post cardiac arrest prognosis predictors

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The prognosis of patients with postanoxic coma (PAC) after cardiac arrest is a challenging task for clinicians. The need for early and accurate prognostic predictors is crucial. Treatment with therapeutic hypothermia and sedation alters the reliability of neurological examination. Considering the extensive literature existing on this topic, we aimed to provide a practical approach on how to predict outcome in patients with PAC, particularly in those treated with therapeutic hypothermia...

INTRODUCTION: Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is standard of care after ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest (CA). Continuous EEG monitoring (cEEG) is increasingly used during TH. Analysis regarding value of cEEG utilization in this population in the context of cost and outcome has not been performed. We compared outcome and EEG charges in CA patients with selective versus routine cEEG. METHODS: A protocol for TH after CA without routine cEEG was implemented in December 2005, comprising our TH-pre-cEEG cohort...

Early predictors of prognosis in comatose patients post cardiac arrest help inform decisions surrounding continuation or withdrawal of treatment and provide a framework on which to better inform relatives of the likely outcome. Markers defined prior to the widespread use of therapeutic hypothermia post arrest may no longer be reliable and an up-to-date analysis of the literature is presented.