is reasonable to cease resuscitation. To support these decisions, one ambulance service has applied a locally derived cessation of resuscitation checklist. This study aimed to describe the patient, clinical and system factors and examine senior clinician experiences when ceasing resuscitation for pulseless electrical activity. Design and methods An explanatory sequential mixed method study was conducted in one ambulance service in the South West of England. A consecutive sample of checklist data for adult pulseless electrical activity were retrieved from 1st December 2015 to 31st December 2018. Unexpected results which required exploration were identified and developed into semi-structured interview questions. A purposive sample of senior clinicians who ceased resuscitation and applied the checklist were interviewed. Content framework analysis was applied to the qualitative findings. Results Senior clinicians ceased resuscitation for 50 patients in the presence of factors known to optimise survival: Witnessed cardiac arrest (n = 37, 74%), bystander resuscitation (n = 30, 60%), defibrillation (n = 22, 44%), return of spontaneous circulation (n = 8, 16%). Significant association was found between witnessed cardiac arrest and bystander resuscitation (p = .00). Six senior clinicians were interviewed, and analysis resulted in four themes: defining resuscitation futility, the impact of ceasing resuscitation, conflicting views and clinical decision tools. In the local context, senior clinicians applied their clinical judgement to balance survivability. Multiple factors were considered as the decision to cease resuscitation was not always clear. Senior clinicians deviated from the checklist when the patient was perceived as non-survivable. Conclusion Senior clinicians applied clinical judgement to assess patients as non-survivable or when continued resuscitation was considered harmful with no patient benefit. Senior clinicians perceived pre-existing factors with duration of resuscitation and clinical factors known to optimise patient survival. Future practice could look beyond a set criteria in which to cease resuscitation, however, it would be helpful to investigate the value or threshold of factors associated with patient outcome.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-25
Author(s):  
Alison Coppola ◽  
Sarah Black ◽  
Sasha Johnston ◽  
Ruth Endacott

Background: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients with pulseless electrical activity are treated by paramedics using basic and advanced life support resuscitation. When resuscitation fails to achieve return of spontaneous circulation, there are limited evidence and national guidelines on when to continue or stop resuscitation. This has led to ambulance services in the United Kingdom developing local guidelines to support paramedics in the resuscitative management of pulseless electrical activity. The content of each guideline is unknown, as is any association between guideline implementation and patient survival. We aim to identify and synthesise local ambulance service guidelines to help improve the consistency of paramedic-led decision-making for the resuscitation of pulseless electrical activity in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.Methods: A systematic review of text and opinion will be conducted on ambulance service guidelines for resuscitating adult cardiac arrest patients with pulseless electrical activity. Data will be gathered direct from the ambulance service website. The review will be guided by the methods of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). The search strategy will be conducted in three stages: 1) a website search of the 14 ambulance services; 2) a search of the evidence listed in support of the guideline; and 3) an examination of the reference list of documents found in the first and second stages and reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses. Each document will be assessed against the inclusion criteria, and quality of evidence will be assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Text and Opinion. Data will be extracted using the JBI methods of textual data extraction and a three-stage data synthesis process: 1) extraction of opinion statements; 2) categorisation of statements according to similarity of meaning; and 3) meta-synthesis of statements to create a new collection of findings. Confidence of findings will be assessed using the graded ConQual approach.


Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 113 (18) ◽  
pp. 4352-4361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans-Peter Gerber ◽  
May Kung-Sutherland ◽  
Ivan Stone ◽  
Carol Morris-Tilden ◽  
Jamie Miyamoto ◽  
...  

Abstract Despite major advances in the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), including the use of chemotherapeutic agents and the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab, the majority of patients eventually relapse, and salvage treatments with non–cross-resistant compounds are needed to further improve patient survival. Here, we evaluated the antitumor effects of the microtubule destabilizing agent monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) conjugated to the humanized anti-CD19 antibody hBU12 via a protease-sensitive valine-citrulline (vc) dipeptide linker. hBU12-vcMMAE induced potent tumor cell killing against rituximab-sensitive and -resistant NHL cell lines. CD19 can form heterodimers with CD21, and high levels of CD21 were reported to interfere negatively with the activity of CD19-targeted therapeutics. However, we observed comparable internalization, intracellular trafficking, and drug release in CD21low and CD21high, rituximab-sensitive and -refractory lymphomas treated with hBU12-vcMMAE. Furthermore, high rates of durable regressions in mice implanted with these tumors were observed, suggesting that both rituximab resistance and CD21 expression levels do not impact on the activity of hBU12-vcMMAE. Combined, our data suggest that hBU12-vcMMAE may represent a promising addition to the treatment options for rituximab refractory NHL and other hematologic malignancies, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia.


2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (10) ◽  
pp. e6.1-e6
Author(s):  
Ali Coppola ◽  
Sarah Black ◽  
Ruth Endacott

BackgroundPulseless electrical activity, a non-shockable cardiac arrest, is treated using advanced life support resuscitation. When resuscitation fails, evidenced-based guidelines are limited on when to stop resuscitation. This led to one UK Ambulance Service developing a local guideline for senior paramedics to cease resuscitation when considered futile. The aim of this study was to examine clinical, patient and system factors of a futile resuscitation for pulseless electrical activity and how senior paramedics apply these factors to the decision-making process.Design and MethodsAn explanatory sequential mixed method design conducted in a single UK Ambulance Service. Cessation of resuscitation data was retrieved for all adult patients suffering an Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest from 1st December 2015 to 31st December 2018. Cases subject to a coronial or police investigation were excluded. Senior paramedics made decisions to cease resuscitation for 50 patients at the scene and these were reviewed in detail. Interviews were conducted with six senior paramedics, who provide telephone clinical support to on-scene paramedics.ResultsThe mean patient age was 78 years, the majority were male (n=30, 60%) had a witnessed collapse (n=37, 74%) and had a PEA rate below 50 (n=46, 92%). There were no significant associations between patient demographics and clinical or system factors. Themes arising from paramedic interviews included concepts that defined futility, the impact of decision-making, conflicting views and supportive clinical decision tools.ConclusionWhilst there were no significant associations between variables, senior paramedics balanced patient survival with resuscitation futility by interpreting key factors, such as patient demographics and clinical factors. This multifactorial approach questions termination of resuscitation based on clinical factors alone. It identifies a group of PEA patients, when resuscitation is not successful, may be considered for termination of resuscitation. Research using a larger sample is warranted to explore the validity of these criteria.AcknowledgementsThe authors would like to thank Professor Jonathan Benger for his valuable input and guidance as the educational supervisor for this study. J. Lynde and H. Trebilcock for quantitative data extraction. L. Tremayne and E. Freeman, qualitative data coding. Thank you to all the paramedics who participated.


Author(s):  
Wilson Bizimana ◽  
Gloria Akimana ◽  
Arthur Semedo Insumbo ◽  
Hounayda Jerguigue ◽  
Rachida Latib ◽  
...  

AbstractMalignant melanoma of vagina is a rare condition. Its histogenesis has been debated and the positive diagnosis is based on immunohistochemistry. Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging remains the gold standard for assessing locoregional extension status and post-treatment surveillance of melanoma of vagina. The observation concerned a 53-year-old woman with no specific history who presented a primary malignant melanoma of vagina without secondary locations. To date, the case is the second one reported in the literature. Early diagnosis of the malignant melanoma of vagina may improve patient survival because late diagnoses are punctuated by poor prognosis. We have presented epidemiological with etiopathogenic characteristics and described all imaging features to stage the tumor and to conduct the appropriate treatment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 740
Author(s):  
Manjula D. Nugawela ◽  
Sarega Gurudas ◽  
Andrew Toby Prevost ◽  
Rohini Mathur ◽  
John Robson ◽  
...  

There is little data on ethnic differences in incidence of DR and sight threatening DR (STDR) in the United Kingdom. We aimed to determine ethnic differences in the development of DR and STDR and to identify risk factors of DR and STDR in people with incident or prevalent type II diabetes (T2DM). We used electronic primary care medical records of people registered with 134 general practices in East London during the period from January 2007–January 2017. There were 58,216 people with T2DM eligible to be included in the study. Among people with newly diagnosed T2DM, Indian, Pakistani and African ethnic groups showed an increased risk of DR with Africans having highest risk of STDR compared to White ethnic groups (HR: 1.36 95% CI 1.02–1.83). Among those with prevalent T2DM, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Caribbean ethnic groups showed increased risk of DR and STDR with Indian having the highest risk of any DR (HR: 1.24 95% CI 1.16–1.32) and STDR (HR: 1.38 95% CI 1.17–1.63) compared with Whites after adjusting for all covariates considered. It is important to optimise prevention, screening and treatment options in these ethnic minority groups to avoid health inequalities in diabetes eye care.


2004 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 767-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiping Chen ◽  
Bharathi H. Scott ◽  
Thomas V. Bilfinger ◽  
John Petrie ◽  
Peter S.A. Glass

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 357-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibraheem El-Ghrably ◽  
David H.W. Steel ◽  
Maged Habib ◽  
Daniela Vaideanu-Collins ◽  
Sridhar Manvikar ◽  
...  

Purpose To conduct an observational, multicenter study to evaluate real-world clinical efficacy and safety of the 0.2 µg/day fluocinolone acetonide (FAc) implant in the treatment of patients with chronic diabetic macular edema (DME) in 3 large hospital ophthalmology departments in the United Kingdom. Methods Fluocinolone acetonide implants were inserted into the study eyes following a suitable washout period; phakic eyes received FAc implant following cataract surgery. Follow-up visits took place 2-4 weeks postinjection and then at 3, 6, and 12 months; change in central macular thickness (CMT) from baseline was measured by optical coherence tomography and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was also assessed. Adverse events and changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) were recorded in order to evaluate the safety profile for the FAc implant. Results Improvements in BCVA and CMT were observed from 3 months and sustained for the duration of observation. At 12 months, the overall mean change from baseline CMT was -126 μm and mean increase in BCVA from baseline was 5.1 letters. Increases in IOP following FAc implant were easily managed with IOP-lowering medication. Implant migration into the anterior chamber occurred in 2 eyes where prior vitrectomy had resulted in a posterior capsule defect; this was rectified and resolved. Conclusions The results of this study provide further efficacy and safety profile data for FAc implant treatment of chronic DME in a real-world clinical setting; the FAc implant appears to be a valuable therapeutic approach for patients with chronic DME who have suboptimal response to other treatment options.


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