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Aims: The PARAMEDIC-3 trial evaluates the clinical and cost-effectiveness of an intraosseous first strategy, compared with an intravenous first strategy, for drug administration in adults who have sustained an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Methods: PARAMEDIC-3 is a pragmatic, allocation concealed, open-label, multi-centre, superiority randomised controlled trial. It will recruit 15,000 patients across English and Welsh ambulance services. Adults who have sustained an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are individually randomised to an intraosseous access first strategy or intravenous access first strategy in a 1:1 ratio through an opaque, sealed envelope system. The randomised allocation determines the route used for the first two attempts at vascular access. Participants are initially enrolled under a deferred consent model.The primary clinical-effectiveness outcome is survival at 30-days. Secondary outcomes include return of spontaneous circulation, neurological functional outcome, and health-related quality of life. Participants are followed-up to six-months following cardiac arrest. The primary health economic outcome is incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year gained. Conclusion: The PARAMEDIC-3 trial will provide key information on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of drug route in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.Trial registration: ISRCTN14223494, registered 16/08/2021, prospectively registered.

Background: We explored the feasibility of a large-scale UK ambulance services trial of optimal defibrillation shock energy for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The primary objective of this feasibility study was to establish the number of eligible patients and the number recruited. Secondary outcomes were adherence to allocated treatment and data completeness. Methods: We conducted a three-arm parallel group cluster randomised controlled feasibility study in a single ambulance service in southern England. Adult patients in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest treated for a shockable rhythm were included. Zoll X series defibrillators (clusters) were randomised to deliver 120–150–200 J, 150–200–200 J, or 200–200–200 J shock strategies. Results: Between March 2022 and February 2023, we randomised 38 eligible patients (120–150–200 J (n = 12), 150–200–200 J (n = 10), 200–200–200 J (n = 16)) to the study. The recruitment rate per cluster was 0.07 per month. The median patient age was 71 years (IQR 59–81 years); 79% were male. Twenty-eight cardiac arrests (74%) occurred in a private residence, 29 (76%) were witnessed and 32 (84%) patients received bystander CPR. Treatment adherence was 93% and completeness of clinical and electrical outcomes was 86%. At 30 days, 3/36 (8.3%) patients survived; we were unable to collect survival outcomes for two patients. Defibrillation data collection became difficult when defibrillators became separated from their allocated vehicles. Conclusion: We have demonstrated the feasibility of a cluster randomised controlled trial of optimal shock energy for defibrillation in a UK ambulance service. We have identified possible solutions to issues relating to trial design.

Abstract Background Autism has been linked to higher rates of self-harm. Research is yet to establish the reason for the association between autism and self-harm as a distress response. Methods Using the ‘thinking patterns profiling model’, this study explored characteristics associated with self-harm risk in 100 autistic young people. Secondary analysis of routinely collected clinical data was conducted using odds ratios and t-tests. Results We found the prevalence of reported self-harm risk was 48%. Young people with reported self-harm risks had significantly lower regulation skills (p ≤ 0.01) and lower social flexibility skills (p ≤ 0.01) compared to those without reported self-harm risk. For those described as impulsive, mean scores on the following skills were significantly lower: perspective-taking skills (p ≤ 0.01), flexible thinking for creative problem-solving (p ≤ 0.05) and sensory tolerating (p ≤ 0.05). There was no relationship between reported self-harm risk and adverse childhood experiences. Conclusions These findings suggest that profiling tools such as ‘Thinking Patterns Profiling Model’ can be used to explore unique patterns of vulnerability and resilience related to self-harm risk in autism. The findings suggest that autistic thinking patterns might interplay with other factors (e.g. impulsivity). Patterns are based on each person’s profile across four core skill-sets: regulation, flexible thinking, sensory coherence, and social perspective-taking. These findings motivate a person-centred and profile-informed approach to planning support and adjustments. Further studies are needed to confirm the ways in which mechanisms typically involved in self-harm risk, may interact with core cognitive and affective differences found in autism.

Aims: The Prehospital Optimal Shock Energy for Defibrillation (POSED) study will assess the feasibility of conducting a cluster randomised controlled study of clinical effectiveness in UK ambulance services to identify the optimal shock energy for defibrillation. Methods: POSED is a pragmatic, allocation concealed, open label, cluster randomised, controlled feasibility study. Defibrillators within a single UK ambulance service will be randomised in an equal ratio to deliver one of three shock strategies 120–150–200 J, 150–200–200 J, 200–200–200 J. Consecutive adults (≥18 years) presenting with out of hospital cardiac arrest requiring defibrillation will be eligible. The study plans to enrol 90 patients (30 in each group). Patients (or their relatives for non-survivors) will be informed about trial participation after the initial emergency has resolved. Survivors will be invited to consent to participate in follow-up (i.e., at 30 days or discharge).The primary feasibility outcome is the proportion of eligible patients who receive the randomised study intervention. Secondary feasibility outcomes will include recruitment rate, adherence to allocated treatment and data completeness. Clinical outcomes will include Return of an Organised Rhythm (ROOR) at 2 minutes post-shock, refibrillation rate, Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC) at hospital handover, survival and neurological outcome at 30 days. Conclusion: The POSED study will assess the feasibility of a large-scale trial and explore opportunities to optimise the trial protocol.Trial registration: ISRCTN16327029.

La démarche valaisanne de branding territorial – attribution d’une qualité globale liée aux caractéristiques, à l’excellence et à l’originalité du territoire et à un ensemble de productions et de services – apparaît comme exemplaire dans la mesure où elle décloisonne tourisme, production agricole et promotion industrielle. Le cadre cantonal qui bénéficie d’une réputation touristique (un ensemble de stations réputées) et du référent à un bassin versant fluvial (celui de la partie amont du Rhône) bien individualisé occulte les échelles locales et les logiques de massif ou de vallées. Dans un tel contexte, c’est l’image et la notoriété du canton qui constituent la ressource principale, et cela ne va pas sans risque lorsque ce canton se retrouve en porte-à-faux vis-à-vis des nouvelles valeurs métropolitaines (dans le contexte suisse) de l’écologie politique sur la question du paysage et des résidences secondaires.

The approach adopted by the Swiss canton of Valais to develop a place brand – the attribution of an overall quality relating to the characteristics, excellence and originality of a place and to a group of products and services – appears exemplary in that it has been instrumental in developing tourism and agricultural production, and promoting industry. The canton, which enjoys a reputation as a tourist destination (several renowned resorts) and is part of a well-known and distinctive river basin (the upper Rhone), comprises, however, a variety of motivations and interest groups at smaller scales relating to the different mountain massifs and valleys. In such a context, it is both the image and reputation of the canton as a whole that constitute the main resource, a situation that is, however, not without risk when the canton finds itself in a awkward position in relation to the new metropolitan values (in the Swiss context) of political ecology on the question of landscape and second homes.