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The CYRUS trial failed to demonstrate a significant decrease in the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score at 24 h after nonshockable OHCA in patients receiving a prehospital single injection of 2.5 mg/kg CsA [[4]]. Even though this post-hoc analysis of the CYRUS trial does not provide mechanistic insight, our findings are in line with both experimental and clinical studies reporting potent protective effects of CsA against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury [[1], [3], [5]]. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: To investigate whether respiratory variation of inferior vena cava diameter (cIVC) predict fluid responsiveness in spontaneously breathing patients with acute circulatory failure (ACF).Methods: Forty patients with ACF and spontaneous breathing were included. Response to fluid challenge was defined as a 15% increase of subaortic velocity time index (VTI) measured by transthoracic echocardiography. Inferior vena cava diameters were recorded by a subcostal view using M Mode. The cIVC was calculated as follows: (Dmax - Dmin/Dmax) × 100 and then receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated for cIVC, baseline VTI, E wave velocity, E/A and E/Ea ratios. Results: Among 40 included patients, 20 (50%) were responders (R). The causes of ACF were sepsis (n = 24),haemorrhage (n = 11), and dehydration (n = 5). The area under the ROC curve for cIVC was 0.77 (95% CI: 0.60- 0.88). The best cutoff value was 40% (Se = 70%, Sp = 80%). The AUC of the ROC curves for baseline E wave velocity, VTI, E/A ratio, E/Ea ratio were 0.83 (95% CI: 0.68-0.93), 0.78 (95% CI: 0.61-0.88), 0.76 (95% CI: 0.59-0.89), 0.58 (95% CI: 0.41-0.75), respectively. The differences between AUC the ROC curves for cIVC and baseline E wave velocity, baseline VTI, baseline E/A ratio, and baseline E/Ea ratio were not statistically different (p = 0.46, p = 0.99, p = 1.00, p = 0.26, respectively). Conclusion: In spontaneously breathing patients with ACF, high cIVC values (>40%) are usually associated with fluid responsiveness while low values (< 40%) do not exclude fluid responsiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anemia affects up to 25% of emergency department (ED) patients. Restrictive red blood cell (RBC) transfusion strategies are recommended for stable patients, but ED transfusion practices often remain liberal. Benefits of ED transfusion remains unclear. Objective: To evaluate the impact of ED transfusion on death-adjusted in-hospital length of stay (LOS) in stable anemic patients requiring hospitalization. Methods: This single-center retrospective propensity-matched study included patients ≥ 18 years admitted to the ED of Nîmes University Hospital in 2022 with hemoglobin levels between 70 and 90 g.L− 1. Patients with hemorrhagic shock or requiring emergent hemostatic procedures were excluded. Propensity score matching was conducted on variables including age, comorbidities, hemoglobin levels, and diastolic blood pressure. Primary outcome was adjusted in-hospital LOS. Secondary outcomes included ED LOS and RBC transfusion volumes. Results: Among 564 patients, 118 (21%) were propensity-matched: 59 (50%) ED-transfused, 59 (50%) non-ED-transfused. Adjusted in-hospital LOS 13 [8–32] for ED-transfused patients and 12 [6–24] days for non-ED-transfused patients (median difference = 0; 95%CI: -10–7; p = 0.52). Median difference in ED LOS was 7:13 (95%CI: 1:00–11:25; p < 0.001) between ED transfused and non-ED-transfused patients. Median difference in number of RBC transfused during in hospital stay was 2 (95%CI: 1–3); p < 0.01) between ED transfused and non-ED-transfused patients. Conclusion: In stable anemic patients with 70 to 90 g.L− 1 hemoglobin level, ED transfusion did not reduce adjusted in-hospital LOS but prolonged ED LOS. Identifying patients who may safely defer transfusion could improve ED efficiency and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop French guidelines on the management of patients with severe abdominal trauma. A consensus committee of 20 experts from the French Society of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine (Société française d'anesthésie et de réanimation , SFAR), the French Society of Emergency Medicine (Société française de médecine d'urgence , SFMU), the French Society of Urology (Société française d'urologie , SFU) and from the French Association of Surgery (Association française de chirurgie, AFC), the Val-de-Grâce School (École du Val-De-Grâce, EVG) and the Federation for Interventional Radiology (Fédération de radiologie interventionnelle , FRI-SFR) was convened. Declaration of all conflicts of interest (COI) policy by all participants was mandatory throughout the development of the guidelines. The entire guideline process was conducted independently of any industry funding. The authors were advised to follow the principles of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system for assessment of the available level of evidence with particular emphasis to avoid formulating strong recommendations in the absence of high level. Some recommendations were left ungraded. The guidelines are divided in diagnostic and, therapeutic strategy and early surveillance. All questions were formulated according to Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcomes (PICO) format. The panel focused on three questions for diagnostic strategy: (1) What is the diagnostic performance of clinical signs to suggest abdominal injury in trauma patients? (2) Suspecting abdominal trauma, what is the diagnostic performance of prehospital FAST (Focused Abdominal Sonography for Trauma) to rule in abdominal injury and guide the prehospital triage of the patient? and (3) When suspecting abdominal trauma, does carrying out a contrast enhanced thoraco-abdominal CT scan allow identification of abdominal injuries and reduction of mortality? Four questions dealt with therapeutic strategy: (1) After severe abdominal trauma, does immediate laparotomy reduce morbidity and mortality? (2) Does a "damage control surgery" strategy decrease morbidity and mortality in patients with a severe abdominal trauma? (3) Does a laparoscopic approach in patients with abdominal trauma decrease mortality or morbidity? and (4) Does non-operative management of patients with abdominal trauma without bleeding reduce mortality and morbidity? Finally, one question was formulated regarding the early monitoring of these patients: In case of severe abdominal trauma, which kind of initial monitoring does allow to reduce the morbi-mortality? The analysis of the literature and the recommendations were conducted following the GRADE® methodology. The SFAR/SFMU Guideline panel provided 15 statements on early management of severe abdominal trauma. After three rounds of discussion and various amendments, a strong agreement was reached for 100% of recommendations. Of these recommendations, five have a high level of evidence (Grade 1±), six have a low level of evidence (Grade 2±) and four are expert judgments. Finally, no recommendation was provided for one question. Substantial agreement exists among experts regarding many strong recommendations for the best early management of severe abdominal trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective Pelvic fractures represent 5% of all traumatic fractures and 30% are isolated pelvic fractures. Pelvic fractures are found in 10 to 20% of severe trauma patients and their presence is highly correlated to increasing trauma severity scores. The high mortality of pelvic trauma, about 8 to 15%, is related to actively bleeding pelvic injuries and/or associated injuries to the head, abdomen or chest. Regardless of the severity of pelvic trauma, diagnosis and treatment must proceed according to a strategy that does not delay the management of the most severely injured patients. To date, in France, there are no guidelines issued by healthcare authorities or professional societies that address this subject. Design A consensus committee of 22 experts from the French Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine (Société Française d'Anesthésie et de Réanimation ; SFAR) and the French Society of Emergency Medicine (Société Française de Médecine d'Urgence ; SFMU) in collaboration with the French Society of Radiology (Société Française de Radiologie ; SFR), French Defence Health Service (Service de Santé des Armées ; SSA), French Society of Urology (Association Française d'Urologie ; AFU), the French Society of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery (Société Française de Chirurgie Orthopédique et Traumatologique ; SOCFCOT), and the French Society of Digestive Surgery (Société Française de Chirurgie digestive ; SFCD) was convened. A formal conflict-of-interest (COI) policy was developed at the onset of the process and enforced throughout. The entire guidelines process was conducted independently from any industry funding. The authors were advised to follow the principles of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system to guide assessment of quality of evidence. The potential drawbacks of making strong recommendations in the presence of low-quality evidence were emphasised. Methods Population, intervention, comparison, and outcomes (PICO) questions were reviewed and updated as needed, and evidence profiles were generated. The analysis of the literature and the recommendations were then conducted according to the GRADE® methodology. Results The SFAR Guideline panel provided 22 statements on prehospital and hospital management of the unstable patient with pelvic fracture. After three rounds of discussion and various amendments, a strong agreement was reached for 100% of recommendations. Of these recommendations, 11 have a high level of evidence (Grade 1 ±), 11 have a low level of evidence (Grade 2 ±). Conclusions Substantial agreement exists among experts regarding many strong recommendations for management of the unstable patient with pelvic fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this road map for trauma in France, we focus on the main challenges for system implementation, surgical and radiology training and upon innovative training techniques. Regarding system organisation: procedures for triage, designation and certification of trauma centres are mandatory to implement trauma networks on a national scale. Data collection with registries must be created, with a core dataset defined and applied through all registries. Regarding surgical and radiology training, diagnostic-imaging processes should be standardised and the role of the interventional radiologist within the trauma team and the trauma network should be clearly defined. Education in surgery for trauma is crucial and recent changes in medical training in France will promote trauma surgery as a specific sub-specialty. Innovative training techniques should be implemented and be based on common objectives, scenarios and evaluation, so as to improve individual and team performances. The group formulated 14 proposals that should help to structure and improve major trauma management in France over the next 10 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop a multidisciplinary French reference that addresses initial pre- and in-hospital management of a mild traumatic brain injury patient. A panel of 22 experts was formed on request from the French Society of Emergency Medicine (SFMU) and the French Society of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine (SFAR). A policy of declaration and monitoring of links of interest was applied and respected throughout the process of producing the guidelines. Similarly, no funding was received from any company marketing a health product (drug or medical device). The expert panel had to respect and follow the Grade® (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) methodology to evaluate the quality of the evidence on which the recommendations were based. Given the impossibility of obtaining a high level of evidence for most of the recommendations, it was decided to adopt a "Recommendations for Professional Practice" (RPP) format, rather than a Formalized Expert Recommendation (FER) format, and to formulate the recommendations using the terminology of the SFMU and SFAR Guidelines. Three fields were defined: 1) pre-hospital assessment, 2) emergency room management, and 3) emergency room discharge modalities. The group assessed 11 questions related to mild traumatic brain injury. Each question was formulated using a PICO (Patients Intervention Comparison Outcome) format. The experts' synthesis work and the application of the GRADE® method resulted in the formulation of 14 recommendations. After two rounds of rating, strong agreement was obtained for all recommendations. For one question, no recommendation could be made. There was strong agreement among the experts on important, transdisciplinary recommendations, the purpose of which is to improve management practices for patients with mild head injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The early mortality of trauma patients, mainly from hemorrhagic shock, raises interest in detecting the presence of non-exteriorized bleeding. Intra-hospital EFAST (Extended Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma) has demonstrated its utility in the assessment and management of severe trauma patients (STP). However, there is a lack of data regarding the diagnostic performance of prehospital EFAST (pEFAST). The main objective of our study was to evaluate the pEFAST performance to predict a positive CT scan in STP., Methods: This was a retrospective, multicenter, database-driven study. All severe trauma patients managed by a prehospital medical team were included. The results of pEFAST were compared with the admission CT scan., Results: Data from 495 patients were included. The pEFAST had sensitivity of 27% (95% CI 22; 32) and specificity of 94% (95% CI 90; 97) for predicting the presence of a lesion on CT scan at hospital admission. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.66 (95% CI 0.57; 0.63), the positive predictive value 84% (95% CI 75; 87), the negative predictive value was 51% (95% CI 44; 66), the positive likelihood ratio was 4.24 (95% CI 2.46; 7.3) and the negative likelihood ratio 0.78 (95% CI 0.72; 0.85)., Conclusion: Prehospital EFAST has an excellent specificity but a poor sensitivity for predicting a positive CT scan on hospital admission. We do not know whether this low sensitivity is secondary to the delay between the two examinations or to the poor performance of pEFAST. Therefore, a negative pEFAST should not be reassuring. A positive pEFAST is highly informative, as it predicts a lesion and enables hospital management to be prepared accordingly., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: XB and TM received fees for teaching ultrasound to GE Healthcare customers (GE MEDICAL SYSTEMS ULTRASOUND). The other authors state they have no conflict of interest., (© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.)

Objectives: The major complication of rhabdomyolysis is acute kidney injury (AKI), which requires prompt treatment. Currently, few biomarkers are available for the early detection of AKI. Serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) has been suggested as an early biomarker for renal ischemia. However, its capacity to predict AKI in patients presenting with rhabdomyolysis in the emergency department (ED) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of NGAL to predict 48-hour AKI., Design: Prospective, multicentre study., Setting: Five adult EDs in France from August 2013 to December 2015., Participants: NGAL levels were measured on ED admission in patients with rhabdomyolysis. A total of 197 patients were enrolled, and 189 (96%) were analysed, of whom 89 (47%) were women. Patients were included if they presented to the ED with rhabdomyolysis and a creatine phosphokinase (CPK) level above 1000 IU/L. Exclusion criteria were pregnancy, presentation with acute coronary syndrome, the need for iodinated contrast, chronic dialysis or recent use of nephrotoxic drugs (within 72 hours prior to the ED visit). Patients who withdrew consent or had AKI due to other causes were also excluded., Primary and Secondary Outcome Measures: The primary outcome was AKI at 48 hours, defined according to the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. Secondary outcomes included in-hospital mortality, length of hospital stay, admission to intensive care and the need for renal replacement therapy., Results: Overall, 54 (29%) patients developed AKI by day 2. The area under the ROC curve (AUC-ROC) for NGAL in predicting AKI on day 2 was 0.60 (95% CI 0.51 to 0.70), with an optimal cut-off of 129 ng/mL. The sensitivity was 0.65, and specificity was 0.50. After adjustment for CPK levels, age, sex and oxygen saturation, the AUC-ROC for predicting AKI on day 2 increased slightly to 0.64 (95% CI 0.54 to 0.74)., Conclusion: NGAL has limited ability to predict day 2 AKI in patients presenting with acute rhabdomyolysis in the ED., Trail Registration Number: NCT01544231.Comité de Protection des Personnes Sud Méditerranée III n°2011-A01059-32., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: Right diaphragmatic excursion is a reliable and reproducible technique used in intensive care to assess diaphragmatic function. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the appearance of diaphragmatic motion and the etiological diagnosis of patients admitted to the emergency department with acute respiratory failure (ARF)., Materials: A prospective, observational, and multicenter pilot study was conducted. All adult patients admitted in the emergency department with ARF were included. The different visual patterns of diaphragmatic motion were analyzed according to the three main etiologies of ARF encountered in emergency departments., Results: A total of 39 adult patients were included. We observed a different visual pattern in patients with pneumonia. A sum of plateau times of less than 0.2 s predicted that the main diagnosis was pneumonia, with sensitivity = 89% 95%CI [52%; 100%], specificity = 87% 95%CI [69%; 96%]., Conclusion: Our study seems to show that the shape of diaphragmatic motion in patients with ARF secondary to pneumonia is different from that in patients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or acute heart failure., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04591509., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Clinical Ultrasound published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objectives: To study the diagnostic performance of an ultrasound-based algorithm that includes the deceleration time (DT) of early mitral filling to establish a diagnosis of acute heart failure (AHF) in patients who come to an emergency department because of dyspnea., Material and Methods: Prospective analysis in a convenience sample of patients who came to a hospital emergency department with acute dyspnea. The algorithm included ultrasound findings and 4 echocardiographic findings as follows: mitral annular plane systolic excursion, Doppler mitral flow velocity, tissue Doppler imaging measure of the lateral annulus, and the DT of early mitral filling. The definitive diagnosis was made by 2 physicians blinded to each other's diagnosis and the ultrasound findings., Results: A total of 166 adult patients with a mean (SD) age of 76 (13) years were included; 79 (48%) were women. AHF was the definitive diagnosis in 62 patients (37%). Diagnostic agreement was good between the 2 physicians (κ = 0.71). The algorithm classified all the patients, and there were no undetermined diagnoses. Diagnostic performance indicators for the ultrasound-based algorithm integrating early DT findings were as follows: area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.91 (95% CI, 0.86-0.96); sensitivity, 87% (95% CI, 76%-94%); specificity, 95% (95% CI, 89%-98%); positive likelihood ratio, 18.1 (95% CI, 7.7-42.8); and negative likelihood ratio, 0.14 (95% CI, 0.07-0.26)., Conclusion: The ultrasound-based algorithm integrating the DT of early mitral filling performs well for diagnosing AHF in emergency patients with dyspnea. The inclusion of early DT allows all patients to be diagnosed.

Point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) is commonly used at the bedside in the emergency department (ED) as part of clinical examinations. Studies frequently investigate PoCUS diagnostic accuracy, although its contribution to the overall diagnostic approach is less often evaluated. The primary objective of this prospective, multicenter, cohort study was to assess the contribution of PoCUS to the overall diagnostic approach of patients with right upper quadrant abdominal pain. Two independent members of an adjudication committee, who were blind to the intervention, independently evaluated the diagnostic approaches before and after PoCUS for the same patient. The study included 62 patients admitted to the ED with non-traumatic right upper quadrant abdominal pain from September 1, 2022, to March 6, 2023. The contribution of PoCUS to the diagnostic approach was evaluated using a proportion test assuming that 75% of diagnostic approaches would be better or comparable with PoCUS. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests evaluated the impact of PoCUS on the mean number of differential diagnoses, planned treatments, and complementary diagnostic tests. Overall, 60 (97%) diagnostic approaches were comparable or better with PoCUS (χ 2  = 15.9, p < 0.01). With PoCUS, the mean number of differential diagnoses significantly decreased by 2.3 (95% CI - 2.7 to - 1.5) (p < 0.01), proposed treatments by 1.3 (95% CI - 1.8 to - 0.9) (p < 0.01), and complementary diagnostic tests by 1.3 (95% CI - 1.7 to - 1.0) (p < 0.01). These findings show that PoCUS positively impacts the diagnostic approach and significantly decreases the mean number of differential diagnoses, treatments, and complementary tests., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Medicina Interna (SIMI).)

Objectives: Adverse drug events are the sixth-leading cause of death in Western countries and are also more frequent in emergency departments (EDs). In some hospitals or on some occasions, ED physicians prescribe for patients who they have admitted. These prescriptions are then followed by the wards and can persist for several days. Our objectives were to determine the frequency of prescription errors for patients over 18years old hospitalized from ED to medical or surgical wards, and whether there exists a relationship between those prescription errors and ED LOS., Methods: This was a single center retrospective study that was conduct in the ED of a university hospital with an annual census of 65 000 patients. The population studied consisted of patients over 18years old hospitalized from ED to medical or surgical wards between January 1st, 2012 and January 21st, 2012., Results: Six hundred eight patients were included. One hundred fifty-four (25%) patients had prescription errors. Prescription errors were associated with increased ED length of stay (OR=2.47; 95% CIs [1.58; 3.92]) and polypharmacy (OR=1.78; 95% CIs [1.20; 2.66]). Fewer prescription errors were found when the patient was examined in the ED by a consultant (OR=0.61; 95% CIs [0.41; 0.91]) and when the medical history was known (OR=0.28; 95% CIs [0.10; 0.88])., Conclusion: Prescription errors occurred frequently in the ED. We assume that a clear communication and cooperation between EPs and consultants may help improve prescription accuracy., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Background: Point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) is increasingly used in clinical practice and is now included in many undergraduate curricula. Here, we aimed to determine whether medical students who participated in a PoCUS teaching program with several practical training sessions involving healthy volunteers could achieve a good level of diagnostic accuracy in identifying gallbladder pathologies. The intervention group (IG) was trained exclusively on volunteers with a healthy gallbladder, whereas the control group (CG) had access to volunteers with a pathological gallbladder as recommended in most PoCUS curricula., Materials and Methods: Twenty medical students were randomly assigned to the IG and CG. After completing the training program over 2 months, students were evaluated by three independent examiners. Students and examiners were blind to group allocation and study outcome. Sensitivity and specificity of students' PoCUS gallstone diagnosis were assessed. Secondary outcomes were students' confidence, image quality, acquisition time, and PoCUS skills., Results: Sensitivity and specificity for gallstone diagnosis were, respectively, 0.85 and 0.97 in the IG and 0.80 and 0.83 in the CG. Areas under the curve (AUC) based on the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were 0.91 and 0.82 in the IG and CG, respectively, with no significant difference (p = 0.271) and an AUC difference of -0.092. No significant between-group difference was found for the secondary outcomes., Conclusions: Our pilot study showed that medical students can develop PoCUS diagnostic accuracy after training on healthy volunteers. If these findings are confirmed in a larger sample, this could favor the delivery of large practical teaching sessions without the need to include patients with pathology, thus facilitating PoCUS training for students., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Abstract: Background: The assessment of cardiac output (CO) is a major challenge during shock. The criterion standard for CO evaluation is transpulmonary thermodilution, which is an invasive technique. Speckle tracking is an automatized method of analyzing tissue motion using echography. This tool can be used to monitor pulsed arterial diameter variations with low interobserver variability. An experimental model of controlled hemorrhagic shock allows for multiple CO variations. The main aim of this study is to show the correlation between the femoral arterial diameter variations (fADVs) and the stroke volume (SV) measured by thermodilution during hemorrhagic shock management and the resuscitation of anesthetized piglets. The secondary objective is to explore the respective correlations between SV and subaortic time-velocity index, abdominal aorta ADV, carotid ADV, and subclavian ADV. Methods : Piglets were bled until mean arterial pressure reached 40 mm Hg. Controlled hemorrhage was maintained for 30 minutes before randomizing the piglets to three resuscitation groups-the fluid-filling group (reanimated with saline solution only), NEph group (norepinephrine + saline solution), and Eph group (epinephrin + saline solution). Speckle tracking, echocardiographic, and hemodynamic measures were performed at different stages of the protocol. Results : Thirteen piglets were recruited and included for statistical analysis. Of all the piglets, 164 fADV measures were attempted and 160 were successful (98%). The correlation coefficient between fADV and SV was 0.71 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62 to 0.78; P < 0.01). The correlation coefficient between SV and abdominal aorta ADV, subclavian ADV, and carotid ADV was 0.30 (95% CI, 0.13 to 0.46; P < 0.01), 0.56 (95% CI, 0.45 to 0.66, P < 0.01), and 0.15 (95% CI, -0.01 to 0.30, P = 0.06), respectively. Conclusions : In this hemorrhagic shock model using piglets, fADV was strongly correlated with SV., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 by the Shock Society.)

A systematic literature review was carried out to assess the risk factors for readmission to the emergency department in people aged 75 and over. This review shows that certain socio-demographic factors (older age, male gender, not being single), certain underlying conditions (cardio-respiratory diseases, diabetes, cognitive impairment, cancer, depression), a recent history of falling, and impaired autonomy prior to admission are risk factors for readmission to the emergency department more than the cause of admission itself or its severity in people aged 75 and over. The best predictive score for readmission to the emergency department for elderly patients remains to be determined, as does the systematic identification of risk factors associated with specific management in the oldest at-risk group to reduce their readmission after a first visit to the emergency department.

Our main objective was to describe the course of GLS during the first days of septic shock and to assess the agreement between GLS values and longitudinal strain measured in apical four chambers. A prospective observational single centre study was conducted at the Nimes University Hospital's ICU. All patients admitted for a diagnosis of septic shock without pre-existing heart disease were eligible. Echocardiography (LVEF and GLS) was performed on the first day, and repeated once between day 3 and day 5 then once between day 6 and day 8. We enrolled 40 consecutive patients. Four patients were excluded. In overall population, GLS at T1 was impaired (- 11.0%, IQR(interquartile range) [- 15; - 10]). On T2 exams, a significant improvement of the GLS (- 11% vs - 16% p = 0.02) was observed whereas LVEF remained stable over time. A good agreement between GLS and longitudinal strain measured on a four chambers view was found. Based on the Bland and Altman method, the mean of differences for T1 exams was 0.1 (95% CI [- 0.6; 0.8]) with limits of agreement ranging from - 4 to 4. Myocardial strain is depressed at the early phase of septic shock and improves over time. A single measurement of LS4C view appears sufficient at bedside., (© 2020. Springer Nature B.V.)

Objectives: The main objective was to evaluate the precision of the Modified Lung Ultrasound (MLUS score) for predicting the need for respiratory support in the first 48 hours in patients with dyspnea due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The secondary objectives were 1) to compare the MLUS and National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2), as well as the combination of both scores, as predictors of severity according to the World Health Organization (WHO) Ordinal Scale for Clinical Improvement; and 2) to compare severity assessed by ultrasound scoring to severity assessed by lung computed tomography (CT)., Material and Methods: Multicenter prospective observational cohort study conducted from March 30 to April 30, 2020, in 2 university hospitals. Adult patients with dyspnea due to COVID-19 were included. An initial lung ultrasound was performed, and the results of MLUS, NEW2, and lung CT evaluations were recorded. Patients were classified by risk according to the WHO scale at 48 hours, as follows: low risk (score less than 5) or high risk (score of 5 or more)., Results: A total of 100 patients were included: 35 (35%) were classified as low risk and 65 (65%) as high risk. The correlation between the MLUS and WHO assessments was positive and very high (Spearman rank correlation 􀁕 = 0.832; P .001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves of the MLUS, NEW2 and combined ultrasound scores, in relation to prediction of risk classification were, respectively, 0.96 (0.93-0.99), 0.89 (0.82-0.95) and 0.98 (0.96-1.0). The MLUS and lung CT assessments were correlated., Conclusion: An early lung ultrasound score can predict clinical severity in patients with dyspnea due to COVID-19.

Background: Rapid response teams are intended to improve early diagnosis and intervention in ward patients who develop acute respiratory or circulatory failure. A management protocol including the use of a handheld ultrasound device for immediate point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) examination at the bedside may improve team performance. The main objective of the study was to assess the impact of implementing such a POCUS-guided management on the proportion of adequate immediate diagnoses in two groups. Secondary endpoints included time to treatment and patient outcomes., Methods: A prospective, observational, controlled study was conducted in a single university hospital. Two teams alternated every other day for managing in-hospital ward patients developing acute respiratory and/or circulatory failures. Only one of the team used an ultrasound device (POCUS group)., Results: We included 165 patients (POCUS group 83, control group 82). Proportion of adequate immediate diagnoses was 94% in the POCUS group and 80% in the control group (p = 0.009). Time to first treatment/intervention was shorter in the POCUS group (15 [10-25] min vs. 34 [15-40] min, p < 0.001). In-hospital mortality rates were 17% in the POCUS group and 35% in the control group (p = 0.007), but this difference was not confirmed in the propensity score sample (29% vs. 34%, p = 0.53)., Conclusion: Our study suggests that protocolized use of a handheld POCUS device at the bedside in the ward may improve the proportion of adequate diagnosis, the time to initial treatment and perhaps also survival of ward patients developing acute respiratory or circulatory failure. Clinical Trial Registration NCT02967809. Registered 18 November 2016, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02967809 .

Objectives: Global longitudinal strain (GLS) appears sensitive and reproducible to identify left ventricular systolic dysfunction. The main objective was to analyze the GLS changes in an anesthetized-piglet model of controlled hemorrhagic shock (HS). The secondary objective was to evaluate if GLS changes was different depending on the expansion fluid treatment with or without norepinephrine., Methods: Eighteen anesthetized and ventilated piglets were bled until the mean arterial pressure reached 40 mmHg. Controlled hemorrhage was maintained for 30 min before randomizing the piglets to three resuscitation groups: control group, LR group (resuscitated with lactated ringer), and NA group (resuscitated with lactated ringer and norepinephrine)., Results: There was no difference in the baseline hemodynamic, biological, and ultrasound data among the three groups. During the hemorrhagic phase, the GLS increased significantly from 25 mL/kg of depletion. During the resuscitation phase, the GLS decreased significantly from 20 mL/kg of fluid administration. There was no difference in GLS variation among the groups during the hemorrhagic, maintenance, and resuscitation phases., Conclusion: In our HS model, GLS increased with hemorrhage and decreased during resuscitation, showing its preload dependence., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest XB declares a competing interest as a US teacher for GE (GE MEDICAL SYSTEMS ULTRASOUND) customers. The other authors state they have no competing interests., (Copyright: © 2020 Turkish Journal of Emergency Medicine.)

Study Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of chest ultralow-dose computed tomography (CT) compared with chest radiograph for minor blunt thoracic trauma., Methods: One hundred sixty patients with minor blunt thoracic trauma were evaluated first by chest radiograph and subsequently with a double-acquisition nonenhanced chest CT protocol: reference CT and ultralow-dose CT with iterative reconstruction. Two study radiologists independently assessed injuries with a structured report and subjective image quality and calculated certainty of diagnostic confidence level., Results: Ultralow-dose CT had a sensitivity and specificity of 100% compared with reference CT in the detection of injuries (187 lesions) in 104 patients. Chest radiograph detected abnormalities in 82 patients (79% of the population), with lower sensitivity and specificity compared with ultralow-dose CT (P<.05). Despite an only fair interobserver agreement for ultralow-dose CT image quality (κ=0.26), the diagnostic confidence level was certain for 95.6% of patients (chest radiograph=79.3%). Ultralow-dose CT effective dose (0.203 mSv [SD 0.029 mSv]) was similar (P=.14) to that of chest radiograph (0.175 mSv [SD 0.155 mSv]) and significantly less (P<.001) than that of reference CT (1.193 mSv [SD 0.459 mSv])., Conclusion: Ultralow-dose CT with iterative reconstruction conveyed a radiation dose similar to that of chest radiograph and was more reliable than a radiographic study for minor blunt thoracic trauma assessment. Radiologists, regardless of experience with ultralow-dose CT, were more confident with chest ultralow-dose CT than chest radiograph., (Copyright © 2018 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Minimizing out-of-hospital time reduces morbidity and mortality in patients with severe trauma, acute coronary syndrome, or acute stroke. Our objective was to compare out-of-hospital times by helicopter versus ground services when the estimated time of arrival on the scene was over 20 minutes., Methods: We proposed a retrospective observational monocentric study following 2 cohorts. The helicopter group and the ground group included patients with severe trauma, acute coronary syndrome, or acute stroke transported by helicopter or ground services., Results: Two hundred thirty-nine patients were included; 118 were in the ground group, and 121 were in the helicopter group. Distances for the helicopter group were higher (62.1 ± 22.5 km vs. 27.6 ± 10.4 km, P < .001). When distances were over 35 km, the helicopter group was faster. We identified distance, need for surgery, and intensive care hospitalization as 3 predicting factors for choosing helicopters over ground modes of transport., Conclusion: In cases of severe trauma, acute coronary syndrome, or acute stroke, emergency medical helicopter transport can be chosen over ground transport when patients are in a severe state and when the distance is further than 35 km from the hospital., (Copyright © 2018 Air Medical Journal Associates. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)