Moudgil G1,2, Darlington C1,2 Fox J2 Attokaran AG1,2
1Intensive Care Unit, Rockhampton Base Hospital, Rockhampton 2Rural Clinical School, Rockhampton, University of Queensland
Introduction
Suicide attempts by hanging are rising. The outcomes from near hanging presentations can vary from full neurological recovery to irreversible brain damage, or even brain death. The aim of this review is to identify parameters that can be used to predict patient outcomes in near hanging presentations.
Method/Description
A systematic search was undertaken using PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and Scopus databases. Articles were limited to English language, published between 1991 and June 2021. Two independent reviewers screened abstracts and full text papers to identify suitable articles for inclusion in the review. The inclusion criteria were primary research articles focused on outcomes following near hanging.
Results
A total of 299 articles were identified via database searching, of which 26 studies were included in this review. It was found that biochemical parameters such as lactatemia, acidosis and low bicarbonate levels were related with increased mortality and poor long term neurological outcomes. Furthermore, neurological predictors such as GCS = 3 and absence of pupillary light reflex were also useful in predicting lower mortality and poor neurological outcomes. Cardiac parameters such as presence of cardiac arrest was also useful in predicting increased mortality and poor neurological outcomes.
Consclusions
This scoping review has suggested quantifiable predictors including GCS, presence of cardiac arrest, pupillary light reflex and a range of biochemical parameters, that can be useful in predicting outcomes of near hanging presentations. Future studies, and our research group’s own subsequent hospital based study, can look towards investigating these trends in light of real-time hospital data, from country wide intensive care units.