Post-resuscitation care of patients with return of spontaneous circulation after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest at the emergency department

Introduction: Out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrest (OHCA) is a major public health challenge and post-return-of-spontaneous-circulation (ROSC) goals have shifted from just survival to survival with intact neurology. Although post-ROSC care is crucial for survival with intact neurology, there are insuffici...

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Main Authors: Jing Kai Jackie Lam, Jen Heng Pek
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer – Medknow Publications 2025-02-01
Series:Singapore Medical Journal
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Online Access:https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/singaporemedj.SMJ-2021-354
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author Jing Kai Jackie Lam
Jen Heng Pek
author_facet Jing Kai Jackie Lam
Jen Heng Pek
author_sort Jing Kai Jackie Lam
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrest (OHCA) is a major public health challenge and post-return-of-spontaneous-circulation (ROSC) goals have shifted from just survival to survival with intact neurology. Although post-ROSC care is crucial for survival with intact neurology, there are insufficient well-established protocols for post-resuscitation care. We aimed to evaluate post-resuscitation care in the emergency department (ED) of adult (aged ≥16 years) OHCA patients with sustained ROSC and its associated neurologically intact survival. Methods: A retrospective review of electronic medical records was conducted for OHCA patients with sustained ROSC at the ED. Data including demographics, pre-hospital resuscitation, ED resuscitation, post-resuscitation care and eventual outcomes were analysed. Results: Among 921 OHCA patients, 85 (9.2%) had sustained ROSC at the ED. Nineteen patients (19/85, 22.4%) survived, with 13 (13/85, 15.3%) having intact neurology at discharge. Electrocardiogram and chest X-ray were performed in all OHCA patients, whereas computed tomography (CT) was performed inconsistently, with CT brain being most common (74/85, 87.1%), while CT pulmonary angiogram (6/85, 7.1%), abdomen and pelvis (4/85, 4.7%) and aortogram (2/85, 2.4%) were done infrequently. Only four patients (4.7%) had all five neuroprotective goals of normoxia, normocarbia, normotension, normothermia and normoglycaemia achieved in the ED. The proportion of all five neuroprotective goals being met was significantly higher (P = 0.01) among those with neurologically intact survival (3/13, 23.1%) than those without (1/72, 1.4%). Conclusion: Post-resuscitation care at the ED showed great variability, indicating gaps between recommended guidelines and clinical practice. Good quality post-resuscitation care, centred around neuroprotection goals, must be initiated promptly to achieve meaningful survival with intact neurology.
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spelling doaj-art-6c7bc01f175542ef90d9ff7f570fed2d2025-08-20T02:04:49ZengWolters Kluwer – Medknow PublicationsSingapore Medical Journal0037-56752737-59352025-02-01662667210.4103/singaporemedj.SMJ-2021-354Post-resuscitation care of patients with return of spontaneous circulation after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest at the emergency departmentJing Kai Jackie LamJen Heng PekIntroduction: Out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrest (OHCA) is a major public health challenge and post-return-of-spontaneous-circulation (ROSC) goals have shifted from just survival to survival with intact neurology. Although post-ROSC care is crucial for survival with intact neurology, there are insufficient well-established protocols for post-resuscitation care. We aimed to evaluate post-resuscitation care in the emergency department (ED) of adult (aged ≥16 years) OHCA patients with sustained ROSC and its associated neurologically intact survival. Methods: A retrospective review of electronic medical records was conducted for OHCA patients with sustained ROSC at the ED. Data including demographics, pre-hospital resuscitation, ED resuscitation, post-resuscitation care and eventual outcomes were analysed. Results: Among 921 OHCA patients, 85 (9.2%) had sustained ROSC at the ED. Nineteen patients (19/85, 22.4%) survived, with 13 (13/85, 15.3%) having intact neurology at discharge. Electrocardiogram and chest X-ray were performed in all OHCA patients, whereas computed tomography (CT) was performed inconsistently, with CT brain being most common (74/85, 87.1%), while CT pulmonary angiogram (6/85, 7.1%), abdomen and pelvis (4/85, 4.7%) and aortogram (2/85, 2.4%) were done infrequently. Only four patients (4.7%) had all five neuroprotective goals of normoxia, normocarbia, normotension, normothermia and normoglycaemia achieved in the ED. The proportion of all five neuroprotective goals being met was significantly higher (P = 0.01) among those with neurologically intact survival (3/13, 23.1%) than those without (1/72, 1.4%). Conclusion: Post-resuscitation care at the ED showed great variability, indicating gaps between recommended guidelines and clinical practice. Good quality post-resuscitation care, centred around neuroprotection goals, must be initiated promptly to achieve meaningful survival with intact neurology.https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/singaporemedj.SMJ-2021-354emergencyout-of-hospital cardiac arrestresuscitationreturn of spontaneous circulationsurvival
spellingShingle Jing Kai Jackie Lam
Jen Heng Pek
Post-resuscitation care of patients with return of spontaneous circulation after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest at the emergency department
Singapore Medical Journal
emergency
out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
resuscitation
return of spontaneous circulation
survival
title Post-resuscitation care of patients with return of spontaneous circulation after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest at the emergency department
title_full Post-resuscitation care of patients with return of spontaneous circulation after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest at the emergency department
title_fullStr Post-resuscitation care of patients with return of spontaneous circulation after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest at the emergency department
title_full_unstemmed Post-resuscitation care of patients with return of spontaneous circulation after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest at the emergency department
title_short Post-resuscitation care of patients with return of spontaneous circulation after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest at the emergency department
title_sort post resuscitation care of patients with return of spontaneous circulation after out of hospital cardiac arrest at the emergency department
topic emergency
out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
resuscitation
return of spontaneous circulation
survival
url https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/singaporemedj.SMJ-2021-354
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