title: Randomised study of hypertonic saline infusion during resuscitation from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Animal models of hypertonic saline infusion during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) improve survival, as well as myocardial and cerebral perfusion during CPR. We studied the effect of hypertonic saline infusion during CPR (Guidelines 2000) on survival to hospital admission and hospital discharge, and neurological outcome on hospital discharge.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed by the EMS of Bonn, Germany, with ethical committee approval. Study inclusion criteria were non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, aged 18-80 years, and given of adrenaline (epinephrine) during CPR. Patients were randomly infused 2 mlkg(-1) HHS (7.2% NaCl with 6% hydroxyethyl starch 200,000/0.5 [HES]) or HES over 10 min.
  
  
  RESULTS
  203 patients were randomised between May 2001 and June 2004. After HHS infusion, plasma sodium concentration increased significantly to 162±36 mmoll(-1) at 10 min after infusion and decreased to near normal (144±6 mmoll(-1)) at hospital admission. Survival to hospital admission and hospital discharge was similar in both groups (50/100 HHS vs. 49/103 HES for hospital admission, 23/100 HHS vs. 22/103 HES for hospital discharge). There was a small improvement in neurological outcome in survivors on discharge (cerebral performance category 1 or 2) in the HHS group compared to the HES group (13/100 HHS vs. 5/100 HES, p<0.05, odds-ratio 2.9, 95% confidence interval 1.004-8.5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypertonic saline infusion during CPR using Guidelines 2000 did not improve survival to hospital admission or hospital discharge. There was a small improvement with hypertonic saline in the secondary endpoint of neurological outcome on discharge in survivors. Further adequately powered studies using current guidelines are needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany. martin.breil@ukb.uni-bonn.de
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Breil
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Krep
authors.forename: Ulli
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Heister
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bartsch
authors.forename: Raphael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bender
authors.forename: Bernadette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schaefers
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoeft
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fischer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000379:methods*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D058687:Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest / Q000628:therapy*; D012462:Saline Solution, Hypertonic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D012462:Saline Solution, Hypertonic