STUDY OBJECTIVES: To analyze prognostic indicators and the outcome of resuscitation in submersion victims (drowning and near drowning). DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Intensive and Respiratory Care Unit. Between January 1, 1979, and December 31, 1985, 87 submersion victims were admitted. The files of 83 victims were available for statistical analysis. There were 66 male victims and 17 female victims; the average age was 31.4 +/- 25.8 years. There were ten salt water and 73 fresh water submersions. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Predictors for better survival potentials were a young age, submersion of less than ten minutes, no signs of aspiration, and a central body temperature of less than 35 C at admission. We did not detect factors that accelerated a decrease in core body temperature at admission and assume that lethal hypoxia had preceded protective hypothermia in our submersion victims. The Orlowski score had a predictive value but at the same time we found nonindependent indicators in this score. Neurologic outcome in our patients, who were not treated according to a brain protection protocol, was not worse than the outcome published by authors who have used such a protocol. Thirty-three percent of the victims with a cardioventilatory arrest (15) and all victims with a ventilatory arrest (11) survived resuscitation and were discharged. Five nonarrest victims died due to late complications. CONCLUSION: This study shows that no indicator at the rescue site and in the hospital is absolutely reliable with respect to death or survival.
STUDY OBJECTIVES: To analyze prognostic indicators and the outcome of resuscitation in submersion victims (drowning and near drowning). DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Intensive and Respiratory Care Unit. Between January 1, 1979, and December 31, 1985, 87 submersion victims were admitted. The files of 83 victims were available for statistical analysis. There were 66 male victims and 17 female victims; the average age was 31.4 +/- 25.8 years. There were ten salt water and 73 fresh water submersions. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Predictors for better survival potentials were a young age, submersion of less than ten minutes, no signs of aspiration, and a central body temperature of less than 35 C at admission. We did not detect factors that accelerated a decrease in core body temperature at admission and assume that lethal hypoxia had preceded protective hypothermia in our submersion victims. The Orlowski score had a predictive value but at the same time we found nonindependent indicators in this score. Neurologic outcome in our patients, who were not treated according to a brain protection protocol, was not worse than the outcome published by authors who have used such a protocol. Thirty-three percent of the victims with a cardioventilatory arrest (15) and all victims with a ventilatory arrest (11) survived resuscitation and were discharged. Five nonarrest victims died due to late complications. CONCLUSION: This study shows that no indicator at the rescue site and in the hospital is absolutely reliable with respect to death or survival.
Authors: Alexis A Topjian; Robert A Berg; Joost J L M Bierens; Christine M Branche; Robert S Clark; Hans Friberg; Cornelia W E Hoedemaekers; Michael Holzer; Laurence M Katz; Johannes T A Knape; Patrick M Kochanek; Vinay Nadkarni; Johannes G van der Hoeven; David S Warner Journal: Neurocrit Care Date: 2012-12 Impact factor: 3.210
Authors: Eckhard Mark; Olaf Jacobsen; Astrid Kjerstad; Torvind Naesheim; Rolf Busund; Ramez Bahar; Jon Kjetil Jensen; Per Kristian Skorpen; Lars J Bjertnaes Journal: Int J Emerg Med Date: 2012-02-01
Authors: Theresa M Olasveengen; Mary E Mancini; Gavin D Perkins; Suzanne Avis; Steven Brooks; Maaret Castrén; Sung Phil Chung; Julie Considine; Keith Couper; Raffo Escalante; Tetsuo Hatanaka; Kevin K C Hung; Peter Kudenchuk; Swee Han Lim; Chika Nishiyama; Giuseppe Ristagno; Federico Semeraro; Christopher M Smith; Michael A Smyth; Christian Vaillancourt; Jerry P Nolan; Mary Fran Hazinski; Peter T Morley Journal: Resuscitation Date: 2020-10-21 Impact factor: 5.262