Acute cardiac care & resuscitation
Use of transoesophageal echocardiography in the pre-hospital setting to determine compression position in out of hospital cardiac arrest
Authors' conclusion
We present a retrospective cohort study of 19 patients who received pre- hospital intra-arrest TOE. Pre-hospital intra-arrest TOE is feasible and contributed significantly to optimising compression position to increase forward flow without interrupting chest compressions. Future studies are needed to correlate clinical findings with compression position as identified on TOE.
Study context
- Population
- Of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients treated by a specialist pre- hospital medical team who had received transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) as part of cardiac arrest managementpatients who received TOE as part of cardiac arrest management over a 6 month period
- Participants
- 19 patients
- Outcome
- Proportion of patients in whom the area of maximal compression (AMC) was not over the LV
- Follow-up
- Intra-arrest
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Patients in whom compressions were not being performed over the left ventricle
17
89%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Secondary outcomes
Improved echocardiography evidence of left ventricular compression (of the 17 patients with compressions not over the left ventricle)
- Improved echocardiography evidence of left ventricular compression
- 13/17 (76%)
- Return of spontaneous circulation
- 6 patients
- Change in rhythm
- 10 patients
TOE changed management or confirmed diagnosis
- TOE was able to change management or confirm diagnosis
- 17/19 (89%)
Original publication
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