Improving quality and outcomes of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation in refractory cardiac arrest: the Phoenix ECPR project.

Background: Survival for cardiac arrest remains poor, and the use of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) has been suggested as a potential therapy to improve outcomes. Harefield Hospital has been performing ECPR for over a decade; however outcomes have been historically poor.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed of all ECPR cases at Harefield Hospital between April 2018 and April 2023.

Warfarin-induced sublingual hematoma mimicking Ludwig angina: Conservative management of a potentially life-threatening condition.

Sublingual hematoma secondary to excessive anticoagulation is a rare, life-threatening condition. Reports in the literature have emphasized the importance of a prompt reversal of the causative coagulopathy by intravenous administration of vitamin K and fresh frozen plasma. In the event of an unstable airway, surgical intervention via tracheostomy or cricothyroidectomy is advocated.

Evaluation of the impact of addition of PET to CT and MR scanning in the staging of patients with head and neck carcinomas.

The addition of whole body positron emission tomography (PET) to the investigation of patients with newly diagnosed head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) was assessed over a 6-month period. Staging investigations included laryngoscopy, oesophagoscopy, CXR, CT and MRI. In addition, all patients had an extended-field (whole body) FDG-PET scan and were restaged.