Impact of noninvasive ventilation at a municipal emergency department on ICU admissions.

Background: In 2015, the emergency department of a municipal hospital in Vienna began to perform noninvasive ventilation (NIV) on patients admitted for acute respiratory failure, given no intubation criteria were met. The intention of this study was to show to which type of hospital unit patients were transferred after undergoing NIV in the emergency department. Additionally, the impact of the underlying disease, a patient's sex and age and the year of intervention were analyzed.

Evaluation of a novel, rapid antigen detection test for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is currently finally determined in laboratory settings by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase-chain-reaction (rt-PCR). However, simple testing with immediately available results are crucial to gain control over COVID-19. The aim was to evaluate such a point-of-care antigen rapid test (AG-rt) device in its performance compared to laboratory-based rt-PCR testing in COVID-19 suspected, symptomatic patients.

Standard blood laboratory values as a clinical support tool to distinguish between SARS-CoV-2 positive and negative patients.

Standard blood laboratory parameters may have diagnostic potential, if polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) tests are not available on time. We evaluated standard blood laboratory parameters of 655 COVID-19 patients suspected to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, who underwent PCR testing in one of five hospitals in Vienna, Austria. We compared laboratory parameters, clinical characteristics, and outcomes between positive and negative PCR-tested patients and evaluated the ability of those parameters to distinguish between groups.

Where no guideline has gone before: retrospective analysis of resuscitation in the 24th century.

Aim Of The Study: Evaluation of the treatment, epidemiology and outcome of cardiac arrest in the television franchise Star Trek.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study of prospective events. Screening of all episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager for cardiac arrest events.

Prehospital surface cooling is safe and can reduce time to target temperature after cardiac arrest.

Purpose: Mild therapeutic hypothermia proved to be beneficial when induced after cardiac arrest in humans. Prehospital cooling with i.v.

Cardiac arrest caused by acute intoxication-insight from a registry.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to evaluate the epidemiology and outcome after cardiac arrest caused by intoxication.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 1991 to 2010 medical record of patients experiencing cardiac arrest caused by self-inflicted, intentional intoxication was performed. The setting was an emergency department of a tertiary care university hospital.

Airway management of adult patients without trauma in an ED led by internists.

Background: Airway management is a key competence in emergency medicine. Patients heavily differ from those in the operating room. They are acutely ill by definition and usually not fasting.

Femoro-iliacal artery versus pulmonary artery core temperature measurement during therapeutic hypothermia: an observational study.

Aim Of The Study: Therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest improves neurologic outcome. The temperature measured in the pulmonary artery is considered to best reflect core temperature, yet is limited by invasiveness. Recently a femoro-arterial thermodilution catheter (PiCCO-Pulse Contour Cardiac Output) has been introduced in clinical practice as a safe and accurate haemodynamic monitoring system, which is also able to measure blood temperature.

Seasonal variability and influence of outdoor temperature on body temperature of cardiac arrest victims.

Aim Of The Study: Mild therapeutic hypothermia is a major advance in post-resuscitation-care. Some questions remain unclear regarding the time to initiate cooling and the time to achieve target temperature below 34 °C. We examined whether seasonal variability of outside temperature influences the body temperature of cardiac arrest victims, and if this might have an effect on outcome.

Randomized crossover trial comparing physical strain on advanced life support providers during transportation using real-time automated feedback.

Background: Feedback devices provide verbal and visual real-time information on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) quality. Feedback devices can improve the quality of CPR during transportation. It remains unclear if feedback has an effect on the physical strain felt by providers during ongoing CPR.

Mild therapeutic hypothermia is associated with favourable outcome in patients after cardiac arrest with non-shockable rhythms.

Aim: Mild therapeutic hypothermia (32-34°C) improves neurological recovery and reduces the risk of death in comatose survivors of cardiac arrest when the initial rhythm is ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia. The aim of the presented study was to investigate the effect of mild therapeutic hypothermia (32-34°C for 24h) on neurological outcome and mortality in patients who had been successfully resuscitated from non-ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study we included cardiac arrest survivors of 18 years of age or older suffering a witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with asystole or pulseless electric activity as the first documented rhythm.

Exercise related cardiac arrest in amateur athletes on the tennis court.

Aim Of The Study: The aim of this study was to study exercise-related cardiac arrests on the tennis court and investigate the impact of early initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation on survival rate and outcome.

Methods: This study was based on the cardiac arrest registry of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the General Hospital Vienna in Austria. Between February 1993 and April 2010 non-professional athletes were identified, who experienced exercise-related cardiac arrest on the tennis court.

Cardiac arrest survivors with moderate elevated body mass index may have a better neurological outcome: a cohort study.

Aim: Body mass index (BMI) may influence the quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and may influence prognosis after cardiac arrest. To review the direct effect of obesity on outcome after cardiac arrest, the following cohort study was conducted.

Methods: This study based on a cardiac arrest registry comprising all adult patients with cardiac arrest of non-traumatic origin and restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) admitted to the department of emergency medicine of a tertiary-care facility.

Relationship between time to target temperature and outcome in patients treated with therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest.

Introduction: Our purpose was to study whether the time to target temperature correlates with neurologic outcome in patients after cardiac arrest with restoration of spontaneous circulation treated with therapeutic mild hypothermia in an academic emergency department.

Methods: Temperature data between April 1995 and June 2008 were collected from 588 patients and analyzed in a retrospective cohort study by observers blinded to outcome. The time needed to achieve an esophageal temperature of less than 34°C was recorded.

Comparison of surface cooling and invasive cooling for rapid induction of mild therapeutic hypothermia in pigs--effectiveness of two different devices.

Aim Of The Study: The effectiveness and safety of non-invasive surface cooling was compared to invasive endovascular cooling in an animal model.

Methods: Eight healthy pigs (29-38 kg) were cooled twice, starting in the first 4 pigs with unique surface cooling pads followed by endovascular cooling. In the second 4 pigs the order was reversed.

Temperature monitored on the cuff surface of an endotracheal tube reflects body temperature.

Objective: When treating patients with cardiac arrest with mild therapeutic hypothermia, a reliable and easy-to-use temperature probe is desirable. This study was conducted to investigate the accuracy and safety of tracheal temperature as a measurement of body temperature.

Design: Observational cohort study.

Non-invasive continuous cerebral temperature monitoring in patients treated with mild therapeutic hypothermia: an observational pilot study.

Aim Of The Study: To investigate if body temperature as measured with a prototype of a non-invasive continuous cerebral temperature sensor using the zero-heat-flow method to reflect the oesophageal temperature (core temperature) during mild therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest.

Methods: In patients over 18 years old with restoration of spontaneous circulation after cardiac arrest, a temperature sensor that uses the zero-heat-flow principle was placed on the forehead during the periods of cooling and re-warming. This temperature was compared to oesophageal temperature as the primary temperature-monitoring site.

Surface cooling for rapid induction of mild hypothermia after cardiac arrest: design determines efficacy.

Objectives: Recently, a novel cooling pad was developed for rapid induction of mild hypothermia after cardiac arrest. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cooling efficacy of three different pad designs for in-hospital cooling.

Methods: Included in this prospective interventional study were patients with esophageal temperature (Tes) > 34 degrees C on admission.

Quality of closed chest compression on a manikin in ambulance vehicles and flying helicopters with a real time automated feedback.

Context: Automated verbal and visual feedback improves quality of resuscitation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and was proven to increase short-term survival. Quality of resuscitation may be hampered in more difficult situations like emergency transportation. Currently there is no evidence if feedback devices can improve resuscitation quality during different modes of transportation.

Tracheal temperature for monitoring body temperature during mild hypothermia in pigs.

Aim Of The Study: Out-of-hospital induction of mild therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest needs easy to use and accurate body temperature monitoring. The aim of the study was to evaluate the best temperature probe position on a specially designed tracheal tube, as compared to pulmonary artery temperature (Tpa) during cooling to mild hypothermia in pigs.

Methods: Eight swine (29-38 kg) were anesthetized and intubated with an endotracheal tube with three temperature probes: T1 was attached to the wall of the tube, 1cm proximal to the cuff-balloon, without contact to the mucosa; T2 and T3 were placed on the cuff-balloon with tight contact to the mucosa, T3 was covered by a small plastic tube to protect the mucosa against mechanical alterations.

Feasibility and efficacy of a new non-invasive surface cooling device in post-resuscitation intensive care medicine.

Aim Of The Study: There is sufficient evidence that therapeutic hypothermia after non-traumatic cardiac arrest improves neurological outcome and reduces mortality. Many different invasive and non-invasive cooling devices are currently available. Our purpose was to show the efficacy, safety and feasibility using a non-invasive cooling device to control patient temperature within a range of 33-37 degrees C.