Explorative study on lower inflection point dynamics during cardiopulmonary resuscitation: Potential implications for airway management.

Introduction: In patients undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after an Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA), intrathoracic airway closure can impede ventilation, adversely affecting patient outcomes. This explorative study investigates the evolution of intrathoracic airway closure by analyzing the lower inflection point (LIP) during the inspiration phase of CPR, aiming to identify the potential thresholds for alveolar recruitment.

Methods And Materials: Eleven OHCA patients undergoing CPR with endotracheal intubation and manual bag ventilation were included.

A roadmap to building first responder networks: Lessons learned and best practices from Belgium and Switzerland.

Background/aims: Limited bystander assistance and delayed emergency medical service arrival reduce the chances of survival in cardiac arrest victims. Early basic life support through trained first responders (FR) and automatic external defibrillation both improve the outcome. Well-organized FR networks have shown promise, but guidance on effective implementation is lacking.

The association between increasing fluid balance, acute kidney injury and mortality in patients with sepsis and septic shock: A retrospective single center audit.

Purpose: To determine whether a positive fluid balance is associated with AKI and mortality in sepsis and septic shock patients.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of 482 patients treated for sepsis or septic shock. Patients were stratified according to quartiles of cumulative fluid balance on days 1 and 3.

Foodborne botulism and the importance of recognizing the disease in the emergency department: a case report.

Background: Botulism is a rare neuroparalytic disease that has only presented itself 19 times in the last 30 years in Belgium. Patients present to emergency services with a wide range of complaints. Foodborne botulism is a forgotten yet life-threatening disease.

New potential for an old kid on the block: Impact of premorbid metformin use on lactate kinetics, kidney injury and mortality in sepsis and septic shock, an observational study.

Introduction: Sepsis and septic shock cause significant mortality worldwide, with no targeted molecular therapies available. Metformin has pleomorphic effects that may be beneficial in sepsis, but at present, the impact of metformin exposure on sepsis remains controversial. Metformin might alter lactate metabolism, but little is known about its influence on lactate kinetics.