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Background The benefits of early epinephrine administration in pediatric with nontraumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) have been reported; however, the effects in pediatric cases of traumatic OHCA are unclear. Since the volume-related pharmacokinetics of early epinephrine may differ obviously with and without hemorrhagic shock (HS), beneficial or harmful effects of nonselective epinephrine stimulation (alpha and beta agonists) may also be enhanced with early administration. In this study, we aimed to analyze the therapeutic effect of early epinephrine administration in pediatric cases of HS and non-HS traumatic OHCA. Methods This was a multicenter retrospective study (2003–2014). Children (aged ≤ 19 years) who experienced traumatic OHCA and were administered epinephrine for resuscitation were included. Children were classified into the HS (blood loss > 30% of total body fluid) and non-HS groups. The demographics, outcomes, postresuscitation hemodynamics (the first hour) after the sustained return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), and survival durations were analyzed and correlated with the time to epinephrine administration (early < 15, middle 15–30, late > 30 min) in the HS and non-HS groups. Cox regression analysis was used to adjust for risk factors of mortality. Results A total of 509 children were included. Most of them ( n = 348, 68.4%) had HS OHCA. Early epinephrine administration was implemented in 131 (25.7%) children. In both the HS and non-HS groups, early epinephrine administration was associated with achieving sustained ROSC (both p < 0.05) but was not related to survival or good neurological outcomes (without adjusting for confounding factors). However, early epinephrine administration in the HS group increased cardiac output but induced metabolic acidosis and decreased urine output during the initial postresuscitation period (all p < 0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors, early epinephrine administration was a risk factor of mortality in the HS group (HR 4.52, 95% CI 2.73–15.91). Conclusion Early epinephrine was significantly associated with achieving sustained ROSC in pediatric cases of HS and non-HS traumatic OHCA. For children with HS, early epinephrine administration was associated with both beneficial (increased cardiac output) and harmful effects (decreased urine output and metabolic acidosis) during the postresuscitation period. More importantly, early epinephrine was a risk factor associated with mortality in the HS group.

The ability of emergency physicians (EPs) to continue within the specialty has been called into question due to high stress in emergency departments (EDs).The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of EP seniority on clinical performance.A retrospective, 1-year cohort study was conducted across 3 EDs in the largest health-care system in Taiwan. Participants included 44,383 adult nontrauma patients who presented to the EDs. Physicians were categorized as junior, intermediate, and senior EPs according to ≤5, 6 to 10, and >10 years of ED work experience. The door-to-order and door-to-disposition time were used to evaluate EP efficiency. Emergency department resource use indicators included diagnostic investigations of electrocardiography, plain film radiography, laboratory tests, and computed tomography scans. Discharge and mortality rates were used as patient outcomes. Disposition accuracy was evaluated by ED revisit rate.Senior EPs were found to have longer door-to-order (11.3, 12.4 minutes) and door-to-disposition (2, 1.7 hours) time than nonsenior EPs in urgent and nonurgent patients (junior: 9.4, 10.2 minutes and 1.7, 1.5 hours; intermediate: 9.5, 10.7 minutes and 1.7, 1.5 hours). Senior EPs tended to order fewer electrocardiograms, radiographs, and computed tomography scans in nonurgent patients. Adjusting for age, sex, disease acuity, and medical setting, patients treated by junior and intermediate EPs had higher mortality in the ED (adjusted odd ratios, 1.5 and 1.6, respectively).Compared with EPs with ≤10 years of work experience, senior EPs take more time for order prescription and patient disposition, use fewer diagnostic investigations, particularly for nonurgent patients, and are associated with a lower ED mortality rate.

ObjectiveCT, an important diagnostic tool in the emergency department (ED), might increase the ED length of stay (LOS). Considering the issue of ED overcrowding, it is important to evaluate whether CT use delays or facilitates patient disposition in the ED.DesignA retrospective 1-year cohort study.Setting5 EDs within the same healthcare system dispersed nationwide in Taiwan.ParticipantsAll adult non-trauma patients who visited the 5 EDs from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012.InterventionsPatients were grouped by whether or not they underwent a CT scan (CT and non-CT groups, respectively).Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe ED LOS and hospital LOS between patients who had and had not undergone CT scans were compared by stratifying different dispositions and diagnoses.ResultsCT use prolonged patient ED LOS among those who were directly discharged from the ED. Among patients admitted to the observation unit and then discharged, patients diagnosed with nervous system disease had shorter ED LOS if they underwent a CT scan. CT use facilitated patient admission to the general ward. CT use also accelerated patients' admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) for patients with nervous system disease, neoplasm and digestive disease. Finally, patients admitted to the general wards had shorter hospital LOS if they underwent CT scans in the ED.ConclusionsCT use did not seem to have delayed patient disposition in ED. While CT use facilitated patient disposition if they were finally hospitalised, it mildly prolonged ED LOS in cases of patients discharged from the ED.

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Background. The survival rates of in-hospital cardiac arrests (IHCAs) are reportedly low at night, but the difference between the survival rates of cardiac origin and noncardiac origin IHCAs occurring at night remains unclear. Methods. Outcomes of IHCAs during different shifts (night, day, and evening) were compared and stratified according to the etiology (cardiac and noncardiac origin). Result. The rate of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) was 24.7% lower for cardiac origin IHCA and 19.4% lower for noncardiac origin IHCA in the night shift than in the other shifts. The survival rate was 8.4% lower for cardiac origin IHCA occurring during the night shift, but there was no difference for noncardiac origin IHCA. After adjusting the potential confounders, chances of ROSC (aOR: 0.3, CI: 0.15–0.63) and survival to discharge (aOR: 0.1; CI: 0.01–0.90) related to cardiac origin IHCA were lower during night shifts. Regarding noncardiac origin IHCA, chances of ROSC (aOR: 0.5, CI: 0.30–0.78) were lower in the night shift, but chances of survival to discharge (aOR: 1.3, CI: 0.43–3.69) were similar in these two groups. Conclusion. IHCA occurring at night increases mortality, and this is more apparent for cardiac origin IHCAs than for noncardiac origin IHCA.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy compared with conventional oxygen therapy (COT) or noninvasive ventilation (NIV) for the treatment of acute respiratory failure (ARF) in emergency departments (EDs). Method We comprehensively searched 3 databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library) for articles published from database inception to 12 July 2019. This study included only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that were conducted in EDs and compared HFNC therapy with COT or NIV. The primary outcome was the intubation rate. The secondary outcomes were the mortality rate, intensive care unit (ICU) admission rate, ED discharge rate, need for escalation, length of ED stay, length of hospital stay, and patient dyspnea and comfort scores. Result Five RCTs (n = 775) were included. There was a decreasing trend regarding the application of HFNC therapy and the intubation rate, but the difference was not statistically significant (RR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.26–1.09; p=0.08; I2 = 0%). We found that compared with patients who underwent COT, those who underwent HFNC therapy had a reduced need for escalation (RR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.22–0.78; p=0.006; I2 = 0%), reduced dyspnea scores (MD −0.82, 95% CI −1.45 to −0.18), and improved comfort (SMD −0.76 SD, 95% CI −1.01 to −0.51). Compared with the COT group, the HFNC therapy group had a similar mortality rate (RR, 1.25; 95% CI, 0.79–1.99; p=0.34; I2 = 0%), ICU admission rate (RR, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.58–2.12; p=0.76; I2 = 0%), ED discharge rate (RR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.63–1.72; p=0.87; I2 = 0%), length of ED stay (MD 1.66, 95% CI −0.95 to 4.27), and hospital stay (MD 0.9, 95% CI −2.06 to 3.87). Conclusion Administering HFNC therapy in ARF patients in EDs might decrease the intubation rate compared with COT. In addition, it can decrease the need for escalation, decrease the patient's dyspnea level, and increase the patient's comfort level compared with COT.