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Objectives: To compare emergency medical services (EMS) utilization between culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) and non-CALD patients in Victoria, Australia. Methods: A retrospective study of EMS attendances and transports in Victoria from January 2015 to June 2019, utilizing linked EMS, hospital emergency and admissions data. The CALD and non-CALD patients who received EMS care and transport to a Victorian public emergency department were included. The incidence of EMS use for CALD and non-CALD patients based on the 2016 Census population and expressed per 100,000 person-years. Results: In 1,261,167 included patients, there were 272,100 (21.6%) CALD and 989,067 (78.4%) non-CALD patients. Before adjustment for age and sex, EMS utilization for CALD patients was 13% lower than non-CALD patients (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 0.87, 95% CI: 0.87–0.87). When stratified by age groups, CALD patients aged under 70 years had significantly lower rates of EMS utilization than non-CALD patients, while CALD patients aged 75 years or older were more likely than non-CALD patients to use EMS (IRR 1.08, 95% CI: 1.07–1.09). The CALD patients were less likely to utilize EMS for trauma/external injury (IRR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.66–0.68) and mental health/alcohol/drug problems (IRR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.38–0.40). After adjustment for differences in the age and sex distribution of CALD and non-CALD populations, CALD patients were 51% less likely to utilize EMS than non-CALD patients (IRR 0.49, 95% CI: 0.42–0.56). Conclusions: The CALD patients used EMS less frequently than non-CALD patients with significant variation observed across age groups, countries of birth, and clinical presentation. Further research is needed to understand the factors that may be contributing to these disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aims to explore regional variation and identify regions within Australia with high incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and low rates of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Method: Adult OHCAs of presumed medical aetiology occurring across Australia between 2017 and 2019 were mapped onto local government areas (LGA) using the location of arrest coordinates. Bayesian spatial models were applied to provide "smoothed" estimates of OHCA incidence and bystander CPR rates (for bystander-witnessed OHCAs) for each LGA. For each state and territory, high-risk LGAs were defined as those with an incidence rate greater than the state or territory's 75th percentile and a bystander CPR rate less than the state or territory's 25th percentile. Results: A total of 62,579 OHCA cases attended by emergency medical services across 543 LGAs nationwide were included in the study. Nationally, the OHCA incidence rate across LGA ranged from 58.5 to 198.3 persons per 100,000, while bystander CPR rates ranged from 45% to 75%. We identified 60 high-risk LGAs, which were predominantly located in the state of New South Wales. Within each region, high-risk LGAs were typically located in regional and remote areas of the country, except for four metropolitan areas–two in Adelaide and two in Perth. Conclusions: We have identified high-risk LGAs, characterised by high incidence and low bystander CPR rates, which are predominantly in regional and remote areas of Australia. Strategies for reducing OHCA and improving bystander response may be best targeted at these regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Virtual ED (VED) can potentially alleviate ED overcrowding which has been a public health challenge. The aim of the present study was to conduct a return‐on‐investment analysis of a VED programme developed in response to changing healthcare needs in Australia. Methods: An economic model was developed based on initial patient outcome data to assess the healthcare costs, potential costs saved and return on investment (ROI) from the VED. The VED programme operating as part of Alfred Health Emergency Services. The participants were the first 188 patients accessing the Alfred Health VED. VED is the delivery of emergency assessment and management of specific patients virtually via audio‐visual teleconferencing. ROI ratios that compare cost savings with intervention costs. Results: The mean total operational cost of VED for 79 days for 188 patients was A$344 117 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] $296 800–$392 088). The VED led to a potential A$286 779 (95% UI $241 688–$330 568) healthcare cost saving from reductions in emergency visits and A$97 569 (95% UI $74 233–$123 117) cost saving in ambulance services. The ROI ratio was estimated at 1.12 (95% UI 0.96–1.32). Conclusions: The VED was cost neutral in a conservatively modelled scenario but promising if any hospital admission could be saved. Ongoing research examining a larger cohort with community follow up is required to confirm this promising result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Identifying areas of Australia with high out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidence and low bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation rates: A retrospective, observational study." The correction addresses an error in Figure 10, specifically in the coloring of one of the smaller maps (bystander CPR rates Greater Perth). The corrected figure is provided in the notice. The article was authored by multiple individuals and focuses on estimating the incidence rate and bystander CPR rate for each local government area in Western Australia. [Extracted from the article]

Many introductions to algebra in high school begin with teaching students to generalise linear numerical patterns. This article argues that this approach needs to be changed so that students encounter variables in the context of modelling visual patterns so that the variables have a meaning. The article presents sample classroom activities, together with sample work from students in the author's Year 7 classroom at a Catholic school in the South East of Melbourne. It concludes that there are many ways for teachers to help students make generalisations from visual patterns. Textbooks encourage students to generate tables of values and then to deduce rules from those tables. This approach is not hard for students to grasp and can be deferred. If students are to develop multiple strategies for thinking about such problems, teachers need to help them relate formulas to visual patterns. This, in turn, will give the variables some meaning as the algebra becomes an alternative representation of a tangible situation.

Objective: Supported by the state government, three health networks partnered to initiate a virtual ED (VED), as part of a broader roll‐out of emergency telehealth services in Victoria. The aim of the present study (Southeast Region Virtual Emergency Department‐1 [SERVED‐1]) was to report the initial 5‐month experience and included all patients assessed through the service over the first 5 months (1 February 2022 to 30 June 2022). Methods: VED consults occurred after referral from paramedics in the pre‐hospital setting. Electronic medical records were retrospectively reviewed for demographic, presenting complaint and outcome data. The primary outcome was the count of VED consultations. The secondary outcome was the proportion of patients where physical ED attendance was avoided within 72 h. The proportion of physical ED attendances avoided sub‐grouped by primary presenting complaints were reported. Results: There were 1748 patients who had a VED consultation, of which 1261 (72.1%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 70.0–74.2) patients had physical presentation to an ED avoided in the 72 h following the consult. There was a significant increase in consultations over the 5‐month period (incidence rate ratio 1.27; 95% CI 1.23–1.31, P < 0.001) that was consistent in the three health services. The most common presenting complaints were COVID‐19 and shortness of breath, and physical presentation was avoided most often among younger patients and those with COVID‐19. Conclusions: Initial experience demonstrated a significant increase in adoption of the service and an overall avoidance of physical ED attendance by a majority of patients. These results support ongoing VED consultations, complemented by follow up and health economic evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with time delay to emergency medical services for patients with suspected ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Methods This observational study involved 1994 suspected ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients presenting to the emergency medical services in Melbourne, Australia, between October 2011-January 2014. Factors associated with delays to emergency medical services call of >1 h and emergency medical services self-referral were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Results The time of symptom onset was reported for 1819 patients (91.2%), the median symptom onset-to-call time was 52 min (interquartile range = 17-176). Of all emergency medical services calls, 17% were referred by healthcare professionals. Compared to self-referred patients, patients who presented to a general practitioner or hospital had higher odds of delay >1 h to emergency medical services activation (adjusted odds ratio 7.76; 95% confidence interval 5.10-11.83; and 8.02; 3.65-17.64, respectively). The other factors associated with emergency medical services call delays of >1 h were living alone, non-English speaking background, a history of substance abuse, less severe symptoms, symptom onset at home and at rest, and self-treatment. Emergency medical services self-referred patients were more likely to be older than 75 years, have a history of ischemic heart disease or revascularization, more severe symptoms, and symptom onset at home, with activity, during the weekends and out-of-hours. Conclusion Almost one-fifth of emergency medical services calls for suspected ST-elevation myocardial infarction were healthcare referrals, and this was associated with increased delays. A wide range of factors could influence a patient's decision to directly and rapidly seek emergency medical services. More efforts are needed to educate at-risk populations about early self-referral to the emergency medical services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: Papillary Thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common malignancy encountered by endocrine surgeons accounting for up to 85% to 90% of all thyroid malignancies. Parathyroid metastases appear to be an uncommon phenomenon however are likely to be underdiagnosed due to routine parathyroid gland preservation during thyroidectomy. CASE: We present the case of 63-year-old lady with PTC metastases to the parathyroid gland. She underwent total thyroidectomy, central compartment lymph node dissection and selective left neck (levels IIA-IV) lymph node dissection. Final pathology confirmed a 45 mm low grade conventional type papillary carcinoma with microscopic extension into perithyroidal soft tissue focally and into the adjacent left parathyroid gland. CONCLUSION: Parathyroid gland thyroid cancer infiltration/metastasis is rarely reported and likely underdiagnosed. This is the first case of parathyroid gland metastasis reported from New Zealand or Australia to our knowledge. There is currently limited research available to guide whether parathyroid gland infiltration or metastasis is of clinical or prognostic significance and whether a more aggressive treatment strategy is warranted when present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the effect of patient and system characteristics on emergency medical service (EMS) delays prior to arrival at hospital in suspected ST‐elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of 1739 patients who presented with suspected STEMI to the EMS in Melbourne, Australia between October 2011 and January 2014. Our primary outcome measure was call‐to‐hospital time, defined as the time in minutes from emergency call to hospital arrival. We examined the association of patient and system characteristics on call‐to‐hospital time using multivariable linear regression. Results: The mean call‐to‐hospital time was 60.1 min (standard deviation 20.5) and the median travel distance was 13.0 km (interquartile range 7.2–23.1). In the multivariable model, patient characteristics associated with longer call‐to‐hospital time were age ≥75 years (2.3 min; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.6–4.0), female sex (1.9 min; 95% CI 0.3–3.4), pre‐existing mental health disorder (4.0 min; 95% CI 1.9–6.1) or musculoskeletal disease (2.7 min; 95% CI 1.0–4.4), absence of chest pain (3.0 min; 95% CI 1.1–4.8), and presentation with clinical complications. System factors associated with call‐to‐hospital time include lower dispatch priority (12.7 min; 95% CI 9.0–16.5) and non‐12‐lead electrocardiography (ECG) capable ambulance first on scene (4.5 min; 95% CI 3.1–5.8). Patients who were not initially attended by a 12‐lead capable ambulance were less likely to receive a 12‐lead ECG within 10 min (18.5% vs 71.0%, P < 0.001). Conclusion: A range of patient and system factors may influence EMS delays in STEMI. However, optimising dispatch prioritisation and widespread availability of prehospital 12‐lead ECG could lead to substantial reduction in time to treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rates of pre‐eclampsia vary between countries and certain ethnic groups. However, there is limited evidence about the impact of ethnicity on risk of pre‐eclampsia, beyond established clinical risk factors. Aims: To assess the association between ethnicity and pre‐eclampsia in Australia's diverse multi‐ethnic population. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the ObstetriX database. We included all women with a birth between January 2011 and December 2014, at Auburn, Blacktown/Mount‐Druitt and Westmead Hospitals in the Western Sydney Local Health District. We estimated the pre‐eclampsia rate overall, and by maternal ethnic group, defined by country of birth and primary language. We developed multivariable logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for pre‐eclampsia, adjusting for maternal age, body mass index, autoimmune disease, chronic hypertension, chronic renal disease, diabetes mellitus (type 1 or 2), and multiple pregnancy. A secondary analysis was restricted to nulliparous women. Results: There were 40 824 women evaluated, including 12 743 nulliparous women. Of these, 1448 (3.5%) developed pre‐eclampsia (range: Australian/New Zealand‐born English speakers 735/15 422 (4.8%); North‐East Asian women 51/4470 (1.1%)). Relative to Australian/New Zealand‐born English speakers, immigrants had a lower risk of pre‐eclampsia overall (adjusted OR 0.67; 95% CI 0.60–0.75); as did the three largest immigrant groups examined: Southern Asian (0.73; 0.62–0.85), Middle‐Eastern/African (0.55; 0.47–0.66) and North‐East Asian (0.33; 0.25–0.45) women. Findings were similar for nulliparous women. Conclusions: Certain immigrant groups are at lower risk of pre‐eclampsia than Australian/New Zealand‐born English‐speaking women. Understanding why this is so may lead to better screening and preventive strategies in higher‐risk women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of the present study is to examine variations in paramedic care of the agitated patient, including verbal de‐escalation, physical restraint and sedation, provided by ambulance services in Australia and New Zealand. Methods: To examine the care of agitated patients, we first identified and reviewed all clinical practice guidelines for the management of agitated patients in Australian and New Zealand ambulance services between September and November 2018. We then conducted a structured questionnaire to obtain further information on the training, assessment and care of agitated patients by the ambulance services. Two authors extracted the data independently, and all interpretations and results were reviewed and confirmed by relevant ambulance services. Results: There were 10 independent clinical practice guidelines for the care of agitated patients in the 10 ambulance services. All services reported training in the management of agitated patients, and two services used a validated tool to assess the level of agitation. All services used physical restraint, although six services required police presence to restrain the patient. All ambulance services used some form of sedation, typically divided into the management of mild to moderate, and severe agitation. The most common agent for sedation was midazolam, while ketamine was the most common agent for sedating severely agitated patients. The maximum dose was varied, and contraindications for sedating agents varied between services. Conclusions: There were wide variations across the ambulance services in terms of the assessment of agitation, as well as the use of physical restraint and sedation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We welcome the recent announcement by Coles and Woolworths that public access defibrillators (PADs) are now available in their stores, as early defibrillation with PADs is associated with significantly increased survival from out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs). From 2008 to 2018 there were 120 OHCAs in Victorian supermarkets, overall 26.6% survived; however, when defibrillated by a PAD 66.6% survived. For all OHCA in Victoria, survival for defibrillation by a PAD was also higher at 55.5%, compared to 28.8% for paramedic defibrillation. Using this state‐wide PAD survival rate, we estimate an additional 12 patients could have survived had PADs been available in all supermarkets. In Victoria last year there were 421 potentially viable OHCAs in public locations, of these 132 patients survived; however, had PADs been available an additional 101 patients could have survived. We therefore strongly encourage local businesses to install PADs, to safeguard the well‐being of their employees, customers and local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Although hospital presentations for pediatric anaphylaxis have been described in the literature, a minimal amount is known regarding the incidence, characteristics, and management of pediatric anaphylaxis presenting to emergency medical services (EMS). Methods: We performed a retrospective observational study of pediatrics (≤16 years) presenting to EMS in Victoria, Australia. Patients with suspected anaphylaxis were included if they were treated with epinephrine before or after EMS arrival. We used descriptive statistics to compare baseline characteristics and linear regression to assess trends in incidence over time. Results: Between July 2008 and June 2016, we identified 2,137 pediatric anaphylaxis presentations. Overall, 59% were male and 70% had pre-existing anaphylaxis. The age-adjusted incidence increased over the study period, from 11.8 presentations per 100,000 person-years in 2008-09 to 38.7 in 2015-16 (p for trend < 0.001). Common suspected allergens included nuts (52%) and dairy/milk formula (17%). In total, 1,333 (62%) patients received epinephrine via an autoinjector, and 51 (2%) from a doctor before EMS arrival. When compared to patients receiving epinephrine after EMS arrival, patients treated prior were more likely to present with vital signs within normal limits, including heart rate (66% vs. 84%, p < 0.001), systolic blood pressure (77% vs. 93%, p < 0.001) and respiratory rate (79% vs. 91%, p < 0.001). The most common EMS interventions were intramuscular epinephrine (45%) and inhaled salbutamol (14%). Three out-of-hospital cardiac arrests were observed, two of whom received endotracheal intubation. Conclusion: The incidence of prehospital pediatric anaphylaxis is increasing significantly. Despite this, most patients are hemodynamically stable on presentation and few require emergency treatments beyond the administration of intramuscular epinephrine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Comorbid conditions have been associated with morbidity, functional status and quality of life for patients with a wide range of diseases. Previous studies have attempted to elucidate the influence of pre-arrest comorbidities on survival and neurological recovery following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), however the findings are conflicting.Methods: Baseline comorbidities recorded within prehospital patient care records were linked with baseline and 12-month follow-up data from the Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry for adult (≥16 years) non-traumatic OHCA patients. Dates of death from the Victorian death registry were also obtained for patients surviving to hospital discharge. Multivariable logistic, linear and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to assess the influence of the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) on survival to hospital discharge, 12-month functional recovery and health-related quality of life (HR-QOL), and long-term mortality over an eight-year period.Results: A total of 15,953 patients were included. Increasing CCI was independently associated with reduced odds of survival to hospital discharge (CCI=1: OR=0.87 [95% CI 0.76-1.00]; CCI=2: OR=0.80 [95% CI 0.68-0.94]; CCI=3: OR=0.62 [95% CI 0.50-0.78]; CCI≥4: OR=0.53 [95% CI 0.41-0.68]). Additionally, increasing CCI was associated with reduced odds of 12-month functional recovery, a reduced chance of favourable 12-month HR-QOL, and an increased hazard of mortality after discharge from hospital.Conclusion: Consideration of a patient's baseline comorbidity may assist prognostication decisions for cardiac arrest patients. Exploration of the effect of additional rehabilitation on HR-QOL and long-term survival outcomes for OHCA patients with a high baseline comorbidity burden may be warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:While emergency medical service (EMS) response times (ERT) remain a leading measure of system performance in many developed countries, relatively few studies have explored the factors associated with meeting benchmark performance for potentially time critical incidents. The purpose of this study was to identify system-level and patient-level factors associated with ERT, which are readily available at the time of ambulance dispatch.Methods:Between July 2009 and June 2014, we included data from 1,000,458 EMS responses to time critical “lights and sirens” incidents in Melbourne, Australia. The primary outcome measure was ERT, defined as the time from emergency call to the arrival of the first EMS team on scene. Quantile regression models were used to identify system-level and patient-level factors associated with 10-percentile intervals of ERT.Results:The median ERT was 10.6 minutes (IQR: 8.1–14.0), increasing from 9.6 minutes (IQR: 7.6–12.5) in 2009/10 to 11.0 minutes (IQR: 8.4–14.7) in 2013/14 (p < 0.001). System-level factors independently associated with the 90th percentile ERT were distance to scene, activation time, turnout time, case upgrade, hour of day, day of week, workload in the previous hour, ambulance skill set, priority zero case (e.g., suspected cardiac or respiratory arrest), and average hospital delay time in the previous hour. Patient-level factors such as age, gender, chief medical complaint, and severity of complaint were also significantly associated with ERT.Conclusions:System-level and patient-level factors available at the time of ambulance dispatch are useful predictors of ERT performance, which could be used to improve the timeliness of EMS response. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Early adulthood represents the transition to independent living which is a period when changes in diet and body weight are likely to occur. This presents an ideal time for health interventions to reduce the effect of health problems and risk factors for chronic disease in later life. As young adults are high users of mobile devices, interventions that use this technology may improve engagement. The Connecting Health and Technology study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of tailored dietary feedback and weekly text messaging to improve dietary intake of fruit, vegetables and junk food over 6 months among a population-based sample of men and women (aged 18-30 years). Methods: A three-arm, parallel, randomized control trial was conducted. After baseline assessments, participants were randomized to one of three groups: A) dietary feedback and weekly text messages, B) dietary feedback only or C) control group. Dietary intake was assessed using a mobile food record App (mFR) where participants captured images of foods and beverages consumed over4-days at baseline and post-intervention. The primary outcomes were changes in serves of fruits, vegetables, energy-dense nutrient-poor (EDNP) foods and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB).The intervention effects were assessed using linear mixed effect models for change in food group serves. Results: Young adults (n = 247) were randomized to group A (n = 82), group B (n = 83), or group C (n = 82). Overall, no changes in food group serves for either intervention groups were observed. An unanticipated outcome was a mean weight reduction of 1.7 kg (P = .02) among the dietary feedback only. Men who received dietary feedback only, significantly reduced their serves of EDNP foods by a mean of 1.4 serves/day (P = .02). Women who received dietary feedback only significantly reduced their intake of SSB (P = .04) by an average of 0.2 serves/day compared with controls. Conclusions: Tailored dietary feedback only resulted in a decrease in EDNP foods in men and SSB in women, together with a reduction in body weight. Using a mobile food record for dietary assessment and tailored feedback has great potential for future health promotion interventions targeting diet and weight in young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Heart Foundation of Australia's (NHFA) Warning Signs campaign ran between 2010 and 2013. This study examines trends in Australian adults' ability to name heart attack symptoms during the campaign and in the years following. Using the NHFA's HeartWatch data (quarterly online surveys) for adults aged 30–59 years, we conducted an adjusted piecewise regression analysis comparing trends in the ability to name symptoms during the campaign period plus one year lag (2010–2014) to the post-campaign period (2015–2020) Over the study period, there were 101,936 Australian adults surveyed. Symptom awareness was high or increased during the campaign period. However, there was a significant downward trend in each year following the campaign period for most symptoms (e.g., chest pain: adjusted odds ratio [AOR] =0.91, 95%CI: 0.56–0.80; arm pain: AOR=0.92, 95%CI: 0.90–0.94). Conversely, the inability to name any heart attack symptom increased in each year following the campaign (3.7% in 2010 to 19.9% in 2020; AOR=1.13, 95%CI: 1.10–1.15); these respondents were more likely to be younger, male, have less than 12 years of education, identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples, speak a language other than English at home and have no cardiovascular risk factors. Awareness of heart attack symptoms has decreased in the years since the Warning Signs campaign in Australia, with 1 in 5 adults currently unable to name a single heart attack symptom. New approaches are needed to promote and sustain this knowledge, and to ensure people act appropriately and promptly if symptoms occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Although the factors driving emergency department demand have been extensively investigated, a comparatively minimal amount is known about the factors that are driving an increase in emergency ambulance demand. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study of consecutive cases attended by Ambulance Victoria in Melbourne, Australia from 2008 to 2015. Incidence rates were calculated, and adjusted time series regression analyses were performed to assess the driving factors of ambulance demand. Results: A total of 2,443,952 consecutive cases were included. Demand grew by 29.2% over the 8-year period. The age-specific incidence increased significantly over time for patients aged < 60 years, but not for patients aged ≥ 60 years. After adjustment for seasonality and population growth, demand increased by 1.4% per annum (incident rate ratio [IRR] = 1.014 [1.011–1.017]). The largest annual growth in demand was observed in patients with a history of mental health issues (IRR = 1.058 [1.054–1.062]), alcohol/drug abuse (IRR = 1.061 [1.056–1.066]), or a Charlson Comorbidity Index [CCI] score ≥ 4 (IRR = 1.045 [1.039–1.051]). Cases involving patients of relative socio-economic/educational disadvantage, younger age, or with no preexisting health conditions according to the CCI also grew faster than the overall patient population. Cases requiring transport to hospital increased by 1.2% annually (IRR = 1.012 [1.009–1.016]), although patients not requiring medical intervention from paramedics increased by 6.7% annually (IRR = 1.067 [1.063–1.072]). Conclusions: Increases in ambulance demand exceeded population growth. Emergency ambulances were increasingly utilized for transport of patients who did not require medical intervention from paramedics. Identifying the characteristics of patients driving ambulance demand will enable targeted demand management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation-induced consciousness (CPRIC) is a phenomenon that has been described in only a handful of case reports. In this study, we aimed to describe CPRIC in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients and determine its association with survival outcomes.Methods: Retrospective study of registry-based data from Victoria, Australia between January 2008 and December 2014. Adult OHCA patients treated by emergency medical services (EMS) were included. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the association between CPRIC and survival to hospital discharge.Results: There were 112 (0.7%) cases of CPRIC among 16,558 EMS attempted resuscitations, increasing in frequency from 0.3% in 2008 to 0.9% in 2014 (p=0.004). Levels of consciousness consisted of spontaneous eye opening (20.5%), jaw tone (20.5%), speech (29.5%) and/or body movement (87.5%). CPRIC was independently associated with an increased odds of survival to hospital discharge in unwitnessed/bystander witnessed events (OR 2.09, 95% CI: 1.14, 3.81; p=0.02) but not in EMS witnessed events (OR 0.98, 95% CI: 0.49, 1.96; p=0.96). Forty-two (37.5%) patients with CPRIC received treatment with one or more of midazolam (35.7%), opiates (5.4%) or muscle relaxants (3.6%). When stratified by use of these medications, CPRIC in unwitnessed/bystander witnessed patients was associated with improved odds of survival to hospital discharge if medications were not given (OR 3.92, 95% CI: 1.66, 9.28; p=0.002), but did not influence survival if these medications were given (OR 0.97, 95% CI: 0.37, 2.57; p=0.97).Conclusion: Although CPRIC is uncommon, its occurrence is increasing and may be associated with improved outcomes. The appropriate management of CPRIC requires further evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Characteristics and outcomes of exercise-related out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) are not well described in Australia.Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of non-exercise-related aetiology and exercise-related OHCAs from the Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry between 2008 and 2016, including 12-month quality of life data from 2010 to 2016. Exercise-related OHCA was defined as taking place during or within 1 h of at least moderate intensity exercise. Descriptive statistics and adjusted logistic regression analyses were performed.Results: During the study period there were 482 exercise-related and 33,358 non-exercise-related OHCAs. Jogging/running were the most frequent precipitating sports. The incidence rate of exercise-related OHCA was low (<1 per 100,000 person-years). Compared to non-exercise-related aetiology, exercise-related OHCAs were younger (mean 54 versus 70 years, p < 0.001) and more likely to present in an initial shockable rhythm (85% versus 18%, p < 0.001). Bystander CPR, and bystander or EMS defibrillation at any time, were more common among exercise-related arrests (93% versus 38%, p < 0.001 and 91% versus 24%, p < 0.001, respectively). A public access defibrillator was used in 24% of shockable exercise-related OHCAs compared with 4% of non-exercise-related OHCAs (p < 0.001). After adjustment for arrest characteristics, exercise-related OHCAs were more likely to survive to hospital discharge (50% versus 14%, p < 0.001; adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.25-1.96, p < 0.001) and survive to 12-months with good functional recovery (72% versus 62%, p = 0.012; AOR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.08-2.28, p = 0.018).Conclusions: Exercise-related OHCAs were associated with better short- and long-term prognoses compared to non-exercise-related OHCAs. The underlying factors associated with this survival benefit warrant further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reviewing prehospital trauma deaths provides an opportunity to identify system improvements that may reduce trauma mortality. The objective of this study was to identify the number and rate of potentially preventable trauma deaths through expert panel reviews of prehospital and early in-hospital trauma deaths.Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of prehospital and early in-hospital (<24 h) trauma deaths following a traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest that were attended by Ambulance Victoria (AV) in the state of Victoria, Australia, between 2008 and 2014. Expert panels were used to review cases that had resuscitation attempted by paramedics and underwent a full autopsy. Patients with a mechanism of hanging, drowning or those with anatomical injuries deemed to be unsurvivable were excluded.Results: Of the 1183 cases that underwent full autopsies, resuscitation was attempted by paramedics in 336 (28%) cases. Of these, 113 cases (34%) were deemed to have potentially survivable injuries and underwent expert panel review. There were 90 (80%) deaths that were not preventable, 19 (17%) potentially preventable deaths and 4 (3%) preventable deaths. Potentially preventable or preventable deaths represented 20% of those cases that underwent review and 7% of cases that had attempted resuscitation.Conclusions: The number of potentially preventable or preventable trauma deaths in the pre-hospital and early in-hospital resuscitation phase was low. Specific circumstances were identified in which the trauma system could be further improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to develop a risk adjustment strategy, including effect modifiers, for benchmarking emergency medical service (EMS) performance for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in Australia and New Zealand. Using 2017–2019 data from the Australasian Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (Aus-ROC) OHCA Epistry, we included adults who received an EMS attempted resuscitation for a presumed medical OHCA. Logistic regression was applied to develop risk adjustment models for event survival (return of spontaneous circulation at hospital handover) and survival to hospital discharge/30 days. We examined potential effect modifiers, and assessed model discrimination and validity. Both OHCA survival outcome models included EMS agency and the Utstein variables (age, sex, location of arrest, witnessed arrest, initial rhythm, bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, defibrillation prior to EMS arrival, and EMS response time). The model for event survival had good discrimination according to the concordance statistic (0.77) and explained 28% of the variation in survival. The corresponding figures for survival to hospital discharge/30 days were 0.87 and 49%. The addition of effect modifiers did little to improve the performance of either model. The development of risk adjustment models with good discrimination is an important step in benchmarking EMS performance for OHCA. The Utstein variables are important in risk-adjustment, but only explain a small proportion of the variation in survival. Further research is required to understand what factors contribute to the variation in survival between EMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outbreaks of infectious diseases that spread via respiratory route, e.g. influenza, are common amongst Hajj congregation in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Arabian authority successfully organized the Hajj 2009 amidst fear of pandemic influenza. While severe influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 was rare, the true burden of pandemic influenza at Hajj that year remains speculative. In this article we review the latest evidence on influenza control and discuss our experience of influenza and its prevention at Hajj and possible application to other mass gatherings. Depending on study design the attack rate of seasonal influenza at Hajj has ranged from 6% in polymerase chain reaction or culture confirmed studies to 38% in serological surveillance. No significant effect of influenza vaccine or the use of personal protective measures against influenza has been established from observational studies, although the uptake of the vaccine and adherence to face masks and hand hygiene has been low. In all, there is a relatively poor evidence base for control of influenza. Until better evidence is obtained, vaccination coupled with rapid antiviral treatment of symptomatic individuals remains the mainstay of prevention at Hajj and other mass gatherings. Hajj pilgrimage provides a unique opportunity to test the effectiveness of various preventive measures that require a large sample size, such as testing the efficacy of plain surgical masks against laboratory-confirmed influenza. After successful completion of a pilot trial conducted among Australian pilgrims at the 2011 Hajj, a large multinational cluster randomized controlled trial is being planned. This will require effective international collaboration.