Background/Objectives: Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) enables the non-invasive assessment of cerebral oximetry, offering insights into the efficacy of oxygen supply to the brain. NIRS, when combined with other monitoring techniques such as capnography, may play a crucial role in advanced patient monitoring during sudden cardiac arrest and post-resuscitation treatment. This research assessed the relationship between end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO₂) and regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO₂) during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Methods: The research was performed from 11 January 2023 until 31 January 2024, at the University Hospital in Poland. The cohort of responders included patients who had in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA). The Rapid Response Team attached the rSO₂ and ETCO₂ monitoring devices to each patient during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The cohort included 104 patients. Results: The correlation coefficient between ETCO₂ and rSO₂ values was 0.641 (95% CI: 0.636–0.646), and during the last 4 min of CPR before ROSC, it was 0.873 (95% CI: 0.824–0.910). Conclusions: The positive correlation between ETCO₂ and rSO₂ may suggest that concurrent monitoring of both parameters during resuscitation might serve as a valuable predictor of CPR efficacy and the likelihood of achieving recovery of spontaneous circulation in a multimodal framework. In the lack of rapid ETCO₂ monitoring capabilities, rSO₂ may function as a simple and effective alternative for assessment.

Background: We present a case study of a man with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who developed cardiac arrest as a result of hyperkalemia following administration of chlororsuccinylcholine during endotracheal intubation.Case Summary: A patient with a severe course of COVID-19, hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit, underwent reintubation on day 16. The applied scheme was rapid sequence induction and intubation with administration of chlororsuccinylcholine. Immediately after intubation, there was a sudden cardiac arrest due to hyperkalemia (cK + 10.2 meq/L). Treatment was initiated as per guidelines, which resulted in a return to spontaneous circulation after 6 min.Conclusion: Chlorsucynylcholine may cause life-threatening hyperkalemia. We recommend using rocuronium as a neuromuscular blocking agent in critically ill COVID-19 patients due to its more optimal safety profile.

To evaluate the epidemiology, management and outcomes of in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) in a tertiary care centre in Poland, using a Utstein-style report. A retrospective analysis was conducted on IHCAs between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2024. Adult patients with confirmed cardiac arrest who received chest compressions and/or defibrillation were included. Key outcomes included patient and IHCA characteristics, return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) rate and 30-day/discharge survival, including neurological outcome. Logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with survival. A total of 460 IHCAs were recorded over the 3-year period, corresponding to 2.5 events per 1000 hospital admissions. Median patient age was 73 years. The first documented rhythm was non-shockable in 88.5 % of events, while shockable rhythms were observed in 11.5 %. ROSC was achieved in 48.7 % of cases. Overall 30-day survival was 14.6 %. 66.7 % of survivors had a Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) 1-2, 33.3 % were CPC 3-4. In this Utstein-style report of IHCA we found similar results to those reported in other European reports of incidence and overall survival of IHCA. However, in our study a substantial proportion of survivors had poor neurological outcome. Our findings highlight the importance of systematic data collection and the creation of a national IHCA registry in Poland to enable benchmarking and drive quality improvement.

The acronym CALL TO ECLS has been proposed as a potential tool to support decision-making in critical communication moments when qualifying a patient for the ECPR procedure. The aim of this study is to assess the accuracy of the acronym and validate its content. Validation is crucial to ensure that the acronym is theoretically correct and includes the necessary information that must be conveyed by EMS during the qualification of a patient with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest for ECMO. A survey was conducted using the LimeSurvey platform through the Survey Research System of the Jagiellonian University Medical College over a 6-month period (from December 2022 to May 2023). Usefulness, importance, clarity, and unambiguity were rated on a 4-point Likert scale, from 1 (not useful, not important, unclear, ambiguous) to 4 (useful, important, clear, unambiguous). On the 4-point scale, the Content Validity Index (I-CVI) was calculated as the percentage of subject matter experts who rated the criterion as having a level of importance/clarity/validity/uniqueness of 3 or 4. The Scale-level Content Validity Index (S-CVI) based on the average method was computed as the average of I-CVI scores (S-CVI-AVE) for all considered criteria (protocol). The number of fully completed surveys by experts was 35, and partial completion was obtained in 63 cases. All criteria were deemed significant/useful, with I-CVI coefficients ranging from 0.87 to 0.97. Similarly, the importance of all criteria was confirmed, as all I-CVI coefficients were greater than 0.78 (ranging from 0.83 to 0.97). The average I-CVI score for the ten considered criteria in terms of usefulness/significance and importance exceeded 0.9, indicating high validity of the tool/protocol/acronym. Based on the survey results and analysis of responses provided by experts, a second version was created, incorporating additional explanations. In Criterion 10, an explanation was added—“Signs of life”—during conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ROSC, motor response during CPR). It has been shown that the acronym CALL TO ECLS, according to experts, is accurate and contains the necessary content, and can serve as a system to facilitate communication between the pre-hospital environment and specialized units responsible for qualifying patients for the ECPR.