BackgroundDespite recent advances in resuscitation algorithms, neurological injury after cardiac arrest due to cerebral ischemia and reperfusion is one of the reasons for poor neurological outcome. There is currently no adequate means of measuring cerebral perfusion during cardiac arrest. It was the aim of this study to investigate the feasibility of measuring near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as a potential surrogate parameter for cerebral perfusion in patients with out-of-hospital resuscitations in a physician-staffed emergency medical service.MethodsAn emergency physician responding to out-of-hospital emergencies was equipped with a NONIN cerebral oximetry device. Cerebral oximetry values (rSO2) were continuously recorded during resuscitation and transport. Feasibility was defined as >80% of total achieved recording time in relation to intended recording time.Results10 patients were prospectively enrolled. In 89.8% of total recording time, rSO2 values could be recorded (213 minutes and 20 seconds), thus meeting feasibility criteria. 3 patients experienced return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). rSO2 during manual cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was lower in patients who did not experience ROSC compared to the 3 patients with ROSC (31.6%, ± 7.4 versus 37.2% ± 17.0). ROSC was associated with an increase in rSO2. Decrease of rSO2 indicated occurrence of re-arrest in 2 patients. In 2 patients a mechanical chest compression device was used. rSO2 values during mechanical compression were increased by 12.7% and 19.1% compared to manual compression.ConclusionsNIRS monitoring is feasible during resuscitation of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and can be a useful tool during resuscitation, leading to an earlier detection of ROSC and re-arrest. Higher initial rSO2 values during CPR seem to be associated with the occurrence of ROSC. The use of mechanical chest compression devices might result in higher rSO2. These findings need to be confirmed by larger studies.

Background In Germany, emergency medical teams are staffed with physicians but evidence regarding their prehospital diagnostic accuracy remains poor. Objective To evaluate the out-of-hospital diagnostic accuracy of physician-staffed emergency medical teams (PEMTs). Methods A retrospective observational cohort study involving the Emergency Medical Service Bonn, Germany, from January to December 2004 and 2014 respectively. A total of 8346 patients underwent medical treatment by PEMTs, of which 1960 adult patients (inclusion criteria: ≥18 years of age, hospital diagnosis available) were included for further analysis. Reasons for non-inclusion: death on scene, outpatient, interhospital transfer, mental illness, false alarm, no hospital medical history available. The overall diagnostic accuracy (correct or false) of PEMTs was measured after matching the prehospital diagnosis with the corresponding diagnosis of the hospital. Secondary outcome measures were incidence of common PEMT diagnoses (acute coronary syndrome (ACS), dyspnea, stroke/intracerebral bleeding), recognition rate of a given disease by PEMTs, and prehospital diagnostic accuracy in elderly patients. Results PEMT calls increased 2-fold over a decade (2004: n = 3151 vs. 2014: n = 5195). Overall diagnostic accuracy of PEMTs increased from 87.5% in 2004 to 92.6% in the year 2014. The incidence of common PEMT diagnoses such as ACS, dyspnea or stroke/intracerebral bleeding increased 2-fold from 2004 to 2014. The recognition rate of a given disease by the PEMT varied between 2004 and 2014: an increase was observed when a stroke/intracerebral bleeding was diagnosed (2004: 67% vs. 2014: 83%; p = 0.054), a decreased rate of recognition occurred when a syncope/collapse was diagnosed (2004: 81% vs. 2014: 56%; p = 0.007) and a sepsis appears to be a rare event for EMS personnel (2004: 0% vs. 2014: 23%). Linear regression analysis revealed that the prehospital diagnostic accuracy decreases in the elderly patient. Conclusions The overall prehospital diagnostic accuracy of PEMTs improved between the year 2004 and 2014 respectively. Our findings suggest that the incidence of common diseases (ACS, dyspnea stroke/intracerebral bleeding, sepsis) increased over a 10-year period. Diagnostic accuracy of different diseases varied but generally decreased in the elderly patient. Regular training of EMS personnel and public campaigns should be implemented to improve the diagnostic accuracy in the future. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13049-019-0617-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Background: In pediatric intensive care, prescription, application, and interpretation of drug doses are highly weight-dependent. The use of standardized concentrations simplifies the preparation of drugs and increases safety. For the safe application as well as easy interpretation of intravenous drugs with standardized concentrations, the display of weight-related dose rates on the infusion device is of pivotal significance.Objectives: We report on challenges in the implementation of a new information technology supported medication workflow. The workflow was introduced on eight beds in the pediatric heart surgery intensive care unit as well as in the pediatric anesthesia at the University of Bonn Medical Center. The proposed workflow utilizes medication labels generated from prescription data from the electronic health record. The generated labels include a 2D barcode which enables the infusion devices to display weight-related dose rates.Methods: Clinical and technical processes were agilely developed. The technical reliability of the system under real-life conditions was monitored. User satisfaction and potential for improvement were assessed. In addition, a structured survey among the nursing staff was carried out. The questionnaire addressed both usability as well as perceived effects on patient safety. Results The workflow has been applied 44111 times during the pilot phase. A total of 114 known failures in the technical infrastructure were observed. A survey of the nursing staff showed good ratings for usability and safety (median "school grade" 2 or B for patient safety, intelligibility, patient identification and handling). The medical management of the involved acute care facilities rated the process as clearly beneficial regarding patient safety, suggesting a rollout to all pediatric intensive care areas.Conclusions: A medical information technology-supported medication workflow can increase perceived safety and user satisfaction in pediatric acute care. The successful implementation benefits from an interdisciplinary team, active investigation of possible associated errors, and technical redundancy.

Background: In pediatric intensive care, prescription, administration, and interpretation of drug doses are weight-dependent. The use of standardized concentrations simplifies the preparation of drugs and increases safety. For safe administration as well as easy interpretation of intravenous drug dosing regimens with standardized concentrations, the display of weight-related dose rates on the infusion device is of pivotal significance. Objectives: We report on challenges in the implementation of a new information technology-supported medication workflow. The workflow was introduced on eight beds in the pediatric heart surgery intensive care unit as well as in the pediatric anesthesia at the University of Bonn Medical Center. The proposed workflow utilizes medication labels generated from prescription data from the electronic health record. The generated labels include a 2D barcode to transfer data to the infusion devices. Methods Clinical and technical processes were agilely developed. The reliability of the system under real-life conditions was monitored. User satisfaction and potential for improvement were assessed. In addition, a structured survey among the nursing staff was carried out. The questionnaire addressed usability as well as the end-users’ perception of effects on patient safety. Results: The workflow has been applied 44111 times during the pilot phase. A total of 114 known failures in the technical infrastructure were observed. The survey showed good ratings for usability and safety (median "school grade" 2 or B for patient safety, intelligibility, patient identification and handling). The medical management of the involved acute care facilities rated the process as clearly beneficial regarding patient safety, suggesting a rollout to all pediatric intensive care areas. Conclusions: A medical information technology-supported medication workflow can increase user satisfaction and patient safety as perceived by the clinical end-users in pediatric acute care. The successful implementation benefits from an interdisciplinary team, active investigation of possible associated risks, and technical redundancy.

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Zusammenfassung Fragestellung Für Deutschland liegen nur wenige Daten zum Gesundheitszustand und Langzeitüberleben nach außerklinischer Reanimation vor. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht den allgemeinen Gesundheitszustand und das neurologische Langzeitergebnis 2,5 bis 5 Jahre nach dem Reanimationsereignis sowie den Zusammenhang zwischen Behandlungsergebnis und präklinischen Patienten- und Behandlungsfaktoren. Methodik Alle über einen Zeitraum von 30 Monaten (2011–2013) durch den Rettungsdienst der Stadt Bonn durchgeführten Reanimationen wurden auf Grundlage der Notarzteinsatzprotokolle und des Deutschen Reanimationsregisters retrospektiv analysiert. Der allgemeine Gesundheitszustand wurde in Anlehnung an den SF-12 erfasst und das neurologische Langzeitergebnis kategorisiert (Cerebral Performance Category [CPC]). Die vorliegenden Daten wurden einer uni- und multivariaten logistischen Regressionsanalyse unterzogen. Ergebnis Von insgesamt 458 Patienten überlebten 17,9 % bis zur Krankenhausentlassung, 13,8 % mehr als 2,5 Jahre und 7,7 % bis zum Stichtag der Befragung. Von den noch lebenden Patienten hatten 85,3 % ein gutes neurologisches Ergebnis (CPC ≤ 2), welches durch ein geringeres Alter, einen beobachteten Kollaps, die Durchführung einer Defibrillation und das Ausbleiben einer Vasopressorgabe begünstigt wurde (multivariate Analyse). 74,2 % der Überlebenden beschrieben ihren Gesundheitszustand als gut. Interpretation Insgesamt überleben langfristig nur wenige Patienten einen außerklinischen Herz-Kreislauf-Stillstand. Die überlebenden Patienten beurteilen ihren Gesundheitszustand als gut und zeigen ein gutes neurologisches Ergebnis. Dabei hängt dieses Behandlungsergebnis von denselben Parametern wie der primäre Reanimationserfolg (Überleben bis Krankenhausaufnahme) ab. Die Etablierung klinischer Instrumente zur frühen Prognoseerstellung ist wünschenswert. Hierzu sind weitere Langzeituntersuchungen größerer Patientenkollektive mit Zugriff auf Routinedaten notwendig.