BackgroundDespite advances in resuscitation science and public health, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OOHCA) has an average survival rate of only 12% nationwide, compared to 24.8% of patients who suffer from cardiac arrest while in hospital. Additionally, gender is an important element of human health, and there is a clear pattern for gender-specific survivability in cardiac arrest. This study examined differences in presentations, treatment, management, and outcomes.AimThe primary focus of this study was to shed light on differences in presentations, treatments, and outcomes between men and women suffering from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and the accompanying contributing factors.MethodsAll emergency medical services-related data, including age, date, initial rhythm, chemical interventions (i.e., epinephrine, dextrose), blood glucose levels, defibrillations, endotracheal tube (ETT) attempts, final airway management, achievement of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), and the conclusion of the case up to the emergency department, were recorded using a standardized emergency medical services (EMS) charting record by the highest-ranking EMS provider on the ambulance. The reports were retrospectively collected and analyzed.ConclusionThe study examined demographics, treatments rendered, and outcomes in OOHCA cases that occurred in a major United States (US) city in 2016. Several significant differences in care were noted between men and women. In general, women received less respiratory, chemical, and electrical interventions than men; however, statistically significant differences were only observed in the number of attempts of endotracheal intubations, number of doses of epinephrine per encounter, and number of defibrillations per encounter. In spite of generally receiving less care, women appeared to respond more favorably to cardiac arrest interventions, as demonstrated by higher rates of ROSC. Despite this, women were also found to be eight years older at the time of arrest. Future studies are needed to determine causality in discrepancies between the genders in addition to investigating differences in treatment in other areas of the United States.

BackgroundDespite advances in resuscitation science and public health, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OOHCA) cases have an average survival rate of only 12% nationwide, compared to 24.8% of cases occurring in hospital. Many factors, including resuscitation interventions, contribute to positive patient outcomes and have, therefore, been studied in attempts to optimize emergency medical services (EMS) protocols to achieve higher rates of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in the field. However, no consensus has been met regarding the appropriate amount of time for EMS to spend on scene.AimA favorable outcome is defined as patients that achieved the combination of ROSC and a final disposition of “ongoing resuscitation in the emergency department (ED).” The primary purpose of this preliminary study was to determine the scene time interval (STI) in which American urban EMS systems achieved the highest rates of favorable outcomes in non-traumatic OOHCAs.MethodsAll EMS-related data, including demographics, presenting rhythm, airway management, chemical interventions, and ROSC were recorded using a standardized EMS charting system by the highest-ranking EMS provider on the ambulance. The reports were retrospectively collected and analyzed.ConclusionOur data suggest that the optimal 20-minute STI for OOHCA patients in an urban EMS system is between 41 and 60 minutes. Interestingly, the 10-minute interval within the 41-60 minute cohort that provided the highest rate of ROSC was between 41 and 50 minutes. Generally, the longer the STI, the greater the percentage of favorable outcomes up to the 50-minute mark. Once past 50 minutes, a phenomenon of diminishing return was observed and the rates of favorable outcomes sharply declined. This suggests a possible “sweet spot” that may exist regarding the optimal scene time in a cardiac arrest encounter. Significant differences between the average number of interventions per patient were found, however, many confounding factors and the limited data set make the results difficult to generalize.

Intramural hematoma (IMH) and a penetrating aortic ulcer (PAU) are included in a larger category of disorders termed acute aortic syndromes. These disorders typically involve the thoracic aorta, abdominal aorta, or both, and often require emergent evaluation and treatment. Both IMH and PAU, much like aortic dissection, are classified using the Stanford and DeBakey systems to indicate the aortic area involved, with Stanford type A (DeBakey type I and II) necessitating surgical intervention, and Stanford type B sufficing with medical management of blood pressure. While IMH and PAU share many characteristics of aortic dissection in terms of diagnosis and initial management, there is much controversy surrounding ultimate treatment. In this report, we describe a case of a Stanford type A IMH with associated PAU that was managed medically with a good outcome.