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Biomedical subjects

Michael Holzer

Publications and source records attributed to Michael Holzer.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Cardiac arrest in public locations--an independent predictor for better outcome?

OBJECTIVE: Outcome after cardiac arrest is known to be influenced by immediate access to resuscitation. We aimed to analyse the location of arrest in relation to the prognostic value for outcome. DESIGN: Retrospective review from prospective databases (ambulance routine documentation database and emergency department database on patients treated for cardiac arrest). SETTING: Vienna (1.7 million inhabitants) ambulance service and tertiary care facility (university clinics). PATIENTS: Two independent cohorts: (1) a population-based cohort of patients who were treated for cardiac arrest by the municipal ambulance service outside the hospital. The endpoint in this group was survival to hospital admission with spontaneous circulation. (2) A cohort of patients who were admitted to the emergency department after successful out of hospital resuscitation. The endpoint in this group was survival to 6 months with good neurological status (best Cerebral Performance Category 1 or 2 within 6 months). MEASUREMENTS: We analysed whether the location of non-traumatic adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (public versus private place) was a predictor for good outcome. RESULTS: PATIENTS who had cardiac arrest in a public location were more likely to arrive in hospital alive (39% versus 31%, crude OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.001-1.975, p=0.049) and were more likely to have a good neurological outcome after 6 months (35% versus 25%, crude OR 1.65, adjusted OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.07-2.36, p=0.023), compared to patients who had cardiac arrest in a non-public location. CONCLUSION: Cardiac arrest in a public location is independently associated with a better outcome.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

High acceptance of a home AED programme by survivors of sudden cardiac arrest and their families.

PURPOSE: The feasibility and acceptance of providing sudden cardiac arrest survivors with life supporting first aid training and automated external defibrillators (AEDs) at their homes is unknown. Preliminary experiences are reported here. METHODS: Trained medical students provided life supporting first aid courses including AED training to cardiac arrest survivors. Patients were asked to invite relatives and friends to such training sessions at their home. Laerdal Little Anne and Heartstart AED Trainer were used. An AED was placed at the patients' disposal. A refresher course took place 1 year later. Questionnaires were used to evaluate the project. RESULTS: Since 1999, 88 families have been trained and provided with an AED. Immediately after the training 90% (66% "agree", 24% "maybe yes") believed they would perform first aid correctly, 1 year later 98% did so (68% "agree", 29% "maybe yes") (p=0.03). Families considered feeling much safer having an AED at home. The handling of an AED was regarded to be easy and AEDs would even be used on strangers. Only on one occasion an AED was used in a real emergency situation. CONCLUSION: Providing patients and relatives with life support first aid and AED training at their homes is feasible and has raised no major objections by the family members. All have considered handling of an AED much simpler than providing basic life support and therefore none think that it would be a major problem to use it in case of an emergency. This still has to be proven.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Efficacy and safety of endovascular cooling after cardiac arrest: cohort study and Bayesian approach.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recently 2 randomized trials in comatose survivors of cardiac arrest documented that therapeutic hypothermia improved neurological recovery. The narrow inclusion criteria resulted in an international recommendation to cool only a restricted group of primary cardiac arrest survivors. In this retrospective cohort study we investigated the efficacy and safety of endovascular cooling in unselected survivors of cardiac arrest. METHODS: Consecutive comatose survivors of cardiac arrest, who were either cooled for 24 hours to 33 degrees C with endovascular cooling or treated with standard postresuscitation therapy, were analyzed. Complication data were obtained by retrospective chart review. RESULTS: Patients in the endovascular cooling group had 2-fold increased odds of survival (67/97 patients versus 466/941 patients; odds ratio 2.28, 95% CI, 1.45 to 3.57; P<0.001). After adjustment for baseline imbalances the odds ratio was 1.96 (95% CI, 1.19 to 3.23; P=0.008). When discounting the observational data in a Bayesian analysis by using a sceptical prior the posterior odds ratio was 1.61 (95% credible interval, 1.06 to 2.44). In the endovascular cooling group, 51/97 patients (53%) survived with favorable neurology as compared with 320/941 (34%) in the control group (odds ratio 2.15, 95% CI, 1.38 to 3.35; P=0.0003; adjusted odds ratio 2.56, 1.57 to 4.17). There was no difference in the rate of complications except for bradycardia. CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular cooling improved survival and short-term neurological recovery compared with standard treatment in comatose adult survivors of cardiac arrest. Temperature control was effective and safe with this device.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

CPR in medical schools: learning by teaching BLS to sudden cardiac death survivors--a promising strategy for medical students?

BACKGROUND: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training is gaining more importance for medical students. There were many attempts to improve the basic life support (BLS) skills in medical students, some being rather successful, some less. We developed a new problem based learning curriculum, where students had to teach CPR to cardiac arrest survivors in order to improve the knowledge about life support skills of trainers and trainees. METHODS: Medical students who enrolled in our curriculum had to pass a 2 semester problem based learning session about the principles of cardiac arrest, CPR, BLS and defibrillation (CPR-D). Then the students taught cardiac arrest survivors who were randomly chosen out of a cardiac arrest database of our emergency department. Both, the student and the Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) survivor were asked about their skills and knowledge via questionnaires immediately after the course. The questionnaires were then used to evaluate if this new teaching strategy is useful for learning CPR via a problem-based-learning course. The survey was grouped into three categories, namely "Use of AED", "CPR-D" and "Training". In addition, there was space for free answers where the participants could state their opinion in their own words, which provided some useful hints for upcoming programs. RESULTS: This new learning-by-teaching strategy was highly accepted by all participants, the students and the SCD survivors. Most SCD survivors would use their skills in case one of their relatives goes into cardiac arrest (96%). Furthermore, 86% of the trainees were able to deal with failures and/or disturbances by themselves. On the trainer's side, 96% of the students felt to be well prepared for the course and were considered to be competent by 96% of their trainees. CONCLUSION: We could prove that learning by teaching CPR is possible and is highly accepted by the students. By offering a compelling appreciation of what CPR can achieve in using survivors from SCD as trainees made them go deeper into the subject of resuscitation, what also might result in a longer lasting benefit than regular lecture courses in CPR.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Rapid induction of cerebral hypothermia by aortic flush during normovolemic cardiac arrest in pigs.

OBJECTIVE: Induction of deep cerebral hypothermia before reperfusion might improve neurologic outcome after cardiac arrest. We hypothesized that an aortic flush with cold saline during cardiac arrest is able to induce deep cerebral hypothermia and that the cooling efficiency can be enhanced by a) increasing the arteriovenous pressure gradient during the flush with vasopressin; b) improving the cerebral microcirculation during the flush with the thrombolytic agent alteplase; and c) increasing the arteriovenous pressure gradient further with venting the right heart by draining blood during the flush. DESIGN: Prospective randomized experimental study. SETTING: University research laboratory. SUBJECTS: Twenty-four pigs Large White breed (31-42 kg). INTERVENTIONS: After 10 mins of ventricular fibrillation, pigs received an aortic flush (100 mL/kg, 4 degrees C, flow rate 35 mL/kg/min) into the descending aorta via a balloon catheter. The animals were subjected randomly to either an aortic flush with saline, saline plus vasopressin 1.2 IU/kg, saline plus alteplase 1 mg/kg, saline plus a combination of vasopressin 1.2 IU/kg and alteplase 1 mg/kg, or saline plus vasopressin 1.2 IU/kg and venting the right heart. Arterial and venous pressures and brain temperatures were recorded for an observation time of 10 mins after flush. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A sufficient arteriovenous pressure gradient and deep cerebral hypothermia were only achieved with a flush containing vasopressin (brain temperature 16.1+/-1.3 degrees C in the vasopressin group vs. 35.4+/-1.5 degrees C in the saline group, p<.001); combining vasopressin with alteplase, or venting the right heart, did not further enhance the cooling efficiency of the flush. CONCLUSIONS: A cold saline aortic flush with vasopressin rapidly decreases brain temperature during prolonged normovolemic cardiac arrest in pigs. Whether deep cerebral hypothermia induced before reperfusion can improve neurologic outcome after cardiac arrest needs further investigation in large animal outcome studies.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Cold simple intravenous infusions preceding special endovascular cooling for faster induction of mild hypothermia after cardiac arrest--a feasibility study.

OBJECTIVE: Mild therapeutic hypothermia has shown to improve neurological outcome after cardiac arrest. Our study investigated the efficacy and safety of cold simple intravenous infusions for induction of hypothermia after cardiac arrest preceding further cooling and maintenance of hypothermia by specialised endovascular cooling. METHODS: All patients admitted after cardiac arrest of presumed cardiac aetiology were screened. Patients enrolled received 2000 ml of ice-cold (4 degrees C) fluids via peripheral venous catheters. As soon as possible endovascular cooling was applied even if the cold infusions were not completed. The target temperature was defined as 33 +/- 1 degrees C. All temperatures recorded were measured via bladder-temperature probes. The primary endpoint was the time from return of spontaneous circulation to reaching the target temperature. Secondary endpoints were changes in haemodynamic variables, oxygenation, haemoglobin, clotting variables and neurological outcome. RESULTS: Out of 167 screened patients 26 (15%) were included. With a total amount of 24 +/- 7 ml/kg cold fluid at 4 degrees C the temperature could be lowered from 35.6 +/- 1.3 degrees C on admission to 33.8 +/- 1.1 degrees C. The target temperature was reached 185 +/- 119 min after return of spontaneous circulation, 135 +/- 112 min after start of infusion, and 83 +/- 85 min after start of endovascular cooling. Except for two patients showing radiographic signs of mild pulmonary edema no complications attributable to the infusions could be observed. Thirteen patients (50%) survived with favourable neurological outcome. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that induction of mild hypothermia with infusion of cold fluids preceding endovascular cooling is safe and effective.

Advanced Cardiac Life Support↗
PubMed2005

Therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Most patients who suffer a cardiac arrest die after the event. Full neurological recovery occurs in only 6-23%. Until recently no specific post-arrest therapy was available to improve outcome. Application of therapeutic hypothermia (32-34 degrees C for 12-24 h) applied after cardiac arrest could help to improve this dreadful situation. This review covers the background of and recent clinical studies into hypothermia after cardiac arrest, and gives some insights into the future of resuscitation, namely suspended animation. RECENT FINDINGS: Two randomized clinical trials of mild therapeutic hypothermia applied after successful resuscitation from cardiac arrest showed that hypothermia after cardiac arrest improves neurological outcome as well as overall mortality. SUMMARY: The introduction of therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest into routine intensive care practice could save thousands of lives worldwide, because only six patients must be treated to yield one additional patient with favourable neurological recovery. New developments in cooling techniques will make early induction of therapeutic hypothermia simple and convenient. The optimal duration and depth of hypothermia will be determined by future trials. Suspended animation is cooling during cardiac arrest to preserve the organism under conditions of prolonged controlled clinical death, followed by delayed resuscitation, resulting in survival without brain damage. This concept was initially introduced for trauma victims who rapidly bleed to death, and proved to be feasible in studies evaluating outcomes following exsanguination cardiac arrest in large animals. Whether the concept of suspended animation is applicable to normovolemic cardiac arrest is under investigation.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Hypothermia for neuroprotection after cardiac arrest: systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Only a few patients survive cardiac arrest with favorable neurologic recovery. Our objective was to assess whether induced hypothermia improves neurologic recovery in survivors of primary cardiac arrest. DATA SOURCE: Studies were identified by a computerized search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PASCAL, the Cochrane Controlled Trial Register, and BIOSIS. STUDY SELECTION: We included randomized and quasi-randomized, controlled trials of adults who were successfully resuscitated, where therapeutic hypothermia was applied within 6 hrs after arrival at the emergency department and where the neurologic outcome was compared. We excluded studies without a control group and studies with historical controls. DATA EXTRACTION: All authors of the identified trials supplied individual patient data with a predefined set of variables. DATA SYNTHESIS: We identified three randomized trials. The analyses were conducted according to the intention-to-treat principle. Summary odds ratios were calculated using a random effects model and translated into risk ratios. More patients in the hypothermia group were discharged with favorable neurologic recovery (risk ratio, 1.68; 95% confidence interval, 1.29-2.07). The 95% confidence interval of the number-needed-to-treat to allow one additional patient to leave the hospital with favorable neurologic recovery was 4-13. One study followed patients to 6 months or death. Being alive at 6 months with favorable functional neurologic recovery was more likely in the hypothermia group (risk ratio, 1.44; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-1.76). CONCLUSIONS: Mild therapeutic hypothermia improves short-term neurologic recovery and survival in patients resuscitated from cardiac arrest of presumed cardiac origin. Its long-term effectiveness and feasibility at an organizational level need further research.

Heart Arrest↗
PubMed2005

Extracorporeal venovenous cooling for induction of mild hypothermia in human-sized swine.

OBJECTIVE: Several cooling methods have been investigated for inducing mild hypothermia (33-36 degrees C) after cardiac arrest, brain trauma, or stroke. To achieve its best effect, therapeutic hypothermia has to be applied very early after the ischemic insult; otherwise, the beneficial effect would be diminished or even abrogated. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness and safety of extracorporeal venovenous cooling as compared with endovascular cooling. DESIGN: Swine were cooled in a randomized crossover design from 38 degrees C to 33 degrees C brain temperature, either with extracorporeal venovenous cooling or with endovascular cooling. SETTING: Laboratory investigation. SUBJECTS: Six swine of human size (85 to 101 kg). INTERVENTIONS: Swine were randomly cooled with the first device, and after achieving the target brain temperature, re-warmed via the same technique and with heating lamps to baseline temperature. Then the other catheter was inserted and cooling was performed with the second device. MEASUREMENTS: Brain, pulmonary artery and tympanic temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate were recorded continuously. Laboratory samples, including free hemoglobin, were taken at predefined temperature points during cooling. Comparisons between and within (baseline vs. 33 degrees C) the treatment groups were performed with the paired Student's t-test. MAIN RESULTS: The time needed to reduce brain temperature from 38.0 degrees C to 33.0 degrees C was 41 +/- 17 mins with venovenous cooling and 126 +/- 37 mins with endovascular cooling (p = .001). Heart rate and mean arterial pressure decreased moderately during cooling and were significantly lower at 33 degrees C than at baseline in both groups, without differences between groups. None of the swine developed significant hemolysis, arrhythmias, or bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: Extracorporeal venovenous cooling was an effective and safe method to rapidly induce therapeutic mild hypothermia in human-sized swine. It seems to be promising for further application and investigation in patients.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

The effect of mild therapeutic hypothermia on renal function after cardiopulmonary resuscitation in men.

BACKGROUND: Mild therapeutic hypothermia (MTH) improves neurological outcome in patients after cardiac arrest. From animal and human studies it appears that hypothermia impairs renal function. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of MTH on renal function in humans. METHODS: Patients were participants recruited in one of the centres of the hypothermia after cardiac arrest-multicenter trial. We measured serum creatinine and creatinine clearance (C(Cr)) within 24 h of MTH, at 4 hourly intervals. Patients were followed for acute renal failure and need for renal supportive therapy for 28 days. RESULTS: We included 60 patients (32 hypothermic, 28 normothermic). Median serum creatinine on admission was [[119 micromol/l (IQR 108-133)] [1.35 mg/dl (IQR 1.22-1.50)]] in hypothermic and [[114 micromol/l (IQR 99-131)] [1.29 mg/dl (IQR 1.12-1.48)]] in normothermic patients, and decreased to [[69 micromol/l (IQR 62-84)] [0.78 mg/dl (IQR 0.70-0.95)]] in the hypothermic group and to [[88 micromol/l (IQR 71-123)] [1.00 mg/dl (IQR 0.80-1.39)]] in the normothermic group within 24h. C(Cr) was decreased on admission. Within 24 h C(Cr) improved to normal values in normothermic patients [1.53 ml/s (IQR 1.15-2.35) [92 ml/min (IQR 69-141)]] and remained low in hypothermic patients [0.88 ml/s (IQR 0.63-1.38) [53 ml/min (IQR 38-83)]] (P = 0.0006). No difference was found between the groups in the development of acute renal failure or the need for renal supportive therapy. CONCLUSION: Twenty four hours of MTH was associated with a delayed improvement in renal function. This was not reflected in the serum creatinine values, which were low in the hypothermic group. This transient impaired renal function appeared to be completely reversible within 4 weeks.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed2004

Brain function after resuscitation from cardiac arrest.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: In industrial countries the incidence of cardiac arrest is still increasing. Almost 80% of cardiac arrest survivors remains in coma for varying lengths of time and full cerebral recovery is still a rare event. After successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation, cerebral recirculation disturbances and complex metabolic postreflow derangements lead to death of vulnerable neurons with further deterioration of cerebral outcome. This article discusses recent research efforts on the pathophysiology of brain injury caused by cardiac arrest and reviews the beneficial effect of therapeutic hypothermia on neurologic outcome along with the recent approach to prognosticate long-term outcome by electrophysiologic techniques and molecular markers of brain injury. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent experimental studies have brought new insights to the pathophysiology of secondary postischemic anoxic encephalopathy demonstrating a time-dependent cerebral oxidative injury, increased neuronal expression, and activation of apoptosis-inducing death receptors and altered gene expression with long-term changes in the molecular phenotype of neurons. Recently, nuclear MR imaging and MR spectroscopic studies assessing cerebral circulatory recovery demonstrated the precise time course of cerebral reperfusion after cardiac arrest. Therapeutic hypothermia has been shown to improve brain function after resuscitation from cardiac arrest and has been introduced recently as beneficial therapy in ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest. SUMMARY: Electrophysiologic techniques and molecular markers of brain injury allow the accurate assessment and prognostication of long-term outcome in cardiac arrest survivors. In particular, somatosensory evoked potentials have been identified as the method with the highest prognostic reliability. A recent systematic review of 18 studies analyzed the predictive ability of somatosensory evoked potentials performed early after onset of coma and found that absence of cortical somatosensory evoked potentials identify patients not returning from anoxic coma with a specificity of 100%.

Brain Injuries↗
PubMed2004

Serial lactate determinations for prediction of outcome after cardiac arrest.

We investigated the relationship between lactate clearance and outcome in patients surviving the first 48 hours after cardiac arrest. We conducted the study in the emergency department of an urban tertiary care hospital. We analyzed the data for all 48-hour survivors after successful resuscitation from cardiac arrest during a 10-year period. Serial lactate measurements, demographic data, and key cardiac arrest data were correlated to survival and best neurologic outcome within 6 months after cardiac arrest. Parameters showing significant results in univariate analysis were tested for significance in a logistic regression model. Of 1502 screened patients, 394 were analyzed. Survivors (n = 194, 49%) had lower lactate levels on admission (median, 7.8 [interquartile range, 5.4-10.8] vs 9 [6.6-11.9] mmol/L), after 24 hours (1.4 [1-2.5] vs 1.7 [1.1-3] mmol/L), and after 48 hours (1.2 [0.9-1.6] vs 1.5 [1.1-2.3] mmol/L). Patients with favorable neurologic outcome (n = 186, 47%) showed lower levels on admission (7.6 [5.4-10.3] vs 9.2 [6.7-12.1] mmol/L) and after 48 hours (1.2 [0.9-1.6] vs 1.5 [1-2.2] mmol/L). In multivariate analysis, lactate levels at 48 hours were an independent predictor for mortality (odds ratio [OR]: 1.49 increase per mmol/L, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17-1.89) and unfavorable neurologic outcome (OR: 1.28 increase per mmol/L, 95% CI: 1.08-1.51). Lactate levels higher than 2 mmol/L after 48 hours predicted mortality with a specificity of 86% and poor neurologic outcome with a specificity of 87%. Sensitivity for both end points was 31%. Lactate at 48 hours after cardiac arrest is an independent predictor of mortality and unfavorable neurologic outcome. Persisting hyperlactatemia over 48 hours predicts a poor prognosis.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2004

Ventricular fibrillation median frequency may not be useful for monitoring during cardiac arrest treated with endothelin-1 or epinephrine.

In this study, we evaluated whether median fibrillation frequency (MF) and mean fibrillation amplitude (AMP) reflect coronary perfusion pressure (CoPP) and predict successful defibrillation. MF, AMP, and CoPP were measured during prolonged ventricular fibrillation (VF) cardiac arrest and resuscitation in pigs. After 5 min of VF, cardiopulmonary resuscitation was started. At 10 min, the pigs received randomly a single dose of endothelin-1 50 mug (n = 7), 100 mug (n = 7), or 200 mug (n = 5), or repeated doses of epinephrine 0.04 mg/kg (n = 6), or saline (n = 6) every 3 min. At 25 min, the pigs were defibrillated to achieve restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). In a nonparametric spectral analysis of the individual MF versus CoPP and AMP versus CoPP curves, we found no link between the different curves in different animals or therapies. No difference was found in MF in pigs with ROSC (n = 8) compared with animals not achieving ROSC (n = 23) immediately before defibrillation (P = 0.85). Our data suggest that, in prolonged VF cardiac arrest, MF and AMP might not be useful tools to reflect myocardial perfusion.

Adrenergic alpha-Agonists↗
PubMed2003

Lunar phases are not related to the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death.

BACKGROUND: Mass media deliver pertinacious rumours that lunar phases influence the progress and long-term results in several medical procedures. Peer reviewed studies support this, e.g. in myocardial infarction, others do not. METHODS: We looked retrospectively at the dates of cardiac arrests (CA; n=368) of cardiac origin and of acute myocardial infarctions (AMI) with consecutive thrombolytic therapy or acute PTCA (n=872) and at the lunar phases at the corresponding dates. Medical data had been collected prospectively on the patient's admission. The lunar phases were defined as full moon+/-1 day, new moon+/-1 day and the days in between as waning and waxing moon. The incidence of these cardiac events at each phase was calculated as days with a case divided by the total number of days of the specific moon phase in the observation period (1992-1998). Wilcoxon Rank Test was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: AMI and CA occurred on equal percentages of days within each lunar phase: AMI on 35% of all days with new moon, on 38% of full moon days, on 39% waning, and on 41% of the waxing moon days; CA on 19, 17, 16 and 16% of all days of the respective lunar phase. This difference was not significant. CONCLUSION: Lunar phases do not appear to correlate with acute coronary events leading to myocardial infarction or sudden cardiac death.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗
PubMed2003

Major bleeding complications in cardiopulmonary resuscitation: the place of thrombolytic therapy in cardiac arrest due to massive pulmonary embolism.

OBJECTIVE: Thrombolytic therapy in patients with massive pulmonary embolism (MPE) and prolonged cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is subject to debate. This study was performed to determine whether (1) thrombolytic treatment increases the risk of bleeding complications, (2) if the risk of bleeding is influenced by the duration of CPR and if (3) thrombolytic therapy improves outcome. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Emergency department of a tertiary care university hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty-six patients with cardiac arrest (CA) due to MPE admitted between July 1993 and December 2001. Thirty-six patients received thrombolysis (TL) and were compared with 30 patients without thrombolytic therapy. Bleeding complications were assessed by clinical evidence or autopsy. RESULTS: Major bleeding complications appear to occur more frequently in patients treated with thrombolytics (9/36 (25%) vs. 3/30 (10%)) even though the difference was statistically not significant (P=0.15). It appears that CPR duration >10 min has no adverse impact on major bleeding complications. No difference in the rate of major bleeding complications between thrombolyzed patients who had a CPR duration of </=10 or >10 min could be observed (2/8 (25%) vs. 7/28 (25%), P=0.99). In thrombolyzed patients a return of spontaneous circulation could be achieved more frequently (24/36 (67%) vs.13/30 (43%) in controls, P=0.06) and survival after 24 h was higher (19/36 (53%) vs. 7/30 (23%), P=0.01). Survival to discharge was also higher in the TL group (7/36 (19%) vs. 2/30 (7%)), but not statistically significant (P=0.15). CONCLUSION: Although severe bleeding complications tend to occur more frequently in patients undergoing TL, the benefit of this treatment might outweigh the risk of bleeding.

Adolescent↗