Severe Thoracic Vertebral Spine Injury as a Complication of Component of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Chest compression has been a component of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) since 1960. Performance of high-quality CPR is critical for survival; however, chest compressions are traumatic and may result in injuries such as rib and sternal fractures. Spinal fractures have rarely been reported. We present a case of a 69-year-old male who suffered a cardiac arrest at home. He underwent 16 minutes of CPR with manual chest compressions, and no electrical shock and medications with return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Computed tomography scan showed unstable fracture of T9-T10. The patient was transferred to our Level I trauma center for continued post-arrest management and neurosurgical evaluation. An MRI confirmed the unstable spinal fracture which would have required surgical stabilization. The patient remained comatose, thus he was transitioned to comfort measures and expired. Spinal injuries following CPR are rare but should be considered in the post-arrest management stage. Computed tomography scan is the ideal screening modality.

Abstract 10911: Amplitude Spectral Area to Guide Shock and Epinephrine Delivery in a Swine Model of Ventricular Fibrillation and Closed-Chest Resuscitation

Introduction: VF accounts for ~30% of all sudden cardiac arrest episodes. VF signal analysis in the frequency domain - calculating the amplitude spectral area (AMSA) - can inform on the probability that an electrical shock could terminate VF followed by return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). BLS guidelines require delivery of shocks every 2 min and epinephrine every 4 min. Yet, shocks often do not terminate VF and may injure the myocardium. We have previously reported that guiding the timing of shock delivery based on AMSA reduces myocardial injury and improves outcome. Epinephrine is given to increase the coronary perfusion pressure (CPP) and therefore myocardial blood flow but has detrimental effects on post-resuscitation myocardial function and possibly on neurological outcome. Hypothesis: Monitoring AMSA during CPR could be used not only to guide shock delivery but also to avoid administering epinephrine when AMSA predicts a high probability of shock success, reserving epinephrine when AMSA predicts a low probability of shock success and additional CPP increase might be helpful. Methods: In a swine model of electrically induced VF and mechanical chest compressions, two resuscitation protocols were compared in 8 pigs each: (1) A guidelines-driven (GD), delivering shocks and epinephrine guided by the current BLS protocol and (2) An AMSA-driven, delivering shocks and epinephrine guided by AMSA (ADSE). VF was untreated for 10 min and pigs that achieved ROSC were monitored for 240 min. Results: Compared to GD, ADSE was associated with a shorter time to ROSC (400±80 vs 569±16 sec, p=0.034) and higher survival rate at 240 minutes with borderline statistical significance (7/8 vs 3/8, p=0.059). ADSE required fewer shocks (3±2 vs 5±2, p=0.026) and received fewer doses of epinephrine (median [interquartile range], 1[1-1] vs 2[1.3-3], p=0.038). Conclusions: Resuscitation with the ADSE protocol was superior to the GD protocol resulting in a shorter time to ROSC with improved survival requiring fewer shocks and fewer epinephrine doses. The ADSE protocol represents a more tailored approach to resuscitation enabling delivery of resuscitation interventions with higher precision and consequently minimizing their associated adverse effects.

A Case Report of External Cardiac Pads Used for Internal Cardiac Defibrillation During Resuscitative Thoracotomy

ABSTRACT This is a case report regarding the use of non-conventional methods to perform internal cardiac defibrillation on a trauma patient in an austere environment. The patient was a polytrauma causality of an improvised explosive device who arrived to a far forward resuscitative surgical team during a recent armed conflict. After arrival, the patient lost pulses. An emergency resuscitative thoracotomy was performed, and the patient was noted to have ventricular fibrillation on direct cardiac visualization. In the absence of standard surgical defibrillation paddles, the team applied external defibrillator stickers directly to the patient’s myocardium to deliver an electrical shock. The procedure successfully led to the return of spontaneous circulation. This report highlights a novel approach to resuscitation in resource-limited environments by a military surgical team.

Prognostic value of changes in the cardiac arrest rhythms from the prehospital stage to the emergency department in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients without prehospital returns of spontaneous circulation: A nationwide observational study

Background This study aimed to assess the prognostic value of the changes in cardiac arrest rhythms from the prehospital stage to the ED (emergency department) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients without prehospital returns of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Methods This retrospective analysis was performed using nationwide population-based OHCA data from South Korea between 2012 and 2016. Patients with OHCA with medical causes and without prehospital ROSC were included and divided into four groups according to the nature of their cardiac arrest rhythms (shockable or non-shockable) in the prehospital stage and in the ED: (1) the shockable and shockable (Shock-Shock) group, (2) the shockable and non-shockable (Shock-NShock) group, (3) the non-shockable and shockable (NShock-Shock) group, and (4) the non-shockable and non-shockable (NShock-NShock) group. The presence of a shockable rhythm was confirmed based on the delivery of an electrical shock. Propensity score matching and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the effect of changes in the cardiac rhythms on patient outcomes. The primary outcome was sustained ROSC in the ED; the secondary outcomes were survival to hospital discharge and good neurological outcomes at hospital discharge. Results After applying the exclusion criteria, 51,060 eligible patients were included in the study (Shock-Shock, 4223; Shock-NShock, 3060; NShock-Shock, 11,509; NShock-NShock, 32,268). The propensity score-matched data were extracted from the six comparative subgroups. For sustained ROSC in the ED, Shock-Shock showed a higher likelihood than Shock-NShock (P <0.01) and NShock-NShock (P <0.01), Shock-NShock showed a lower likelihood than NShock-Shock (P <0.01) and NShock-NShock (P <0.01), NShock-Shock showed a higher likelihood NShock-NShock (P <0.01). For survival to hospital discharge, Shock-Shock showed a higher likelihood than Shock-NShock (P <0.01), NShock-Shock (P <0.01), and NShock-NShock (P <0.01), Shock-NShock showed a higher likelihood than NShock-Shock (P <0.01) and NShock-NShock (P <0.01), of sustained ROSC in the ED. For good neurological outcomes, Shock-Shock showed higher likelihood than Shock-NShock (P <0.01), NShock-Shock (P <0.01), and NShock-NShock (P <0.01), Shock-NShock showed better likelihood than NShock-NShock (P <0.01), NShock-Shock showed a better likelihood than NShock-NShock (P <0.01). Conclusion Sustained ROSC in the ED may be expected for patients with shockable rhythms in the ED compared with those with non-shockable rhythms in the ED. For the clinical outcomes, survival to hospital discharge and neurological outcomes, patients with Shock-Shock showed the best outcome, whereas patients with NShock-NShock showed the poorest outcome and Shock-NShock showed a higher likelihood of achieving survival to hospital discharge with no significant differences in the neurological outcomes compared with NShock-Shock.

AED applied, not recommending defibrillation - A validation study of the new variable “AED” in the Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry

Background: to design and implement a new variable, in accordance with the Utstein style – namely the variable “AED” - considering the challenges of reporting cases in which the AED did not recommend an electrical shock after analyzing cardiac arrhythmias, for use in the Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry.Participants: Patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest for which resuscitation was attempted between 2016 and 2019, identified in the nationwide Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry. Their medical records were reviewed to establish a positive variable in “AED”.Methods: Data from the national Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry were used to identify core features of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests medical recording in Denmark and its possible improvement. Results: Among n= 1080 cases, summary statistics on core recording variables of interest were collected. We found statistically significant differences in the two cohorts of cardiac arrests where an AED was present on the scene and recorded in the Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry, regarding age, location, emeregency medical service response time, witnesses, bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, first monitored rhythm, direct current cardioversion shock delivered by the medical staff and survival outcomes such as return of spontaneous circulation at any time, status at arrival at hospital and 30-day survival. Conclusions: This validation study showed an improved completeness of registration of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests when implementing the new AED-variable, in accordance with the Utstein style. Thus, the new AED-variable is a valid and substantial resource for future epidemiological studies. However, a future effort to improve registration completeness along with continuous improvement of the Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry is needed.

Electric shock causes fear-like persistent behavioral response in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Electricity is widely utilized as environmental stimulus to sense the world by many animal species. Despite its importance, however, molecular and physiological mechanisms for responding to electrical stimulus have been far less understood compared to other sensory stimuli. Here we report novel behavioral responses to electrical stimulus of the nematode C. elegans. When the animals on food are stimulated by alternating current, their movement speed suddenly increases more than 2-fold, which persists for a few minutes even after the electrical stimulation is terminated. Genetic analyses reveal that voltage-gated channels are required for the response, possibly as the sensors, and neuropeptide signaling suppresses the persistent response. Additional behavioral analysis reveals that, in addition to the persistence, the animal's response to electrical shock is scalable and has a negative valence, which are recently regarded as emotion primitives, suggesting that the response may reflect a primitive form of "fear" of animals.

Incidence and immediate consequences of electrical shocks among Danish electricians: a cohort study

ObjectivesThe health-related consequences of electrical shocks are mostly studied in patients from selected cohorts in hospital burn units, by making internal comparisons of subgroups, but without comparing them to unexposed individuals, or considering information regarding the preinjury health of the injured persons. Often, little is known about the details of the electrical shocks. Our purpose was to do a longitudinal study of Danish electrical workers, to monitor exposure to electrical shocks weekly over a 6-month period and to determine whether these shocks have short-term, health-related consequences.DesignProspective cohort study with weekly measurements.SettingMembers of the Danish Union of Electricians.ParticipantsOf the 22 284 invited, 6960 electricians (31%) participated in the baseline data collection, and the participation rate in the weekly follow-up ranged from 61% to 81% during the 6 month follow-up.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe primary outcome measure was an electrical shock and secondary outcomes were the immediate health-related consequences of the shocks.ResultsA total of 2356 electrical shocks were reported by 1612 (23%) of the participants during the 26-week follow-up. Alternating current and voltage below 1000 V were the most common forms of electricity. In most cases, the fingers/hands were the entry and exit points, but many were unable to specify the exit point. The participants categorised 73% of the electrical shocks as ‘not at all severe’, and most of the shocks did not cause any immediate physical damage. However, flashbacks were more common than physical consequences. Only a few of the participants contacted health services following an electrical shock, and even fewer were absent from work.ConclusionNearly one-fourth of Danish electricians experienced one or more electrical shocks during a 26-week period, but most of the shocks are not perceived as severe, and have only limited immediate consequences.

Case Report in the Brazilian Context: Cognitive and Behavioral Changes Following an Electric Injury

Electrical injury (EI) is the sequel of an electrical shock. Physical sequelae are most common, but also other symptoms can happen, such as neurological symptoms, psychiatric alteration, and cognitive decline. The repercussion of EI can happen whether or not the head is a point of contact with the electrical current. There are no official diagnostic criteria for cognitive repercussions of EI, which may lead to incorrect diagnostics and confusion with other most frequent causes of dementia, such as frontotemporal dementia, pseudodementia, or dementias for reversible causes. In this case report, we described a right-handed man, aged 56 years old, referred to our service due to behavioral changes and cognitive alterations related to electric shock. The psychiatric team has monitored him, but cognitive deficits have raised doubts about the presence of dementia syndrome. The neuropsychological evaluation revealed severe deficits and loss of functionality, which filled the criteria for major neurocognitive disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fifth edition (DSM-5). Adding these findings to the patient's history and after a detailed investigation of other causes of dementia, we concluded that this is a possible case of EI with strong neuropsychological symptoms. This case report should help clinicians to recognize this condition and its features. We aimed to share the importance of recognizing the neuropsychological and psychiatric features of EI, mainly in the Brazilian context.

Arrhythmia Termination During Radiofrequency Delivery Improves Outcomes after Catheter Ablation for Persistent and Long Standing Persistent Atrial Fibrillation

Background: Achieving long-term successful outcomes with catheter ablation (CA) of persistent atrial fi brillation (PsAF) remains a challenge. Multiple attempts to determine effective ablation strategies besides the pulmonary veins (PV) were made but, so far, there is no agreed standard approach and no clear consensus as to which is the best one. Among the most frequently used techniques was ablation of complex atrial fractionated electrograms (CFAE) but studies showed contradictory results. The optimal procedural endpoint also needs further refi nement. Objectives: We sought to evaluate outcomes in regard to patient characteristics and procedural termination. We also aimed to assess whether continuation of antiarrythmic therapy in the blanking period (1 to 3 months after the procedure) influences long term results. Methods: We enrolled consecutive patients with persistent and long-standing PsAF (LS-PsAF) who underwent one or more radiofrequency catheter ablations (RF CA) - pulmonary vein antral isolation (PVAI), followed by CFAE or resultant atrial tachycardia/flutter elimination, were retrospectively analyzed. Procedural objective was tachyarrhythmia (AF or resultant atrial flutters/tachycardias) termination (TT) to sinus rhythm (SR) during RF delivery. If after extensive substrate based or activation guided ablation sinus rhyhtm was not restored, conversion was performed with antiarrhythmic drugs (AAD), overdrive pacing or electrical shock. Screening for arrhythmia recurrence was performed via clinical interview and 48 hours Holter monitoring at 1,3 and 6 months and then every 6 months. Results: The cohort included 94 patients (age 54.5±11.4, 67 (71%) males, CHADSVASc 2.3±2, 11 (12%) LS-PsAF) Acute restoration of sinus rhythm (SR) was achieved in 93.4% of the cases, 43% by ablation of CFAE or resultant atrial tachycardia/fl utter(AT/AFL), 36.2% by electric cardioversion, 7.4% by chemical conversion, 3.1 % overdrive pacing, 3.7 % spontaneuous / mechanical. The long term success rate after a mean of 1.7±0.8 procedures was 59% at a mean follow-up period of 80±28 months. Freedom from AF was significantly higher when arrhythmia termination was obtained during RF delivery (p – 0.003). Short-term use of AAD in the blanking period did not lead to improved long term outcomes. Conclusions: In patients with PsAF and LS-PsAF restoration of sinus rhyhtm during RF delivery for pulmonary vein isolation, ablation of CFAE or resultant atrial tachyarrhythmia predicts long term procedural success. Further research to determine the best strategy to achieve this outcome is necessary.