Therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest caused by self-inflicted intoxication: a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology and outcomes of patients with therapeutic hypothermia after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) caused by self-inflicted intoxication.

METHODS: We performed a multicenter retrospective registry-based study of adult OHCA patients presenting to 24 hospitals over 6 years across South Korea. Data included demographics, resuscitation variables, postresuscitation variables, and self-inflicted intoxicants. Neurologic outcomes were categorized according to the Glasgow-Pittsburgh Cerebral Performance Categories (CPC) scale and were dichotomized as either good discharge outcomes (CPC 1 and 2) or poor discharge outcomes (CPC 3-5).

RESULTS: A total of 930 OHCA cases were identified, 24 (2.6%) of which were classified as cardiac arrest caused by acute intoxication. The mean age of cases was 57.2 ± 12.9 years. The mean time from collapse to return of spontaneous circulation was 35.4 ± 18.7 minutes. The presenting rhythm was pulseless electrical activity in 6 patients (25%) and asystole in 18 patients (75%). Eleven patients (46%) survived to hospital discharge, and of these, good discharge outcomes (CPC 1 and 2) were achieved in 21% (5/24). For pesticide intoxication, the survival-to-discharge rate was 62% (8/13), and the rate of good neurologic outcome was 23% (3/13).

CONCLUSION: Patients with OHCA caused by self-inflicted intoxication represented 2.6% of all OHCA patients. They showed a high rate of unwitnessed cardiac arrest and a very low rate of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Pesticides were the main cause of cardiac arrest, and these cases had a very high discharge to survival rate.