Overall survival trends in pediatric osteosarcoma patients over the past three decades

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 10041-10041
Author(s):  
R. van Schie ◽  
M. Hagleitner ◽  
P. Hoogerbrugge ◽  
U. Flucke ◽  
H. Schreuder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Overall Survival ◽  
Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
Histological Response ◽  
Treatment Protocols ◽  
Treatment Regimens ◽  
The Past ◽  
Kaplan Meier ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Pediatric Osteosarcoma

10041 Background: In the late seventies, the combination of chemotherapy and surgery, significantly improved survival of osteosarcoma patients. However, the chemotherapeutic drugs used for treatment of osteosarcoma patients has not significantly changed since then although surgery clearly improved further and adjuvant chemotherapy have been added. In this study, we retrospectively evaluated, whether after the introduction of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the late seventies, further improvement in outcome of pediatric osteosarcoma patients was achieved. Methods: Since 1978 and 2008, 54 previously untreated pediatric patients with osteosarcoma were enrolled in six consecutive regimens of different agents and intensity. The main difference between the treatment protocols is the addition of either methothrexate or ifosfamide. Overall survival (OS) and event free survival (EFS) in relationship to the different treatment regimens was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Significance of difference in outcome were calculated using the log rank test. Results: The 5-year EFS and OS of the whole group was 54.7% and 61.1%, respectively. There was no significant difference in outcome in patients treated between 1978 and 1993 (n = 18), as compared to patients treated after 1993 (n = 36, OS 47.1% vs 69.4%, p = 0.34). Of all treatment regimens used, OS was the highest in patients treated with cisplatin, doxorubicin, and methotrexate (OS after 5 year 70%). Multivariate analysis showed that EFS and OS significantly correlated with the histological response but not with one of the treatment regimens used. Conclusions: No significant improvement in overall survival has been accomplished in pediatric osteosarcoma patients during the past thirty years. Histological response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy was the most important prognostic factor. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

scholarly journals Impact of Treatment Facility Chracteristics on Patient (Pt) Outcomes in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Using Data from the National Cancer Database (NCDB)

Blood ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 22-22
Author(s):  
Allison Taylor ◽  
Kimberley Doucette ◽  
Bryan Chan ◽  
Xiaoyang Ma ◽  
Jaeil Ahn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Overall Survival ◽  
Hazard Analysis ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
Rural Residence ◽  
Integrated Network ◽  
Kaplan Meier ◽  
Significant Difference

Introduction The literature suggests a widespread reduction in the availability and accessibility of newer treatment options among marginalized groups in AML. Studies from large national databases point to lower socio-economic status, Hispanic and African American race, Medicare or no insurance, being unmarried, treatment at non-academic centers, and rural residence as negatively impacting overall survival (OS) and rates of chemotherapy utilization in AML patients (Patel et al. 2015, Jaco et al. 2017, Bhatt et al. 2018, Master et al. 2016). We hypothesized that facility affiliation and pt volume would also have important effects on time to treatment (TTT) and OS in AML, even when these socioeconomic disparities were accounted for. Methods For this retrospective analysis, we used NCDB data that included 124,988 pts over the age of 18 with AML between the years 2004-2016. Variables analyzed included facility types described as community cancer programs (CP), comprehensive community cancer programs (CCP), academic/research center cancer programs (AC) and integrated network cancer programs (IN), and volume of facilities defined as high volume (HV) and low volume (LV). HV facilities had case volumes of ≥ 99th percentile and all other facilities were classified as LV. Multivariate analyses (MVA) included demographic and socioeconomic covariables. We used Cox proportional hazard analysis for both TTT and OS MVA. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate median TTT and OS, and the log rank test used to compare TTT and OS across predictor variables. Results The median age of AML patients was 63 yrs (range 18-90) with 54% males, and 86% Caucasian. Five percent of patients were treated at CP, 30% at CCP, 44% at AC, and 10% at IN. 21% at HV facilities and 79% at LV facilities. Median TTT in days at CP facilities was 7, compared to 5 days in CCP and AC facilities versus 4 days at IN (p<0.0001). TTT was 5 days at HV facilities versus 4 days at LV facilities (p<0.0001). Kaplan-Meier curves showed that TTT was similar between HV and LV facilities(figure 1). The median OS was 3.25 months in CP compared to 4.34 months at CCP, 5.06 months at IN and 9.53 months at AC (p<0.0001). For facility volume, the median OS was 13.11 months in HV facilities compared to 6.93 months in LV facilities (p<0.0001). When sex, race, age, Hispanic Origin, education, urban/rural residence, Charlson-Deyo Comorbidity score and Great Circle Distance were adjusted for in MVA (table 1), the OS was higher in AC versus CP facilities (hazard ratio [HR] of 0.90 (0.87-0.93, p<0.0001), and there was no statistically significant difference with comparison of other facility types to CP. Similarly, there was a lower OS at LV versus HV facilities with a HR of 1.14 (1.12-1.16, p<0.0001). CCP facilities had a shorter TTT compared to CP with a HR of 1.21 (1.17-1.26, p<0.0001). AC had a shorter TTT than CP with a HR of 1.17 (1.13-1.22, p<0.0001), and IN had a shorter TTT compared to CP with a HR of 1.29 (1.24-1.34, p<0.0001). Additionally, TTT in the MVA for facility volume was shorter in LV facilities compared to HV facilities with HR of 1.05 (1.04-1.07, p<0.0001) [table 1]. Conclusion When adjusting for various socioeconomic factors, we found that TTT was longest in CP compared to CCP, AC, and IN. Treatment at a LV facility resulted in a decreased overall survival. LV facilities may be less familiar with treatment regimens for AML, less likely to use novel treatment options, and be less familiar with the disease. We showed that treatment at an AC compared to CP, CCP and IN facilities improved survival. Given poor outcomes for AML, these results show the importance of going to AC and HV facilities with more experience in treating AML for improved outcomes. Disclosures Lai: Astellas: Speakers Bureau; Jazz: Speakers Bureau; Abbvie: Consultancy; Agios: Consultancy; Macrogenics: Consultancy.

Calcium channel blockers use and overall survival in pancreatic cancer patients receiving gemcitabine.

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e15756-e15756 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leszek Kraj ◽  
Andrzej Śliwczyński ◽  
Joanna Krawczyk-Lipiec ◽  
Krzysztof Woźniak ◽  
Anna Waszczuk-Gajda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Overall Survival ◽  
Calcium Channel ◽  
Calcium Channel Blockers ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
Channel Blockers ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Log Rank Test ◽  
Kaplan Meier ◽  
Significant Difference

e15756 Background: Preclinical studies have shown that calcium channel blockers (CCB) may potentiate anticancer effect of chemotherapy via intra-cellular drug accumulation. Gemcitabine-based chemotherapy is commonly used in pancreatic cancer (PC) patients. The aim of this study was to determine whether CCB may affect overall survival (OS) in PC patients receiving gemcitabine-based chemotherapy. Methods: The retrospective cohort of PC patients treated with gemcitabine between 2007 and 2016 was identified in the Polish National Health Fund databases. Electronic records of prescriptions were searched to identify in this cohort patients receiving CCB (amlodipine, nitrendipine, felodipine, lacidipine). The primary endpoint was OS and it was determined by Kaplan-Meier methods and compared by the log-rank test. Results: In total 4628 PC patients treated with gemcitabine (median OS 7.7 months; 95% CI: 7.4-7.9) were identified. Among these 380 patients were prescribed any CCB. There was a significant difference (p < 0.001) in median OS between patients prescribed CCB (n = 380; OS 9.3 months; 95% CI: 7.8-11.0) and those who did not (n = 4214; OS 7.6 months; 95% CI: 7.3-7.8) with hazard ratio for death 0.70 (95% CI: 0.62-0.79). Notably, the survival curves tended to flatten in CCB group, with 24% of patients alive at 2 years (95% CI: 20-29%) and 15% alive at 5 years (95% CI: 11-19%), compared with 11% (95% CI: 10-12%) and 4% (95% CI: 4-5%) in controls respectively. Conclusions: The use of CCB in PC patients receiving gemcitabine-based chemotherapy was associated with improved OS. Further validation is needed to evaluate effectiveness of CCB-gemcitabine combinations in the management of PC.

Analysis of the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) on impact and trend of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in upper urinary tract urothelial cancer.

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (7_suppl) ◽  
pp. 408-408
Author(s):  
Rashad Khan ◽  
Danning Huang ◽  
Alina Basnet
Keyword(s):  
Overall Survival ◽  
Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy ◽  
Private Insurance ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
P Value ◽  
Perioperative Chemotherapy ◽  
Cancer Specific Survival ◽  
Cancer Data ◽  
Significant Difference

408 Background: Five year cancer specific survival rate is between 12- 70% for pT2 and higher UUTUC tumors. Adjuvant platinum based therapies have proven to improve Overall survival (OS) in observational series. Compromised renal function after surgery, delayed recovery from surgery pose challenge for adjuvant chemotherapy (AC). Thus, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is an appealing option. However, there is only limited evidence on the role of NAC in UUTUC. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of UUTUC (stage I- III) who underwent complete or partial nephroureterectomy with peri-operative chemotherapy. We then compared OS outcome among NAC vs AC groups. OS was calculated using Kaplan Meier analysis. Multivariate analysis was performed with Cox proportional hazard regression model to adjust for different variables. Results: Out of 50539 UUTUC patients reported in NCDB (2004-2016), 20121 met our inclusion criteria. 360 patients received NAC, 2617 received AC and 17144 received only surgery. Patients who received NAC were more likely to be younger, treated at academic centers, have Medicare and private insurance, have clinical T3 and higher tumor, have lower Charlson-Deyo Score (CDCC) score and undergo complete nephroureterctomy. One, three and five year OS among NAC and AC is depicted in table 1. With 150 months (m) follow up, median OS was 73.89 m for NAC and 54.14 m for AC group. A log rank test with p value=0.3437 shows no significant difference in survival rates of the two groups. Though consistent upward trend is observed in the use of NAC from 2004 to 2015, significantly higher percentages of patients still undergo only surgery without perioperative chemotherapy. Conclusions: Numerically higher mOS in NAC group was not statistically significant different from AC group. Use of perioperative chemotherapy appears to be much lower in UUTUC. Limitations that exist with this registry based study include lack of randomization, differences in surgical and radiation techniques, duration of chemotherapy, and provider/patient selection bias. Overall survival among two groups. [Table: see text]

scholarly journals Outcome of Adolescents and Young Adults with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) As Compared to Pediatric AML Patients: Real World Data from SEER Registry

Blood ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 126 (23) ◽  
pp. 4484-4484
Author(s):  
Smith Giri ◽  
Nunnery Sara ◽  
Syed S. Nasir ◽  
Michael G Martin
Keyword(s):  
Overall Survival ◽  
Pediatric Patients ◽  
Survival Curve ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Early Mortality ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
P Value ◽  
Log Rank Test ◽  
Kaplan Meier ◽  
Significant Difference

Abstract Background: Limited data exists regarding the characteristics and outcomes of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) which are largely under-represented in both pediatric and adult trials. We sought to compare the characteristics and outcomes of AYAs with AML using a large population based registry in the United States. Methods: We utilized Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-18 registry to identify all pediatric (0-18 years) and AYA (age 19-30 years) patients diagnosed with AML using appropriate histology codes based on the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, 3rd version. Patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) were excluded from all analysis. Survival statistics were computed for each group using actuarial (Kaplan-Meier method) and compared using Z test for comparison of population proportions. Early mortality, defined as mortality within 1 month of diagnosis, was used as a surrogate for treatment related mortality. Kaplan Meier survival curves were plotted and compared using log-rank test. Multivariate analysis was done using logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard regression model. All p values were two sided and the level of significance was chosen at 0.05. Results: A total of 6343 eligible patients were identified, which comprised 2836 (44.7%) AYAs. A total of 52% (n=3346) were males, whereas 76%(n=4825) were whites. Histologically, majority of patients (56%; n=3545) were categorized as AML, not otherwise specified, followed by acute monocytic leukemia (9.9%, n=630). Majority (55%; n-3509) of the patients were diagnosed between 2001-2012. The early mortality rate was lower in the pediatric AML patients (pAML) as compared to AYAs (6.2% vs 9.2%; p<0.01). Similarly the 1 year (70.3% versus 62.1%; p <0.01) and 5 year (48.2% vs 36.4%; p<0.01) was higher in pediatric patients as compared to AYAs. Kaplan Meier plot showed worse overall survival of AYAs compared to pAMLs (Figure 1; p value of log rank <0.01). Multivariate logistic regression showed higher early mortality among AYAs as compared to pAML patients (OR 1.48; 95% CI 1.23-1.79; p<0.01). Similarly Cox regression showed worse overall survival among AYAs as compared to pAML (HR 1.34; 95% CI 1.26-1.44; p <0.01) Conclusions: Our population based analysis shows worse overall survival among AYAs as compared to pAML patients. Future clinical trials specifically focused on this age group are warranted to establish appropriate treatment regimens in this population. Figure 1. Kaplan Meier Survival curve showing cumulative survival among pediatric patients with AML as compared to AYAs. Log rank test showed statistically significant difference between the two curves (p value <0.01) Figure 1. Kaplan Meier Survival curve showing cumulative survival among pediatric patients with AML as compared to AYAs. Log rank test showed statistically significant difference between the two curves (p value <0.01) Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

scholarly journals Cohort study of the overall survival of patients with pancreatic cancer in a hospital of specialties of Quito-Ecuador in the period 2007–2017

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrés Moreno Roca ◽  
Luciana Armijos Acurio ◽  
Ruth Jimbo Sotomayor ◽  
Carlos Céspedes Rivadeneira ◽  
Carlos Rosero Reyes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Survival Time ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
Kaplan Meier ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Icd 10 ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Clinical Records

Abstract Objectives Pancreatic cancers in most patients in Ecuador are diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease, which is associated with lower survival. To determine the characteristics and global survival of pancreatic cancer patients in a social security hospital in Ecuador between 2007 and 2017. Methods A retrospective cohort study and a survival analysis were performed using all the available data in the electronic clinical records of patients with a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in a Hospital of Specialties of Quito-Ecuador between 2007 and 2017. The included patients were those coded according to the ICD 10 between C25.0 and C25.9. Our univariate analysis calculated frequencies, measures of central tendency and dispersion. Through the Kaplan-Meier method we estimated the median time of survival and analyzed the difference in survival time among the different categories of our included variables. These differences were shown through the log rank test. Results A total of 357 patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer between 2007 and 2017 were included in the study. More than two-thirds (69.9%) of the patients were diagnosed in late stages of the disease. The median survival time for all patients was of 4 months (P25: 2, P75: 8). Conclusions The statistically significant difference of survival time between types of treatment is the most relevant finding in this study, when comparing to all other types of treatments.

The Efficacy of Etoposide-Based Therapy in Adult Secondary Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Leonard Naymagon ◽  
Douglas Tremblay ◽  
John Mascarenhas
Keyword(s):  
Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis ◽  
Proportional Hazards ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Cox Proportional Hazards ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
Kaplan Meier ◽  
Hazard Ratios ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact

Data supporting the use of etoposide-based therapy in hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) arise largely from pediatric studies. There is a lack of comparable data among adult patients with secondary HLH. We conducted a retrospective study to assess the impact of etoposide-based therapy on outcomes in adult secondary HLH. The primary outcome was overall survival. The log-rank test was used to compare Kaplan-Meier distributions of time-to-event outcomes. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Ninety adults with secondary HLH seen between January 1, 2009, and January 6, 2020, were included. Forty-two patients (47%) received etoposide-based therapy, while 48 (53%) received treatment only for their inciting proinflammatory condition. Thirty-three patients in the etoposide group (72%) and 32 in the no-etoposide group (67%) died during follow-up. Median survival in the etoposide and no-etoposide groups was 1.04 and 1.39 months, respectively. There was no significant difference in survival between the etoposide and no-etoposide groups (log-rank <i>p</i> = 0.4146). On multivariable analysis, there was no association between treatment with etoposide and survival (HR for death with etoposide = 1.067, 95% CI: 0.633–1.799, <i>p</i> = 0.8084). Use of etoposide-based therapy was not associated with improvement in outcomes in this large cohort of adult secondary HLH patients.

Outcomes of Surgical and Nonsurgical Treatment for Colorectal Cancer in Nonagenarian Patients

2021 ◽  
pp. 000313482199506
Author(s):  
Youngbae Jeon ◽  
Kyoung-Won Han ◽  
Won-Suk Lee ◽  
Jeong-Heum Baek
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Overall Survival ◽  
Surgical Treatment ◽  
Postoperative Complications ◽  
Postoperative Mortality ◽  
Nonsurgical Treatment ◽  
Perioperative Outcomes ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
Kaplan Meier ◽  
Number Of Patients

Purpose This study is aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of surgical treatment for nonagenarian patients with colorectal cancer. Methods This retrospective single-center study included patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer at the age of ≥90 years between 2004 and 2018. Patient demographics were compared between the operation and nonoperation groups (NOG). Perioperative outcomes, histopathological outcomes, and postoperative complications were evaluated. Overall survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier methods and log-rank test. Results A total of 31 patients were included (16 men and 15 women), and the median age was 91 (range: 90‐96) years. The number of patients who underwent surgery and who received nonoperative management was 20 and 11, respectively. No statistical differences in baseline demographics were observed between both groups. None of these patients were treated with perioperative chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Surgery comprised 18 (90.0%) colectomies and 2 (10.0%) transanal excisions. Short-term (≤30 days) and long-term (31‐90 days) postoperative complications occurred in 7 (35.0%) and 4 (20.0%) patients, respectively. No complications needed reoperation, such as anastomosis leakage or bleeding. No postoperative mortality occurred within 30 days: 90-day postoperative mortality occurred in two patients (10.0%), respectively. The median overall survival of the operation group was 31.6 (95% confidence interval: 26.7‐36.5) and that of NOG was 12.5 months (95% CI: 2.4‐22.6) ( P = 0.012). Conclusion Surgical treatment can be considered in carefully selected nonagenarian patients with colorectal cancer in terms of acceptable postoperative morbidity, with better overall survival than the nonsurgical treatment.

scholarly journals Relationship Between Obesity and Pathologic Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Among Women With Operable Breast Cancer

2008 ◽  
Vol 26 (25) ◽  
pp. 4072-4077 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer K. Litton ◽  
Ana M. Gonzalez-Angulo ◽  
Carla L. Warneke ◽  
Aman U. Buzdar ◽  
Shu-Wan Kau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Overall Survival ◽  
Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Pathologic Complete Response ◽  
Operable Breast Cancer ◽  
Obese Patients ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Response To Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

Purpose To understand the mechanism through which obesity in breast cancer patients is associated with poorer outcome, we evaluated body mass index (BMI) and response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NC) in women with operable breast cancer. Patients and Methods From May 1990 to July 2004, 1,169 patients were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and received NC before surgery. Patients were categorized as obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2), overweight (BMI of 25 to < 30 kg/m2), or normal/underweight (BMI < 25 kg/m2). Logistic regression was used to examine associations between BMI and pathologic complete response (pCR). Breast cancer–specific, progression-free, and overall survival times were examined using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results Median age was 50 years; 30% of patients were obese, 32% were overweight, and 38% were normal or underweight. In multivariate analysis, there was no significant difference in pCR for obese compared with normal weight patients (odds ratio [OR] = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.49 to 1.26). Overweight and the combination of overweight and obese patients were significantly less likely to have a pCR (OR = 0.59; 95% CI, 0.37 to 0.95; and OR = 0.67; 95% CI, 0.45 to 0.99, respectively). Obese patients were more likely to have hormone-negative tumors (P < .01), stage III tumors (P < .01), and worse overall survival (P = .006) at a median follow-up time of 4.1 years. Conclusion Higher BMI was associated with worse pCR to NC. In addition, its association with worse overall survival suggests that greater attention should be focused on this risk factor to optimize the care of breast cancer patients.

Development and Validation of a Functional Foods Frequency Questionnaire for Greek Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 373-381
Author(s):  
Papagianni Olga ◽  
Staramou Athanasia ◽  
Rigopoulos Nikolaos ◽  
Dimou Charalampia ◽  
Koutelidakis Antonios
Keyword(s):  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
Functional Food ◽  
Functional Foods ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Greek Population ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Food Frequency ◽  
The Past ◽  
Significant Difference

The aim of the study was to investigate whether a food frequency questionnaire is a valid tool for recording and evaluating the frequency of consumption of different functional foods in a sample of the Greek population. Ninety healthy adults aged 18-75 years, not on a specific diet for the past six months and residing in the same location during the past one year were randomly selected to participate in this study. They answered a functional food frequency questionnaire, which included 76 food groups, and filled three consecutive 24-h recalls. The functional food frequency questionnaire was weighted by grams of each food group consumed per day. SPSS-21 program was used for the interpretation of the results. The nonparametric Wilcoxon sign rank test was used to correlate the variables derived from the functional food frequency questionnaire and those derived from the mean of the 24-h recall. The functional food frequency questionnaire was validated at the rate of 80.3%, especially for 61 of 76 functional food subgroups, and there was no statistically significant difference between the two assessment tools, concerning food frequency consumption. These findings showed that the developed functional food frequency questionnaire is a valid tool to investigate the frequency of functional foods consumption in the Greek population.

Abstract P189: Method of Cold Saline Storage for Prehospital Induced Hypothermia

Circulation ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 118 (suppl_18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitch Kampmeyer ◽  
Clifton W Callaway
Keyword(s):  
Room Temperature ◽  
Prehospital Care ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
Induced Hypothermia ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Storage Unit ◽  
Cold Saline ◽  
Kaplan Meier ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Ambient Room Temperature

Recent research supports the use of cold IV fluid as a method for initiating therapeutic hypothermia in post-cardiac arrest resuscitation. However, prehospital care programs employing this treatment have encountered various difficulties. Barriers to prehospital induced hypothermia protocols include the lack of effective or economically reasonable methods to maintain cold saline in the field. Objective. Determine the time that a standard commercial cooler can maintain two 1-liter normal saline solution (NSS) bags below 4°C in 3 different environments. Methods. Environments simulating an ambulance compartment were created for the experiment. NSS temperatures were continuously recorded inside a standard commercial cooler with or without ice packs (IPs) under one of three scenarios: ambient room temperature (25°C) without (IPs), ambient room temperature with IPs and 50°C ambient temperature with IPs. Four trials under each condition were performed. Time to warm to 4°C was compared using Kaplan-Meier log rank test. Results. In a room temperature environment with IPs, the NSS warmed to 4°C in a mean interval of 29 hrs 53 mins versus in ambient room temperature without IPs (1 hr 21 mins) versus in constant hot environment of 50°C with IPs (10 hrs 50 mins). A significant difference was found between the three environments (log-rank =17.90, dF =2, p =0.0001). Conclusions. Low technology methods in the form of a cooler and IPs can provide cold NSS storage for longer than a full 24 hour shift in a room temperature ambulance. In hot ambient conditions, 4°C NSS can be maintained for nearly 11 hours using this method. This model exhibits an economical, easily deployable cold saline storage unit.

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