Lots of good stuff again from the virtual #RCEMasc21 –  here are a few of the topics that got me thinking Read more

AIRWAYS-2

ETT vs SGA (i.e. iGel) in out of hospital cardiac arrest (trauma and kids excluded)

• Headline Results: 
  • Survival with good neurological out come (MRS 0-3) – No difference around 2.75% (for those that required either SGA or ETT)
  • Easiest – SGA easier achieving ventilation within 2 attempts (87.4% vs 79%)
  • Displacement – SGA suffer more displacement (10% vs 5%)
  • Aspiration – No difference around 15%
• Interesting Results:
  • Survival – approx. 20%  in those that didn’t have an advanced airway attempted (indicating likely survival advantage of only needing a short resus)
  • Paramedic use of advance airways – Paramedics on average only need to use advanced airways 3-4 times a year!
  • PART study (USA) – ETT vs Larangeal Tube no difference
  • BMV vs ETT (France & Belgium) – no difference in out come, but BMV was more difficult

PARAMEDIC 2

Adrenaline vs Placebo in out of hospital cardiac arrest

• Headline Results:
  • Survival to hospital admission: adrenaline 23.8% vs placebo 8% (Significant)
  • Survival @ 3 months: adrenaline 3% vs placebo 2.2% (Significant)
  • Survival @ 3 months with good neurological outcome (MRS 0-3): adrenaline 2.1% vs placebo 1.6% (Non-Significant)
• Interesting Result:
  • What did the public thing was the important outcome? In the restudy survey 95% of public reported that survival with good neurological outcome was more important than surviving to hospital.
  • Extrapolation of Adrenaline use: to all UK adult cardiac arrests in a year, adrenaline would increase:
    • ROSC: 5602
    • Admissions: 3555
    • ICU Admissions: 1643
    • Discharged Alive: 203
    • Favourable Outcomes (MRS 0-3): 68
    • Unfavourable Outcomes (MRS 4-5): 135
  • What should happen? International resus (ILCOR) now strongly recommend adrenaline use, however, we probably need public consultation

TXA for bleeding

Dr Ian Roberts

• Inhibits fibrinolysis – i.e. stops plasmin breaking down clots
• Treats bleeding – NOT coagulopathy
• Given TXA Early – as tPA activates early and PIA-1 is later, we need to stop the tPA
  • 15min treatment delay > 10% reduction in effect
• Give on the suspicion of bleeding? – you get the same risk reduction  what ever your base line risk (i.e. 30% risk of death > 20%, 3% risk > 2%)
• Safety – in Japan TXA bought over the counter for headaches
• RCT’s
  • Surgery – TXA reduces blood loss by 1/3 & death, NO increase in clot events
  • Post-Partum Haemorrhage – PPH reduced by 1/3
  • Trauma – Sig. reduction in DEATH (<1hr reduced by 1/3, 1-3hr by 1/5)
  • Vascular occlusive events – data seems to show TXA reduces them
    • Bad bleeding  increases vascular-occlusive events
  • Brain  – results apparently don’t contradict other studies but full results in 2weeks
  • GIT – results due next yea, recruitment stopped in uk as TXA was being give anyway
• Why have the infusion? – added to regime to (theoretically) replace the loses from ongoing bleed, its utility is unknown.

Lightning papers

• Mobile phone use @ work(Derby)
  • 80% patients thought it ws fine – this increased to 95% if explained for medical reason
  • Patients didn’t want – you to be using it while talking to them (distraction/rude), dont wipe it on them (infection control)
• Hair Ties with glue (HAT) vs Suture (not those that would only have been glued anyway)
  • Reduced pain
  • Reduced follow up
  • increased patient satisfaction (less pain and no need to see
  • Faster and increased staff satisfaction

• No Room @ the Inn (Bristol children)
  • Used winter pressures money to open the clinic space next to ED 18:00-23:00 (if needed)
  • Opened it 50% of the time
  • Used it for 10% of patients
  • Minor Injury/Illness (they do have a UTC)
  • Staffed from the ED
  • Patients and Staff like it!
  • Plymouth also do – staff love it as almost a break from the chaos of majors
• Who’s pain are we treating?
  • 50% Dr’s assume patients want a prescription, but <30% actually do
  • Patients expect more pain in the following days – than Dr’s expect
  • Patients want to know that codeine is potentially addictive within 3 days
  • They have reduced co-codamol scrpts from approx 10% to 3% of discharges – with no increase in complaints or patient satisfaction.

Mental Health

• RESPOND  – multiagency mental health crisis simulation
  • Everyone has to make the decisions of each role (Police, Nurse, Dr, Paramedic)
  • Reduced demand on each agency
  • Strengthens partnerships
  • Streamlines process
• Presentation in the ED –  RCEM mental health tool kit
  • Triage:
    • Agitation, Environment, Intent, Objects
    • VISA: Violent,Irrational thought, Suicidal, Alone
  • Capacity – Are they really weighing it up? if in doubt NO
  •  Observation
    • Mental Health Obs: Calm/Distresses/Agitated/Aggressive/Gone
  • No Scores predict risk – its a holistic assessment thats needed
  • Compassion & Communication – we shouldn’t make things worse for the patient
  • Restraint what to do and do we need it?
  • APEx course – ALSG

Paracetamol 12hr SNAP regime: 2014 & 2019

• What is it? 
  • Pre-NAC – 4mg Ondansetron IV
  • Bag 1 – 2hr 100mg/kg NAC in 200ml 5% Dex
  • Bag 2 – 10hr 200mg/kg NAC in 1000ml 5% Dex
• Advantages
  • Saves 9hrs
  • Significant reduction in anaphylactoid reactions 2% vs 11%
  • Significant reduction in gastric symptoms (if either ondasetron or 12hr regime used)
  • Significant reduction in treatment pauses
• What next?
  • 10 centres using (inc Edinburgh, Newcastle, Guys St Thomas’)
  • We can’t implement the 12hr regime just yet (however, discussions are going on with Acute Med and Hepatology)
  • Pre-NAC ondasetron does seem like a good idea

Frailty

• Comprehensive Frailty Assessments
  • NNT to prevent a death 17
  • NNT to prevent NH admission @ 6months 20
• Frailty Score @ Triage 
  • Initially 50% accuracy (esp. around 4/5)
  • Addition of props significantly improved triage accuracy
    • Do you find walking more difficult or do you need mobility aid? Yes > 4+
    • Do you do your own shopping & housework? No > 5
    • Do you need help washing & dressing? Yes > 6
    • Do you live in a care home or have carers?
      • If carers > 5+
      • If needs assistance with personal care > 6-7
    • Are they confused or have a diagnosis of dementia? Yes > 5
• Delerium
  • PINCHME  – for all frail patients they may not have delirium now but soon…
  • Parkinson’s Disease and can’t swallow
    • Find the right dispensable regime or patch – use pdmedcalc
  • Other ways of doing things
    •  TRAWL
      • South Tees frailty team call all discharged frail patients to ensure things are going well and arrange further input as needed
    • Falls Rapid Response Team
      • Newcastle and Gateshead, paramedic and OT in a car reduce, conveyance to ED from 75%(with Ambos) to 45%

Dying

We all do it and we all want the best death possible – But we often do it badly

• 1:3 patients admitted on acute adult take are in their last year of life
• 80% of NH patients are in the last year of life

But we don’t always know which patient or recognise how quickly this will happen – think about the following:

• Parallel planning: we can be both treating the patient, and making plans how we can allow them the best death if they are dying.
• Sedating For Scan: PAUSE – this might be the last time they are conscious, consider them and their family and do they need time
• Use the word Dying: find out what is important to them, and their family, what are their fears and what they want to know, allow silence.
• Society is unfamiliar with death: Narrating whats happening for the family can help, e.g “that rattley noise you can hear is only a small amount of fluid in their throat, it can sound horrid but its not bothering them at all” Remember we are used to these stages but to families they are scared and they often assume that the patient is suffering.

You may want to look at the talking about dying resources from the RCP

Top 10 papers

Go to St Emlyns’ see the whole thing and read the papers, subjects include:

• Should every ROSC go straight to the Cath Lab?
• AF: Mg & Early Shock
• Dose Criocoid press just make things more difficult?
• Can we bag during RSI?
• Vasopressors: septic shock & haemorrhagic shock?
• POCUS in cardiac arrest

For those back home its been an interesting 1st day at the conference  – and the top 5 are

1. Learning from Child Death

Great session, presented by both clinical staff and parents, around the death of a 3yo with Down’s syndrome, from sepsis. Highlighted some key points that we can all do better:

• Communication:
  • Listen to the Carers: the parents could see the patient wasn’t his normal self but staff didn’t head the warnings, and his parents felt ignored.
  • Let Carers know whats happening: The patient was moved to Resus, we might think the parents know what that means, but they thought it was just because everywhere else was busy.
• Unrecognised deterioration:
  • The child deteriorated through the ED stay of >8hrs, and the sepsis was only picked up and treated on paediatric ward, after a fresh set of eyes. Remember if you put a frog in boiling water it jumps, but if you turn the heat up slowly its dinner. Always be alert to the slow change!
• Responsibility:
  • The patient remained in Resus after being seen by PICU who had then referred to Paeds – Who was looking after him? We are ALL responsible for that patient – ED and the specialities!

2. Non-blanching rash & fever in children

There are many sets of guidance out there with 100% sensitivity, however, specificity varies. NICE has a specificity of approx 1%, while the best performing Newcastle, Birmingham, Liverpool (NBL) algorithm performs at about 44%. And Purpura (defined as being between 3 milimeters and 1 centimeter in size) is a BAD sign!!!

The NBL algorithm

3. STEMI – de Winter is coming!

The de Winter T wave is an important ECG sign of MI, that can develop quickly into the classic STEMI. Its present in 2% of cases so learn it.

• 

  Tall, prominent, symmetric T waves in the precordial leads

• Upsloping ST segment depression >1mm at the J-point in the precordial leads
• Absence of ST elevation in the precordial leads
• ST segment elevation (0.5mm-1mm) in aVR

4. Toxbase Pearls

• Severe Ca/β blocker overdose – move through the treatments relatively quickly in a step wise manner as Toxbase (i.e. dont wait for ages to see if it works it either does or doesn’t). To get to High Dose Insulin Euglycaemia Regime, this seems to be one of the best therapies
• Charcoal: Evidence coming out suggesting it is useful beyond the 1hr period, and higher doses seem better (watch this space)
• Whole Bowel Lavage: Really difficult but good in body-packers, Iron & Lithium as well as Sustained release compounds.

5. Malaria

• Rapid antigen test and thick and thin film – good but not 100% (esp with ovalae)
• 5-10/yr patients die in UK from malaria – Mainly as unrecognised (travel to malaria region and unsure why they are unwell test)
• Is it Ebola or Malaria? – if you can’t get malaria screen done (?ebola can slow the labs down) – Assume Ebola & treat as severe malaria concurrently

• Should ED manage the Trauma airway?
  For: Dr Simon Laing @simon_laing
  Against : Dr Felicity Clark @felicityjeclark

A debate with an ED consultant for and an Anaethestist against.
The eventual conclusion was that it doesn’tmatter who manages the airway as long as they are trained, competant and current with good governance in place.

• Chest tubes in Trauma – Mr Richard Steyn
  Bigger drains aren’t always better however they need to be able to drain without blocking or clotting, not kink, secured appropriately.

Prime drains with sterile saline and thoracic surgeons can cell save blood.

Flutter bags for chest drains rather underwater seals are likely to be easier to manage until a ptoent gets to definitive thoracic care.
Chest drains should only be clamped to change bottle.

• Non-compressible torso harmhorrhage NCTH- Surgeon Commander ED Barnard @edbarn

Is REBOA effective in a TCA?
Haemorrhage is the leading cause of survivable trauma death, external haemorrhage has been reduced by the use of tourniquets.
We dont know if REBOA works but the key is placing REBOA during the low output state rather than during arrest.
The REBOA trial is ongoing.

Haemostatic agents for catastrophic haemorrhage – squadron leader Robert james

Major harmhorrhage is the major cause of preventable death in Trauma
A system approach improves survival.
Trauma chain of survival…
Early first aid, advanced Prehospital care, damage control resucitation and excellent rehabilitation.

• Simulation in Major trauma – Simon Mercer

Simulation allows people to rehearse skills in a risk free environment.

Functional fidelity (does it work like real), physical fidelity(does it look real), psychological fidelity (does it make people feel real).

• Moral Injury – Esther Murray @Em_Healthpsych

Moral injuries – Witnessing incidents which contravene your moral code
Most of those affected by incidents will not have a diagnosable mental disorder.
If you are stuck processing/reliving something you are less available to your team, it reduces your bandwith therefore you can’t offer support and empathy to colleagues.

It is often the little things that stick with you after a job, talking about it needs acknowledgement that it has affected you. Forced intervention is really bad for people, not everyone will be ready to talk at the same time, some will never want to talk. Providing spaces to talk is more important.

• Head Injury Prognostication – Professor Mark Wilson @markhwilson

SDH and EDH are not brain Injuries, the secondary brain injury occurs if these are not treated.
What time point are we prognosticating at? At times etc of injury or 6 hours later when bleeding has occurred due to antiplatelets?

Prognostication needs to occur over a few hours, resucitation needs to have occurred, the duration of observation is a clinical judgement.