This single-center retrospective study included 74 patients with presumed traumatic cardiac arrest who underwent cardiac POCUS during initial resuscitation. Two of 17 patients with cardiac activity survived to discharge; both ultimately had medical rather than traumatic etiologies. None of 57 patients without cardiac activity survived to discharge (95% CI, 0–6.3%). Cardiac activity was associated with greater survival to admission (OR, 49.8; 95% CI, 5.5–446.9), but the discharge association was not statistically significant (OR, 18.6; 95% CI, 0.84–406.7); resuscitation duration and hospital charges were also higher.
Cardiac activity on POCUS was associated with admission survival, but evidence for discharge survival was inconclusive. These findings do not establish ultrasound findings as a stand-alone basis for resuscitation decisions.
Study limitation: The small, single-center retrospective cohort included only patients receiving POCUS, and both discharge survivors ultimately had nontraumatic etiologies.
AI-generated from the published abstract with automated source checks. For research discovery; consult the original paper before applying findings.