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Background: Surrogates of incapacitated patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) face decisions related to life-sustaining treatments. Decisional conflict is understudied., Objectives: To compare experiences of ICU surrogates by reported level of decisional conflict related to treatment decisions after a patient's cardiac arrest preceding death., Methods: Convergent mixed methods were used. Bereaved surrogates recruited from a single northeastern US academic medical center completed surveys including the low-literacy Decisional Conflict Scale (moderate-to-high cut point >25) and individual interviews about 1 month after the patient's death. Interview data were analyzed by directed and conventional content analysis. Surrogates were stratified by median total survey score, and interview findings were compared by decisional conflict level., Results: Of 16 surrogates, 7 reported some decisional conflict (median survey score, 0; range, 0-25). About two-thirds decided to withdraw treatments. Three themes emerged from interviews: 2 reflecting decision-making experiences ("the ultimate act"; "the legacy of clinician communication") and 1 reflecting bereavement experiences ("I wish there was a handbook"). Surrogates reporting decisional conflict included those who first pursued but later withdrew treatments after a patient's in-hospital cardiac arrest. Surrogates with decisional conflict described suboptimal support, poor medical understanding, and lack of clarity about patients' treatment preferences., Conclusions: These findings provide insight into bereaved ICU surrogates' experiences. The low overall survey scores may reflect retrospective measurement. Surrogates who pursued treatment were underrepresented. Novel approaches to support bereaved surrogates are warranted., (©2024 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.)

Purpose: Cognitive function is often impaired for cardiac arrest (CA) survivors due to hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Whether cognitive impairment at hospital discharge is associated with recovery defined as functional status and fatigue measured at 1-month post-discharge is not known., Methods: Consecutive CA patients admitted at an academic center (May 14, 2021-June 23, 2023) were assessed for cognitive impairment (modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status, TICS-m < 33) and depressive symptoms (8-item Patient Health Questionnaire) at hospital discharge. Poor functional status (primary outcome; modified Rankin Scale, mRS > 3) and fatigue severity (patient-reported outcome; Modified Fatigue Impact Scale) were assessed 1-month post-discharge. Hierarchical regressions tested associations of cognitive function with outcomes., Results: Of 112 participants (mean age 54.4 ± 14.8; 38% female; 43% White race, 20% Black race, 29% Hispanic ethnicity) completing discharge TICS-m, 63 (56%) had indicated cognitive impairment, and 68 (61%) had poor 1-month functional outcome. Worse discharge cognitive function was independently associated with a higher risk of poor 1-month functional outcome (OR = 0.88, 95% CI [0.79, 0.98], p = 0.02) after adjusting for age, education, sex, race, ethnicity, length of hospital stay, comorbidities, and depressive symptoms. Fatigue severity lacked significant associations with cognitive function, but was associated with depressive symptoms (B = 1.03 [0.00, 2.05], p = 0.04)., Conclusion: Cognitive function at discharge after CA was significantly and independently associated with functional outcome 1 month after hospital discharge. Psychological distress contributed to fatigue severity. This highlights the need for screening and addressing cognitive and emotional problems pre-hospital discharge., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Non-shockable initial rhythm is a known risk factor for high mortality at cardiac arrest (CA). However, knowledge on its association with self-reported health in CA survivors is still incomplete., Aim: To examine the associations between initial rhythm and self-reported health in CA survivors., Methods: This nationwide study used data from the Swedish Register for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation 3-6 months post CA. Health status was measured using EQ-5D-5L and psychological distress by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Kruskal-Wallis test was used to examine differences in self-reported health between groups of different initial rhythms. To control for potential confounders, age, sex, place of CA, aetiology, witnessed status, time to CPR, time to defibrillation, and neurological function were included as covariates in multiple regression analyses for continuous and categorical outcomes., Results: The study included 1783 adult CA survivors. Overall, the CA survivors reported good health status and symptoms of anxiety or depression were uncommon (13.7% and 13.9% respectively). Survivors with PEA and asystole reported significantly more problems in all dimensions of health status (p = 0.037 to p < 0.001), anxiety (p = 0.034), and depression (p = 0.017) compared to VT/VF. Overall, these differences did not remain in the adjusted regression analyses., Conclusions: Initial rhythm is not associated with self-reported health when potential confounders are controlled. Initial rhythm seems to be an indicator of unfavourable factors causing the arrest, or factors related to characteristics and treatment. Therefore, initial rhythm may be used as a proxy for identifying patients at risk for poor outcomes such as worse health status and psychological distress., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Cardiac arrest is a life-threatening condition requiring urgent medical care and is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Given that in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) is still poorly investigated, data on health-associated quality of life thereafter remains scarce. The available evidence is mostly transferred from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest studies, but the epidemiology and determinants of success might be different. The aim of the study was to investigate the change in the quality of life after in-hospital cardiac arrest and to identify potential risk factors for a poor outcome., Material and Methods: This retrospective analysis of data and prospective evaluation of quality of life included all patients surviving an IHCA and being treated by the emergency medical team between 2010 and 2020. The primary endpoint of the study was the quality of life after IHCA at the reference date. Secondary endpoints covered determination of risk factors and predictors of poor outcome after in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation., Results: In total 604 patients were resuscitated within the period of 11 years and 61 (10%) patients survived until the interview took place. Finally, 48 (79%) patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and 31 (65%) were included in the study. There was no significant difference in the quality of life before and after cardiac arrest (EQ-5D-5L utility 0.79 vs. 0.78, p = 0.567) and in the EQ-5D-5L visual analogue scale (VAS) score., Conclusion: The quality of life before and after IHCA in survivors was good and comparable. The quality of life was mostly affected by reduced mobility and anxiety/depression. Future studies with larger patient samples should focus on potentially modifiable factors that could prevent, warn, and limit the consequences of in-hospital cardiac arrest. Moreover, research on outcomes of IHCA should include available tools for the quality of life assessment., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: While sudden cardiac arrest (CA) survivors are at risk for developing psychiatric disorders, little is known about the impact of preexisting mental health conditions on long-term survival or postacute healthcare utilization. We examined the prevalence of preexisting psychiatric conditions in CA patients who survived hospital discharge, characterized incidence and reason for inpatient psychiatry consultation during these patients' acute hospitalizations, and determined the association of pre-CA depression and anxiety with hospital readmission rates and long-term survival. We hypothesized that prior depression or anxiety would be associated with higher hospital readmission rates and lower long-term survival., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study including patients resuscitated from in- and out-of-hospital CA who survived both admission and discharge from a single hospital between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2017. We identified patients from our prospective registry, then performed a structured chart review to abstract past psychiatric history, prescription medications for psychiatric conditions, and identify inpatient psychiatric consultations. We used administrative data to identify readmissions within 1 year and vital status through December 31, 2020. We used multivariable Cox regressions controlling for patient demographics, medical comorbidities, discharge Cerebral Performance Category and disposition, depression, and anxiety history to predict long-term survival and hospital readmission., Results: We included 684 subjects. Past depression or anxiety was noted in 24% ( n  = 162) and 19% ( n  = 129) of subjects. A minority of subjects ( n  = 139, 20%) received a psychiatry consultation during the index hospitalization. Overall, 262 (39%) subjects had at least 1 readmission within 1 year. Past depression was associated with an increased hazard of hospital readmission (hazard ratio 1.50, 95% CI 1.11-2.04), while past anxiety was not associated with readmission. Neither depression nor anxiety were independently associated with long-term survival., Conclusions: Depression is an independent risk factor for hospital readmission in CA survivors., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Patients discharged from intensive care are at risk for post-intensive care syndrome (PICS), which consists of physical, psychological, and/or neurological impairments. This study aimed to analyze PICS at 24 months follow-up, to identify potential risk factors for PICS, and to assess health-related quality of life in a long-term cohort of adult cardiac arrest survivors. This prospective cohort study included adult cardiac arrest survivors admitted to the intensive care unit of a Swiss tertiary academic medical center. The primary endpoint was the prevalence of PICS at 24 months follow-up, defined as impairments in physical (measured through the European Quality of Life 5-Dimensions-3-Levels instrument [EQ-5D-3L]), neurological (defined as Cerebral Performance Category Score > 2 or Modified Rankin Score > 3), and psychological (based on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised) domains. Among 107 cardiac arrest survivors that completed the 2-year follow-up, 46 patients (43.0%) had symptoms of PICS, with 41 patients (38.7%) experiencing symptoms in the physical domain, 16 patients (15.4%) in the psychological domain, and 3 patients (2.8%) in the neurological domain. Key predictors for PICS in multivariate analyses were female sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.17, 95% CI 1.08 to 9.3), duration of no-flow interval during cardiac arrest (minutes) (aOR 1.17, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.33), post-discharge job-loss (aOR 31.25, 95% CI 3.63 to 268.83), need for ongoing psychological support (aOR 3.64, 95% CI 1.29 to 10.29) or psychopharmacologic treatment (aOR 9.49, 95% CI 1.9 to 47.3), and EQ-visual analogue scale (points) (aOR 0.88, 95% CI 0.84 to 0.93). More than one-third of cardiac arrest survivors experience symptoms of PICS 2 years after resuscitation, with the highest impairment observed in the physical and psychological domains. However, long-term survivors of cardiac arrest report intact health-related quality of life when compared to the general population. Future research should focus on appropriate prevention, screening, and treatment strategies for PICS in cardiac arrest patients., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Aim: To inform screening, referral and treatment initiatives, we tested the hypothesis that emotional distress, social support, functional dependence, and cognitive impairment within 72 hours prior to discharge predict readiness for discharge in awake and alert cardiac arrest (CA) survivors., Methods: This was a secondary analysis of a prospective single-center cohort of CA survivors enrolled between 4/2021 and 9/2022. We quantified emotional distress using the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-5 and PROMIS Emotional Distress - Anxiety and Depression Short Forms 4a; perceived social support using the ENRICHD Social Support Inventory; functional dependence using the modified Rankin Scale; and cognitive impairment using the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. Our primary outcome was readiness for discharge, measured using the Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale. We used multivariable linear regression to test the independent association of each survivorship factor and readiness for discharge., Results: We included 110 patients (64% male, 88% white, mean age 59 [standard deviation ± 13.1 years]). Emotional distress, functional dependence, and social support were independently associated with readiness for discharge (adjusted β's [absolute value]: 0.25-0.30, all p < 0.05)., Conclusions: Hospital systems should consider implementing routine in-hospital screening for emotional distress, social support, and functional dependence for CA survivors who are awake, alert and approaching hospital discharge, and prioritize brief in hospital treatment or post-discharge referrals., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To review qualitative studies on the experience of sudden cardiac arrest survival from the perspective of both survivors and their key supporters, including family/close friends., Methods: A seven-step meta-ethnography and synthesis of qualitative evidence was undertaken, informed by the Meta-Ethnography Reporting Guidelines (eMERGe). Four major databases were searched (Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO; January 1995-January 2022, updated July 2023) for qualitative studies exploring survivors' and/or key supporters' experiences of cardiac arrest survival. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation - Confidence in Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research (GRADE-CERQual) were applied to evaluate the overall confidence in research findings. Constructs were identified from each paper, informing theme and sub-theme development., Results: From 15,917 unique titles/abstracts and 196 full-text articles, 32 met the inclusion criteria. Three themes captured the survivors' experiences: 1) Making sense of my cardiac arrest; 2) Learning to trust my body and mind; and 3) Re-evaluating my life. A further three themes reflected key supporters' experiences: 1) Emotional turmoil; 2) Becoming a carer: same person but different me; and 3) Engaging with a new and unknown world. However, limited data and some methodological weaknesses in included studies reduced confidence in several themes. The findings were conceived within the overarching concept of 'negotiating a new normal'., Conclusions: The enduring psychosocial and physical sequelae of cardiac arrest survival substantially impacts the lives of survivors and their key supporters, requiring negotiation of their 'new normality'. The need for sense-making, physical and psychological recovery, and the new roles for key supporters should be strong considerations in the development of future interventions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Cardiac arrest (CA) survivors experience continuous exposures to potential traumas though chronic cognitive, physical and emotional sequelae and enduring somatic threats (ESTs) (i.e., recurring somatic traumatic reminders of the event). Sources of ESTs can include the daily sensation of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), ICD-delivered shocks, pain from rescue compressions, fatigue, weakness, and changes in physical function. Mindfulness, defined as non-judgmental present-moment awareness, is a teachable skill that might help CA survivors cope with ESTs. Here we describe the severity of ESTs in a sample of long-term CA survivors and explore the cross-sectional relationship between mindfulness and severity of ESTs., Methods: We analyzed survey data of long-term CA survivors who were members of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation (collected 10-11/2020). We assessed ESTs using 4 cardiac threat items from the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-revised (items range from 0 "very little" to 4 "very much") which we summed to create a score reflecting total EST burden (range 0-16). We assessed mindfulness using the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised. First, we summarized the distribution of EST scores. Second, we used linear regression to describe the relationship between mindfulness and EST severity adjusting for age, gender, time since arrest, COVID-19-related stress, and loss of income due to COVID., Results: We included 145 CA survivors (mean age: 51 years, 52% male, 93.8% white, mean time since arrest: 6 years, 24.1% scored in the upper quarter of EST severity). Greater mindfulness (β: -30, p = 0.002), older age (β: -0.30, p = 0.01) and longer time since CA (β: -0.23, p = 0.005) were associated with lower EST severity. Male sex was also associated with greater EST severity (β: 0.21, p = 0.009)., Conclusion: ESTs are common among CA survivors. Mindfulness may be a protective skill that CA survivors use to cope with ESTs. Future psychosocial interventions for the CA population should consider using mindfulness as a core skill to reduce ESTs., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: International guidelines recommend early screening for identification of patients who are at risk of long-term cognitive impairments after cardiac arrest. However, information about predictors is not provided. A systematic review of the literature was performed to identify early predictors of long-term cognitive outcome after cardiac arrest., Methods: Scopus and PubMed were systematically searched to identify studies on early predictors of long-term cognitive outcome in patients after cardiac arrest. The population included adult cardiac arrest survivors and potential early predictors were demographics, early cognitive screening scores, imaging measures, electroencephalographic measures, and levels of blood biomarkers. Two investigators reviewed studies for relevance, extracted data and assessed risk of bias., Results: Five articles were included. Risk of bias was assessed as low or moderate. Most detected longterm cognitive impairments were in the domain of memory. Coma duration (2 studies), early cognitive impairments by the self-developed clinical Bedside Neuropsychological Test Battery (BNTB) screener (2 studies), and high S-100B levels on day 3 (2 studies) were the most prominent identified determinants of cognitive impairment on the group level. On the individual patient level, a score on the BNTB of ≤ 94.5 predicted cognitive impairments at 6 months after cardiac arrest (1 study without external validation). Studies on brain imaging and electroencephalography are lacking., Conclusion: Early bedside cognitive screening can contribute to prediction of long-term cognitive impairment after cardiac arrest. Evidence is scarce for S-100B levels and coma duration and absent for measures derived from brain imaging and electroencephalography.

Identifying correlates of psychological symptoms in cardiac arrest (CA) survivors is a major research priority. In this longitudinal survey study, we evaluated associations between mindfulness, baseline psychological symptoms, and 1-year psychological symptoms in long-term CA survivors. We collected demographic and CA characteristics at baseline. At both timepoints, we assessed posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS) through the PTSD Checklist-5 (PCL-5) and depression and anxiety symptoms through the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4). At follow-up, we assessed mindfulness through the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised (CAMS-R). We used adjusted linear regression to predict 1-year PCL-5 and PHQ-4 scores, with particular consideration of the CAMS-R as a cross-sectional correlate of outcome. We included 129 CA survivors (mean age: 52 years, 52% male, 98% white). At 1-year follow-up, in adjusted models, CAMS-R (β: -0.35, p < 0.001) and baseline PCL-5 scores (β: 0.56, p < 0.001) were associated with 1-year PCL-5 scores. CAMS-R (β: -0.34, p < 0.001) and baseline PHQ-4 scores were associated with 1-year PHQ-4 scores (β: 0.37, p < 0.001). In conclusion, mindfulness was inversely associated with psychological symptoms in long-term CA survivors. Future studies should examine the longitudinal relationship of mindfulness and psychological symptoms after CA., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

We aimed to elucidate gaps in the provision of cognitive and psychological resources in cardiac arrest survivors. We conducted an online survey study between October 29, 2019, and November 15, 2019 with cardiac arrest survivors and caregiver members of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation. We queried survivors as to whether they experienced cognitive or psychological symptoms since their cardiac arrest. Next, we queried both survivors and caregivers on the provision of resources through three metrics: (1) discussions with providers about potential cognitive or psychological symptoms, (2) neurologist or psychologist appointments scheduled by providers, and (3) mental health referrals by providers. We then ran Chi-square goodness-of-fit tests to compare the proportion of survivors and caregivers who reported resource provision (observed values) to the proportion of survivors who reported experiencing cognitive and psychological symptoms, respectively (expected values). We included responses from 167 survivors and 52 caregivers. A total of 73.1% ( n  = 122) survivors reported experiencing cognitive symptoms and 67.1% ( n  = 112) psychological symptoms since their cardiac arrest. When compared to these two proportions, provision of resources was significantly lower in all three metrics: (1) fewer discussions with providers about potential for developing cognitive symptoms (31%) and psychological symptoms (26.3%), (2) fewer neurologist appointments scheduled (8.4%) and psychologist appointments scheduled (4.8%), and (3) fewer referrals to mental health (6%). Informal caregivers also reported significantly lower provision of resources in all three metrics, with the exception of discussions about developing cognitive symptoms. Our results suggest that there are discrepancies in the provision of cognitive and psychological resources in cardiac arrest survivors with good neurologic recovery. Systematic referral processes may be needed to standardize resource provision to consistently meet the pervasive cognitive and psychological needs of cardiac arrest survivors.

Pediatric asphyxial cardiac arrest (ACA) often leaves children with physical, cognitive, and emotional disabilities that affect overall quality of life, yet rehabilitation is neither routinely nor systematically provided. Environmental enrichment (EE) is considered a preclinical model of neurorehabilitation and thus we sought to investigate its efficacy in our established model of pediatric ACA. Male Sprague-Dawley rat pups (post-natal day 16-18) were randomly assigned to ACA (9.5 min) or Sham injury. After resuscitation, the rats were assigned to 21 days of EE or standard (STD) housing during which time motor, cognitive, and anxiety-like (i.e., affective) outcomes were assessed. Hippocampal CA 1 cells were quantified on post-operative day-22. Both ACA + STD and ACA + EE performed worse on beam-balance vs. Sham controls (p < 0.05) and did not differ from one another overall (p > 0.05); however, a single day analysis on the last day of testing revealed that the ACA + EE group performed better than the ACA + STD group (p < 0.05) and did not differ from the Sham controls (p > 0.05). Both Sham groups performed better than ACA + STD (p < 0.05) but did not differ from ACA + EE (p > 0.05) in the open field test. Spatial learning and declarative memory were improved and CA 1 neuronal loss was attenuated in the ACA + EE vs. ACA + STD group (p < 0.05). Collectively, the data suggest that providing rehabilitation after pediatric ACA can reduce histopathology and improve motor and cognitive ability., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Competing interests: none declared.

Background: Risk perceptions influence patient engagement with treatment recommendations, yet it is unknown whether patients with a cardiac inherited disease (CID) hold accurate risk perceptions. The study aimed to examine whether CID patients' and clinician's risk perceptions correlate and factors associated with patient perceptions., Methods: 202 CID patients (of 618 [36%]) participated in a postal survey assessing perceived risk of aborted cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death (ACA/SCD). Median age was 53 (16 to 83 years); 86 had Long QT Syndrome (LQTS), 69 had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, 12 had dilated cardiomyopathy, and 27 had 'other'. Clinical and genetic characteristics were collected from the CID registry; clinical estimate of 5-year risk was determined for LQTS participants (n = 77) using a combination of cardiac arrest or syncope history, maximal QTc length, age, sex and genotype., Results: Patients' risk perceptions of ACA/SCD ranged from 0 to 100%, (median 20%). Greater risk perceptions were associated with: non-New Zealand (NZ) Europeans (p < 0.01), probands (p < 0.05), reporting more physical symptoms (including those unrelated to CID) (p < 0.01), and more symptoms of anxiety (p < 0.05). Median risk assessment by LQTS patients was 15%, and by the clinician was 4.5%. No association was found between patient and clinician assessments of risk (r s  = 0.13, ns), 56% of LQTS patients overestimated their risk, 14% underestimated and 30% were accurate., Conclusion: Cardiac inherited disease patients' risk perceptions correlate poorly with those of the clinician. Patients overestimating risk tend to have physical symptoms usually unrelated to their CID, and underlying anxiety. Techniques to better communicate risk are needed., (Copyright © 2019 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: There is a lack of knowledge about factors associated with health-related quality of life in cardiac arrest survivors and their spouses. In addition, survivors and spouses are likely to affect each other's health-related quality of life., Aims: The aim was to investigate if a distressed personality and perceived control among cardiac arrest survivors and their spouses were associated with their own and their partner's health-related quality of life., Methods: This dyadic cross-sectional study used the actor-partner interdependence model to analyse associations between a distressed personality (type D personality), perceived control (control attitudes scale), and health-related quality of life (EQ index and EQ visual analogue scale)., Results: In total, 126 dyads were included in the study. Type D personality and perceived control in cardiac arrest survivors were associated with their own health-related quality of life. In their spouses, a significant association was found for type D personality but not for perceived control. In addition, type D personality and perceived control in survivors were associated with health-related quality of life in their spouses., Conclusions: Type D personality and perceived control are factors that might be considered during post cardiac arrest, because of the associations with health-related quality of life in survivors and spouses. More research is needed to test psychosocial interventions in the cardiac arrest population in order to improve health-related quality of life.

Objective: Patients and clinicians need to have similar understandings of cardiac risk, so patients can make informed decisions. The aim of this study was to assess the concordance of risk estimates between Long-QT-Syndrome (LQTS) patients and an experienced clinician., Methods: This cross-sectional study included 86 LQTS patients recruited from a clinical registry. Participants completed two questions on their risk of cardiac arrest; likelihood (1=very-unlikely to 5=very-likely), and chance (%), and an experienced clinician computed the same based on risk factors., Results: 30% and 55% of patients had concordant perceptions with the clinician estimate on the chance and likelihood questions respectively. The patients who overestimated their risk (%) had significantly greater emotional responses and concerns about their LQTS. 22 (29%) patients reported a risk of 50% or greater, in contrast to the clinician's risk estimates not exceeding 30%., Conclusion: Many LQTS patients had discordant risk perceptions to the clinician's. Patients and clinicians may have different frames of reference, and patients' estimates are linked with emotions., Practical Implications: Clinicians need to take into account LQTS patients' different frame of reference when discussing risk information. This will support shared decision making., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The improvement in cardiopulmonary resuscitation quality has reduced the mortality of individuals treated for cardiac arrest. However, survivors have a high risk of severe brain damage in cases of return of spontaneous circulation. Data suggest that cases of cardiac arrest in critically ill patients with non-shockable rhythms have only a 6% chance of returning of spontaneous circulation, and of these, only one-third recover their autonomy. Should we, therefore, opt for a procedure in which the chance of survival is minimal and the risk of hospital death or severe and definitive brain damage is approximately 70%? Is it worth discussing patient resuscitation in cases of cardiac arrest? Would this discussion bring any benefit to the patients and their family members? Advanced discussions on do-not-resuscitate are based on the ethical principle of respect for patient autonomy, as the wishes of family members and physicians often do not match those of patients. In addition to the issue of autonomy, advanced discussions can help the medical and care team anticipate future problems and, thus, better plan patient care. Our opinion is that discussions regarding the resuscitation of critically ill patients should be performed for all patients within the first 24 to 48 hours after admission to the intensive care unit.

Introduction: Witnessing traumatic experiences can cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The true impact on healthcare staff of attending in-hospital cardiac arrests (IHCAs) has not been studied. This cross-sectional study examined cardiac arrest debriefing practices and the burden of attending IHCAs on nursing and medical staff., Methods: A 33-item questionnaire-survey was sent to 517 doctors (of all grades), nurses and health-care assistants (HCAs) working in the emergency department, the acute medical unit and the intensive care unit of a district general hospital between April and August 2018. There were three sections: demographics; cardiac arrest and debriefing practices; trauma-screening questionnaire (TSQ)., Results: The response rate was 414/517 (80.1%); 312/414 (75.4%) were involved with IHCAs. Out of 1463 arrests, 258 (17.6%) were debriefed. Twenty-nine of 302 (9.6%) staff screened positively for PTSD. Healthcare assistants and Foundation Year 1 doctors had higher TSQ scores than nurses or more senior doctors (p = 0.02, p = 0.02, respectively). Debriefing was not associated with PTSD risk (p = 0.98). Only 8/67 (11.9%) of resuscitation leaders had prior debriefing training., Conclusions: Nearly 10% of acute care staff screened positively for PTSD as a result of attending an IHCA, with junior staff being most at risk of developing trauma symptoms. Very few debriefs occurred, possibly because of a lack of debrief training amongst cardiac arrest team leaders. More support is required for acute care nursing and medical staff following an IHCA., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Despite extensive knowledge and research in cardiac health there is limited understanding in how a cardiac arrest influences the life of long-term survivors., Objective: The aim of this study was to explore how long-term survivors of a cardiac arrest adjusted to their new reality, expressed in their re-storied narratives., Methods: Seven individuals surviving a cardiac arrest 5-26 years ago were interviewed through in-depth conversations over a six-month period. These interviews were analysed using Clandinin and Connelly's framework of narrative inquiry., Results: Seven threads were found: Disbelief, Surveillance of their body, Loss of control and desire for normality, Keeping fit and informing others, Gratefulness, Spirituality - luck and fate, and Fragility of life and dying., Conclusions: All seven long-term survivors of cardiac arrest expressed a positive attitude. Despite the nature of the cardiac arrest and the hurdles that followed, they have a heightened appreciation for life. This indicates that after the adaptation to their new reality of being a cardiac arrest survivor life returns to a new normality.

Background: Considerable evidence suggests that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a heterogeneous construct despite often being treated as a homogeneous diagnostic entity. PTSD in response to cardiac arrest is common and may differ from PTSD following other medical traumas. Most patients are amnesic from the cardiac event, and it is unclear if and how certain PTSD symptoms may manifest., Methods: We examined the latent structure of PTSD symptoms in 104 consecutive cardiac arrest survivors who were admitted to Columbia University Medical Center. PTSD symptoms were assessed via the PTSD Checklist-Specific at hospital discharge. We performed a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to compare 4-factor dysphoria, 4-factor numbing, and 5-factor dysphoric arousal models of PTSD with our data., Results: The CFA showed that each of the models had good fit. We chose the 4-factor numbing model (χ 2  (113) = 151.59, p < .01, CFI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.057, 90% CI: [0.032, 0.081]) as most representative of the data, after considering a between-factor correlation of 0.99 in the 5-factor dysphoric arousal model, and greater fit statistics than the 4-factor dysphoria model., Limitations: Certain factors were defined by only two items. Additionally, PTSD was assessed at discharge (median = 21 days); those assessed before 30 days could be displaying symptoms of acute stress disorder., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that PTSD symptoms after cardiac arrest are best represented by a 4-factor numbing model of PTSD. PTSD assessment and intervention efforts for cardiac arrest survivors should consider the underlying dimensions of PTSD., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Limited data exist about neurobehavioral outcomes of children treated with open-chest cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Our objective was to describe neurobehavioral outcomes 1 year after arrest among children who received open-chest CPR during in-hospital cardiac arrest and to explore factors associated with 1-year survival and survival with good neurobehavioral outcome., Methods: The study is a secondary analysis of the Therapeutic Hypothermia after Pediatric Cardiac Arrest In-Hospital Trial. Fifty-six children who received open-chest CPR for in-hospital cardiac arrest were included. Neurobehavioral status was assessed using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition (VABS-II) at baseline before arrest and 12 months after arrest. Norms for VABS-II are 100 ± 15 points. Outcomes included 12-month survival, 12-month survival with VABS-II decreased by no more than 15 points from baseline, and 12-month survival with VABS-II of 70 or more points., Results: Of 56 children receiving open-chest CPR, 49 (88%) were after cardiac surgery and 43 (77%) were younger than 1 year. Forty-four children (79%) were cannulated for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) during CPR or within 6 hours of return of spontaneous circulation. Thirty-three children (59%) survived to 12 months, 22 (41%) survived to 12 months with VABS-II decreased by no more than 15 points from baseline, and of the children with baseline VABS-II of 70 or more points 23 (51%) survived to 12 months with VABS-II of 70 or more points. On multivariable analyses, use of ECMO, renal replacement therapy, and higher maximum international normalized ratio were independently associated with lower 12-month survival with VABS-II of 70 or more points., Conclusions: Approximately one-half of children survived with good neurobehavioral outcome 1 year after open-chest CPR for in-hospital cardiac arrest. Use of ECMO and postarrest renal or hepatic dysfunction may be associated with worse neurobehavioral outcomes., (Copyright © 2019 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To determine the association of depressive and PTSD symptoms with cardiac arrest survivors' long-term recovery perceptions, after accounting for cognitive status, functional independence, and medical comorbidities., Methods: Perceived recovery of 78 cardiac arrest survivors at 6-months post-hospital discharge was assessed through the question, "Do you feel that you have made a complete recovery from your arrest?" Psychological symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale (CES-D) and the PTSD Checklist-Specific (PCLS). Logistic regression was utilized to assess the association between psychological symptoms with positive and negative recovery perceptions, adjusting for demographics, cognitive impairment, functional dependence, and medical comorbidities., Results: At 6 months, 53% of patients (n = 41) had negative recovery perceptions. 32.1% (n = 25) of patients screened for depression and 28.2% (n = 22) for PTSD. Patients with higher CES-D scores were significantly more likely to have negative recovery perceptions in both unadjusted and adjusted analyses (OR: 1.10, 95% CI [1.03, 1.16], p < .01). PCL-S scores were significantly associated with negative recovery perceptions in an unadjusted model (OR: 1.05, 95% CI [1.01, 1.10], p < .01), but not after adjustment of covariates., Conclusions: In contrast with cognitive and functional measures, depressive symptoms were strongly associated with cardiac arrest survivors' negative recovery perceptions at 6-months post-discharge., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors suffer from psychological distress and cognitive impairments. They experience existential insecurity and vulnerability and are striving to return to a life in which well-being and the meaning of life have partly changed. However, research highlighting the experiences of in-hospital cardiac arrest survivors is lacking. This means that evidence for postresuscitation care has largely been extrapolated from studies on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors, without considering potential group differences. Studies investigating survivors' experiences of an in-hospital cardiac arrest are therefore needed., Aim: To illuminate meanings of people's lived experiences of surviving an in-hospital cardiac arrest., Design: An explorative, phenomenological hermeneutic method to illuminate meanings of lived experiences., Method: Participants were identified through the Swedish national register of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and recruited from two hospitals. A purposive sample of eight participants, 53-99 years old, who survived an in-hospital cardiac arrest 1-3 years earlier, was interviewed., Findings: The survivors were striving to live in everyday life and striving for security. The struggle to reach a new identity meant an existence between restlessness and a peace of mind, searching for emotional well-being and bodily abilities. The search for existential wholeness meant a quest for understanding and explanation of the fragmented cardiac arrest event and its existential consequences. The transition from hospital to home meant a transition from care and protection to uncertainty and vulnerability with feelings of abandonment, which called for a search for security and belonging, away from isolation and loneliness., Conclusion: Surviving an in-hospital cardiac arrest can be further understood by means of the concept of hospital-to-home transition. Following hospital discharge, patients felt vulnerable and abandoned when pending between denial and acceptance of the 'new' life. Hence, the healthcare system should play a significant role when it comes to facilitate cardiac arrest survivors' security during hospital-to-home transition., (© 2018 Nordic College of Caring Science.)

Cerebral injury after cardiac arrest (CA)/cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has been implicated in the poor prognosis of CA survivors. This study was designed to evaluate the impact of melatonin on postresuscitation neurological outcomes and to explore the underlying mechanism. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to four groups: sham group, CPR group, melatonin pretreatment group (Pre-M) and posttreatment group (Post-M). For the last 2 groups, daily melatonin gavage was performed for 12 consecutive days before or 24 hours after rat survival from CA/CPR. No statistical differences were observed in heart rate (HR), mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), and end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) at baseline and after restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) among groups. However, melatonin pretreatment or posttreatment significantly improved neurological deficit score and memory and spatial learning ability after CA/CPR. Further studies demonstrated that the complex I- and complex-II supported mitochondrial respiration were greatly increased under melatonin treatment. In addition, melatonin treatment preserved the mitochondrial-binding hexokinase II (HKII) and ATP levels and suppressed the upregulated protein lysine acetylation in hippocampus after CA/CPR. In conclusion, using a rat asphyxial CA model we have demonstrated that treatment with melatonin either before or after CA/CPR provides a promising neuroprotective effect, and this protection was mediated by increasing mitochondrial HKII expression, suppressing protein acetylation and improving mitochondrial function in hippocampus., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Aim: To explore factors associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among cardiac arrest (CA) survivors treated with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) in relation to gender, and to compare their HRQoL with a general population., Methods: This cross-sectional study included 990 adults treated with an ICD after suffering CA. All participants received a questionnaire including demographics, comorbidities and instruments to measure HRQoL (EQ-5D-3L and HADS), ICD-related concerns (ICDC), perceived control (CAS), and type D personality (DS-14). HRQoL (EQ-5D-3L) was compared to a general Swedish population, matched for age and gender. Linear regression analyses were used to explore factors associated with HRQoL., Results: The CA survivors reported better HRQoL in EQ index and less pain/discomfort compared to the general population (p < 0.001). In contrast, they reported more problems in mobility and usual activities (p < 0.01). Problems with anxiety and depression were reported by 15.5% and 7.4% respectively. The following factors were independently associated with all aspects of worse HRQoL: being unemployed, suffering more comorbidity, perceiving less control, and having a type D personality. Further, being female and suffering ICD-related concerns were independently associated with worse HRQoL in three of the four final regression models., Conclusions: This extensive population-based study showed that most CA survivors living with an ICD rate their HRQoL as acceptable. In addition, their HRQoL is similar to a general population. Women reported worse HRQoL compared to men. Several factors associated with HRQoL were identified, and might be used when screening patients for health problems and when developing health promoting interventions., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Awareness during Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) also called CPR induced consciousness (CPRIC) is a rare, but increasingly reported condition with significant clinical implications. Health professionals lack guidelines about patients with CPRIC, and to this date, no studies have addressed the complexity of communication and ethical aspects when continuing CPR while the patient is conscious., Methods: We aim to explore Cardiac arrest team members perspectives regarding communication and ethical conflicts related to awareness during CPR. We have designed a qualitative, descriptive study using focus groups to discuss and reflect on patients with awareness during CPR. Focus groups consist of cardiac arrest team members (senior and training medical doctors, nurses and hospital porters). We will be presenting already published case reports about patients with CPRIC to focus groups to facilitate discussion and debate regarding the team members perceptions. Data analysis is inductive and based on systematic text condensation., Discussion: Previous studies have suggested that external stressors affect the performance of a Cardiac arrest team. As a result of our analysis, we will aim to describe communicative and ethical challenges and concerns regarding awareness during CPR. Recent studies in the area point to a desire for guidelines and we hope to contribute with knowledge, that can inform the further process when developing guidelines and training team members to handle these stressful and important cases., Trial Registration: The study involves no healthcare intervention on human participants.

Background: Current research demonstrates that debriefing staff post cardiac arrest in clinical practice is rare, with little evidence of effectiveness., Objectives: The aim of this pilot study was to identify the needs of ward based nurses for debriefing after involvement in a cardiac arrest and to identify any barriers to participating in debriefing., Methodology: An explorative qualitative study was undertaken with a purposive sample of seven nurses working on acute adult wards in a United Kingdom hospital. Data were collected by audio-recorded interviews and analysed using framework analysis., Findings: Two key themes emerged relating to the nurses debriefing needs post a cardiac arrest. Nurses expressed 'professional needs' to use the experience as an opportunity to learn and improve practice, and 'personal needs' for reassurance and validation. Nurses identified barriers to engaging in debriefing including lack of awareness and uncertainty about the role of a debrief, identifying time for debriefing and the lack of clear guidance from organisational protocols., Conclusion: Nurses make a distinction between 'professional' and 'personal needs' which may be met through debriefing. Debriefing is an untapped opportunity, which has the potential to be capitalised on after every cardiac arrest in order to improve care of patients and nurses., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: When faced with a patient in cardiac arrest, ambulance personnel must rapidly make complex decisions with limited information. Much of the research examining decisions to commence, continue, withhold or terminate resuscitation has used retrospective audits of registry data and clinical documentation. This study offers a provider-perspective which characterises uncertainty and highlights clinical, cognitive, emotional and physical demands associated with decision-making in the cardiac arrest context., Method: Semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of sixteen demographically diverse ambulance personnel, currently employed in a variety of emergency ambulance response roles across New Zealand., Results: All participants readily identified clinical, cognitive, emotional and ethical challenges associated with resuscitation decision-making. Four main themes were identified: grey areas; exceptional cases; scene challenges; and personal responses. A lack of information or a mix of favourable and unfavourable prognostic factors created decision-making uncertainty or "grey areas". Exceptional cases such as first-encounters also increased uncertainty and presented emotional, ethical and clinical challenges. Cardiac arrest scenes were often challenging, and participants described managing bystander expectations and responses and logistical limitations including adverse environmental conditions, fatigue and task-overload, and crew resource management., Conclusion: This unique research presents a provider-perspective on the challenges faced by ambulance personnel deciding to commence, continue, withhold or terminate resuscitation efforts. Knowledge of personal values and strategies for managing personal responses appear to be central to certainty and coping. Simulated training should move beyond resuscitation task performance, to incorporate challenging elements and encourage ambulance personnel to explore their personal values, stressors and coping strategies., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The incidence of cardiac arrest is high, with a poor survival rate of 8-14%. Currently, only limited evidence is available about long-term consequences of cardiac arrest on quality of life of caregivers., Aims: First, to determine the level of daily functioning and quality of life in caregivers of cardiac arrest survivors two years after the cardiac arrest. Second, to study the long-term impact of witnessing the event of a cardiac arrest., Methods: A longitudinal cohort study including caregivers of cardiac arrest survivors. Participants received a questionnaire at home. Outcome variables were instrumental daily activities(FAI), emotional functioning(HADS), fatigue(FSS), caregiver strain(CSI), impact of event(IES), and quality of life(SF36)., Results: 57 caregivers (89% female, age 56,9 ± 12 years) participated. Two years after the cardiac arrest, quality of life of caregivers equals that of the general population, although almost 30% still scored high on the Impact of Events Scale. Mean IES-, FSS-, CSI and FAI-scores were increased as compared to the general population (P < 0.001). Two years after the cardiac arrest, caregivers that witnessed the resuscitation (IES = 23.6 ± 14.9) still experienced significantly more trauma related stress than caregivers that did not witness the resuscitation (11.9 ± 12.5; p < 0.01)., Conclusions: Two years after the cardiac arrest, quality of life of caregivers is quite good, but almost one third of the caregivers still experience a high level of trauma-related stress, especially in those that witnessed the resuscitation. Future research will have to focus on the effectiveness of support programs for caregivers of survivors of cardiac arrest., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To test the hypothesis that posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms, not cognitive or functional impairment, are associated with cardiac arrest survivors' negative recovery perceptions at hospital discharge., Methods: Prospective observational cohort of cardiac arrest patients admitted between 9/2015-5/2017. Survival to discharge with sufficient mental status to complete a psychosocial interview was the main inclusion criterion. Perceived recovery was assessed through the question, "Do you feel that you have made a complete recovery from your arrest?" The following measures were examined as potential correlates of perceived recovery: Repeatable Battery for Assessment of Neuropsychological Status, Modified Lawton Physical Self-Maintenance Scale, Barthel Index, Modified Rankin Scale, Cerebral Performance Category, Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D), and PTSD Checklist-Specific (PCL-S). Logistic regression evaluated associations between perceived recovery and potential correlates of recovery., Results: 64/354 patients (58% men, 48% white, mean age 52 ± 17) were included. 67% (n = 43) had a negative recovery perception. There were no differences among patients' cognitive and functional domains. In individual models, patients with higher PCL-S and CES-D scores were more likely to have a negative recovery perception after adjusting for age and gender (OR: 1.2, 95% CI [1.1, 1.4], p = 0.003) and (OR: 1.1, 95% CI [1.0, 1.1], p = 0.05)., Conclusions: Within one month after a cardiac arrest event, survivors' negative recovery perceptions are associated with psychological distress., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The limitation of life-sustaining treatment is common practice in critical care units, and organ donation after circulatory death has come to be included as an option within this care plan. Lack of knowledge and misunderstandings can raise barriers between health-care providers (e.g., confusion about professional roles, lack of collaboration, doubts about the legality of the process, and not respecting patients' wishes in the decision-making process). The aim of the present study was to determine the knowledge and attitudes of intensive care physicians and nurses before and after a multidisciplinary online training program. A cross-sectional study was performed, and comparisons between the two groups were made using a χ 2 -test for categorical data and unpaired t-test or Mann-Whitney rank sum test for continuous data according to its distribution. Training benefited both professional categories, helping nurses to be more open-minded and willing to collaborate, while physicians became more aware of nurses' presence and the need to collaborate with them., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Objective: To describe caregiver burden among those whose children survive in-hospital cardiac arrest and have high risk of neurologic disability, and explore factors associated with burden during the first year post-arrest., Methods: The study is a secondary analysis of the Therapeutic Hypothermia after Paediatric Cardiac Arrest In-Hospital (THAPCA-IH) trial. 329 children who had an in-hospital cardiac arrest, chest compressions for >2 min, and mechanical ventilation after return of circulation were recruited to THAPCA-IH. Of these, 155 survived to one year, and caregivers of 138 were assessed for burden. Caregiver burden was assessed at baseline, and 3 and 12 months post-arrest using the Infant Toddler Quality of Life Questionnaire for children <5 years old and the Child Health Questionnaire for children >5 years. Child functioning was assessed using the Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales Second Edition (VABS-II), the Paediatric Overall Performance Category (POPC) and Paediatric Cerebral Performance Category (PCPC) scales, and caregiver perception of global functioning., Results: Of 138 children, 77 (55.8%) were male, 77 (55.8%) were white, and 109 (79.0%) were <5 years old at the time of arrest. Caregiver burden was greater than reference norms at all time points. Worse POPC, PCPC and VABS-II scores at 3 months post-arrest were associated with greater caregiver burden at 12 months. Worse global functioning at 3 months was associated with greater burden at 12 months for children <5 years., Conclusions: Caregiver burden is substantial during the first year after paediatric in-hospital cardiac arrest, and associated with the extent of the child's neurobehavioural dysfunction., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To show that subjective estimate of patient's condition is related to objective cognitive and functional outcome in cardiac arrest survivors., Design: Longitudinal cohort study., Setting: ICU and Neuropsychology Service in two hospitals in Switzerland., Patients: Fifty survivors included from a prospective cohort of 138 patients admitted at the ICU for cardiopulmonary arrest., Interventions: Comprehensive cognitive and functional evaluation at 6 months follow-up., Measurements and Main Results: Subjectively, 70% of survivors reported satisfactory recovery and 29% reported no complaints. Objectively, 76% were classified as good neurologic outcome (Cerebral Performance Category 1), 26% as having no symptoms (modified Rankin Scale 0), and 38% as upper good recovery (Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended 1). Cognitive assessment detected substantial cognitive impairment in 26%, primarily concerning processing speed, language, long-term memory, and executive functions. Subjective complaints severity correlated significantly with objective cognitive impairment (rS = 0.64; p < 0.001). Finally, patients reporting unsatisfactory recovery displayed lower functional scores than those reporting satisfactory recovery (e.g., quality of life satisfaction: 64% vs 81%; Z = 2.18; p = 0.03) and more cognitive impairment (three vs one cognitive domains impaired; Z = -3.21; p < 0.001), concerning in particular learning and long-term verbal and visual memory., Conclusions: Long-term subjective and objective outcome appears good in the majority of cardiac arrest survivors. Specific functional and cognitive impairments were found in patients reporting unsatisfactory recovery. Subjective recovery was strongly correlated with objective assessment.

Background: The survival rate of cardiac arrest patients is increasing. Our aim was to compare the quality of life before and after cardiac arrest and analyse the factors associated with outcome., Methods: All adult cardiac arrest patients admitted to the Tampere University Hospital intensive care unit between 2009 and 2011 were included in a retrospective follow-up study if surviving to discharge and were asked to return a questionnaire after 6 months. Data on patient demographics and pre-arrest quality of life were retrieved from medical records. Data are given as means (SD) or medians [Q 1 , Q 3 ]. We used logistic regression to identify factors associated with better quality of life after cardiac arrest., Results: Six months after cardiac arrest, 36% (79/222) were alive and 70% (55/79) of those patients completed the follow-up EuroQoL (EQ-5D) quality of life questionnaire. Median values for the EQ-5D before and after cardiac arrest were 0.89 [0.63, 1] and 0.89 [0.62, 1], respectively (P = 0.75). Only the EQ-5D prior to cardiac arrest was associated with better quality of life afterwards (OR 1.2; 95% CI 1.0-1.3; P = 0.02)., Conclusions: Quality of life remained good after cardiac arrest especially in those patients who had good quality of life before cardiac arrest., (© 2018 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aim: To examine gender differences among cardiac arrest (CA) survivors' cognitive, functional, and psychiatric outcomes at discharge., Methods: This is a prospective, observational cohort of 187 CA patients admitted to Columbia University Medical Center, considered for Targeted Temperature Management (TTM), and survived to hospital discharge between September 2015 and July 2017. Patients with sufficient mental status at hospital discharge to engage in the Repeatable Battery for Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), Modified Lawton Physical Self-Maintenance Scale (M-PSMS), Cerebral Performance Category Scale (CPC), Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist - Civilian Version (PCL-C) were included. Fisher's exact, Wilcoxon Rank Sum, and regression analysis were utilized., Results: 80 patients (38% women, 44% white, mean age 53 ± 17 years) were included. No significant gender differences were found for age, race, Charlson Comorbidity Index, premorbid CPC or psychiatric diagnoses, arrest related variables, discharge CPC, or PCL-C scores. Women had significantly worse RBANS (64.9 vs 74.8, p = .01), M-PSMS (13.6 vs 10.6, p = .02), and CES-D (22.8 vs 14.3, p = .02) scores. These significant differences were maintained in multivariate models after adjusting for age, initial rhythm, time to return of spontaneous circulation, and TTM., Conclusions: Women have worse cognitive, functional, and psychiatric outcomes at hospital discharge after cardiac arrest than men. Identifying factors contributing to these differences is of great importance in cardiac arrest outcomes research., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This manuscript summarizes the literature on mental health outcomes after cardiac arrest. Survivors of cardiac arrest show high rates of mental illness with more than 40% suffering from anxiety, 30% from depression, and 25% from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Mental health outcomes may differ depending on the setting in which the cardiac arrest occurred. A major problem is reduced neuropsychological functioning. Between 30% and 50% of survivors of cardiac arrest suffer from cognitive deficits. Deficits of attention, declarative memory, executive function, visual-spatial abilities, and verbal fluency have been observed. As a result of numerous psychopathological symptoms (depression in 14% to 45%, anxiety in 13% to 61%, and PTSD in 19% to 27%) and reduced cognitive functioning (about 20% to 60%), relevantly reduced quality of life is observed in about 20% of cardiac arrest survivors.

Near-death experiences (NDEs) refer to profound psychological events that can have an important impact on the experiencers' (NDErs) lives. Previous studies have shown that NDEs memories are phenomenologically rich. In the present study, we therefore aimed to extract the common themes (referred to as "features" in the NDE literature) reported by NDErs by analyzing all the concepts stored in the narratives of their experiences. A qualitative thematic analysis has been carried out on 34 cardiac arrest survivors' NDE narratives. Our results shed the light on the structure of the narratives by identifying 10 "time-bounded" themes which refer to isolated events encountered during the NDE and 1 "transversal" theme which characterizes the whole narrative and generally appears as a retrospective comment of self-reflection on the experience. The division of narratives into themes provides us with detailed information about the vocabulary used by NDErs to describe their experience. This established thematic method enables a rigorous description of the phenomenon, ensuring the inclusion of all self-reported manifestations of themes in narratives.

Aim: For those patients who suffer unfavourable outcome after survival of cardiac arrest, it is important to know whether this can be predicted at an early stage. Support can subsequently be provided. This study aimed to identify early prognostic factors of quality of life (QOL) and societal participation at one year post-cardiac arrest., Methods: The design was a prospective longitudinal cohort study following cardiac arrest survivors up to one year. Prognostic personal, injury-related, function-related and subjective outcome factors were selected and entered into a hierarchical regression model to assess whether they were predictive of QOL and societal participation at one year post-cardiac arrest., Results: Hundred and ten cardiac arrest survivors were included. Not having a partner, more functional limitations (at two weeks) and cognitive complaints were significantly predictive of lower physical QOL, while higher levels of anxiety and depression symptoms (at three months) were significant predictors of mental QOL. A neurological history and higher levels of anxiety and depression symptoms were significantly predictive of lower brain injury-specific QOL. Societal participation was only predicted by premorbid functioning., Conclusion: This study identified prognostic factors of QOL and societal participation one year after survival of cardiac arrest. Screening of these factors in early stages can identify those survivors with possibly unfavourable QOL at one year post cardiac arrest. For those survivors, preventive and targeted interventions may be offered., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The purpose was to gain insight in the functioning of caregivers of cardiac arrest survivors at 12 months after a cardiac arrest. Secondly, the course of the wellbeing of the caregivers during the first year was studied. Finally, factors that are associated with a higher care burden at 12 months after the cardiac arrest were investigated., Subjects: A total of 195 family caregivers of cardiac arrest survivors were included., Main Measures: Quality of life (SF-36, EuroQol-VAS), caregiver strain (CSI) and emotional functioning (HADS, IES) were measured at two weeks, three months and one year after the cardiac arrest. Thereby, the caregiver was asked to fill out the cognitive failure questionnaire (CFQ) to evaluate their view on the cognitive status of the patient., Results: Caregiver strain was high in 16 (15%) of the caregivers at 12 months. Anxiety was present in 33 (25%) caregivers and depression in 18 (14%) caregivers at 12 months. The repeated measures MANOVA showed that during the first year the following variables improved significantly: SF-36 domains social and mental health, role physical, role emotional and vitality, caregiver strain, HADS and IES ( P<0.001). At 12 months caregiver strain correlated significantly (explained variance 63%, P=0.03) with caregiver HADS ( P=0.01), EuroQol-VAS ( P=0.02), and the CFQ ( P<0.001), all measured at 12 months after the cardiac arrest., Conclusions: Overall wellbeing of the caregivers improves during the first year up to normal levels, but caregivers with emotional problems or perceived cognitive problems at 12 months are at risk for developing a higher care burden.

Background: Survival following cardiac arrest and subsequent cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is increasing worldwide, mainly due to greater awareness of the symptoms of cardiac events and an increased attention to CPR training. Although patient outcomes remain unpredictable and quantitative studies suggest that the overall quality of life (QOL) is acceptable, it is valuable to synthesise qualitative studies exploring these phenomena in depth, providing a deeper knowledge of survivors' experiences and QOL., Aims: To critically appraise and synthesise the qualitative literature on survivors' experiences of a cardiac arrest and CPR with the aim of identifying common themes that can inform clinical pathways and thereby improve survivor outcomes and QOL., Methods: A systematic review and meta-synthesis of the qualitative literature, using Thomas and Harden's framework, and confined to peer-reviewed papers published from 2000 to 2015, which were identified through database searches of EBSCO, OVID and ProQuest., Results: The search produced 204 papers, and of these, seven relevant papers were identified for review. Data extraction included setting, participants, research design, data collection, analysis and themes. Five qualitative themes were identified and were the subject of this meta-synthesis: multitude of contrasting feelings; disruption in the continuum of time; new reality and psychological challenges; changed body with new limitations; and confrontation with death., Conclusion: This review provides insights into the experiences of survivors' QOL after CPR. Increased knowledge can improve person-centred care in the immediate and forthcoming care after the event, both in terms of planning for discharge and in the future care of people who survive a cardiac arrest.

Background: Cognitive deficits may detract from quality of life after cardiac arrest. Their pattern and prevalence are not well documented. We used the Computer Assessment of Mild Cognitive Impairment (CAMCI), the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) and the 41 Cent Test (41CT) to assess cognitive impairment in cardiac arrest survivors and examine the exams' diagnostic accuracy. We hypothesized that the scores of these exams would indicate the presence of cognitive impairment in arrest survivors, that the overall scores on the three study assessments would correlate with one another, and that the 41CT, MOCA, and executive function element of the CAMCI would vary independently from other non-executive CAMCI components, reflecting executive function impairment after cardiac arrest., Methods: Four researchers administered the CAMCI, MOCA, and/or the 41CT to cardiac arrest survivors after discharge from the intensive care unit between 2010 and 2015. Physicians screened patients with the Mini-Mental State Exam to determine when this cognitive testing was feasible, generally when the patient was able to score 20-25 points on the MMSE. We performed pairwise correlations between the different subscales' and tests' scores., Results: One hundred and fourteen participants completed the CAMCI, of which 38 (33.3%) participants additionally completed the MOCA and 41CT. The median (IQR) percentile score for CAMCI for all 114 participants was 33.5 (18.3, 49.8), which corresponds to moderately low risk of impairment. The median (IQR) for the MOCA was 22.0 (19, 24.8) out of a possible 30, which is considered indicative of abnormal cognitive function, and for the 41CT was 6 (5, 7) out of a possible 7 points when all 38 participants were included. MOCA correlated strongly with the overall CAMCI score (r=0.71); the CAMCI correlated moderately strongly with the 41CT (r=0.62) and the MOCA and 41CT were moderately strongly correlated with each other (r=0.56). When all 114 CAMCI scores were considered, the Executive Accuracy subscale was strongly correlated with the overall CAMCI score (r=0.81)., Conclusion: The CAMCI detects cognitive impairment after cardiac arrest. The MOCA correlates strongly with the overall CAMCI and the executive function subscale of the CAMCI. The 41CT as appears less effective than the MOCA in detecting cognitive deficits., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: A cardiac arrest can lead to hypoxic brain injury, which can affect all levels of functioning., Objective: To investigate 1-year outcome and the pattern of recovery after surviving a cardiac arrest., Methods: This was a multicenter, prospective longitudinal cohort study with 1 year of follow-up (measurements 2 weeks, 3 months, 1 year). On function level, physical/cardiac function (New York Heart Association Classification), cognition (Cognitive Log [Cog-log], Cognitive Failures Questionnaire), emotional functioning (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Impact of Event Scale), and fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale) were assessed. In addition, level of activities (Frenchay Activities Index, FAI), participation (Community Integration Questionnaire [CIQ] and return to work), and quality of life (EuroQol 5D, EuroQol Visual Analogue Scale, SF-36, Quality of Life after Brain Injury) were measured., Results: In this cohort, 141 cardiac arrest survivors were included. At 1 year, 14 (13%) survivors scored below cutoff on the Cog-log. Both anxiety and depression were present in 16 (15%) survivors, 29 (28%) experienced posttraumatic stress symptoms and 55 (52%), severe fatigue. Scores on the FAI and the CIQ were, on average, respectively 96% and 92% of the prearrest scores. Of those previously working, 41 (72%) had returned to work. Most recovery of cognitive function and quality of life occurred within the first 3 months, with further improvement on some domains of quality of life up to 12 months., Conclusions: Overall, long-term outcome in terms of activities, participation, and quality of life after cardiac arrest is reassuring. Nevertheless, fatigue is common; problems with cognition and emotions occur; and return to work can be at risk.

Aim: To describe health status and psychological distress among in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) survivors in relation to gender., Methods: This national register study consists of data from follow-up registration of IHCA survivors 3-6 months post cardiac arrest (CA) in Sweden. A questionnaire was sent to the survivors, including measurements of health status (EQ-5D-5L) and psychological distress (HADS)., Results: Between 2013 and 2015, 594 IHCA survivors were included in the study. The median values for EQ-5D-5L index and EQ VAS among survivors were 0.78 (q1-q3=0.67-0.86) and 70 (q1-q3=50-80) respectively. The values were significantly lower (p<0.001) in women compared to men. In addition, women reported more problems than men in all dimensions of EQ-5D-5L, except self-care. A majority of the respondents reported no problems with anxiety (85.4%) and/or symptoms of depression (87.0%). Women reported significantly more problems with anxiety (p<0.001) and symptoms of depression (p<0.001) compared to men. Gender was significantly associated with poorer health status and more psychological distress. No interaction effects for gender and age were found., Conclusions: Although the majority of survivors reported acceptable health status and no psychological distress, a substantial proportion reported severe problems. Women reported worse health status and more psychological distress compared to men. Therefore, a higher proportion of women may be in need of support. Health care professionals should make efforts to identify health problems among survivors and offer individualised support when needed., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aim: Low rates of bystander-initiated CPR are a major obstacle to improved survival rates, and the aim of this study is to elucidate the factors associated with university students' attitudes toward performing bystander CPR., Methods: Questionnaires were distributed to 18 universities across three metropolises in China. One question asking for respondents' attitudes toward performing bystander CPR was set as the dependent variable, and the logistic regression models were used to extract independent factors for respondents' attitudes toward performing bystander CPR., Results: 2934 questionnaires were completed, with a response rate of 81.5%. Results suggested that predictors of willingness to perform bystander CPR were: previous experience of performing bystander CPR, higher self-perceived ability to perform bystander CPR properly after instruction, medicine and law discipline, male gender, not being the single child of their parents, higher participation in university societies, being used to taking decisive action immediately, less self-perceived life stress and higher self-perceived knowledge level of CPR., Conclusions: Persons having previous experience of performing bystander CPR and those who thought they would have the ability to perform bystander CPR properly are predominantly associated with willingness to perform bystander CPR. Psychological and cultural factors need further study., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Each year, 16,000 children suffer cardiopulmonary arrest, and in one urban study, 2% of pediatric EMS calls were attributed to pediatric arrests. This indicates a need for enhanced educational options for prehospital providers that address how to communicate to families in these difficult situations. In response, our team developed a cellular phone digital application (app) designed to assist EMS providers in self-debriefing these events, thereby improving their communication skills. The goal of this study was to pilot the app using a simulation-based investigative methodology., Methods: Video and didactic app content was generated using themes developed from a series of EMS focus groups and evaluated using volunteer EMS providers assessed during two identical nonaccidental trauma simulations. Intervention groups interacted with the app as a team between assessments, and control groups debriefed during that period as they normally would. Communication performance and gap analyses were measured using the Gap-Kalamazoo Consensus Statement Assessment Form., Results: A total of 148 subjects divided into 38 subject groups (18 intervention groups and 20 control groups) were assessed. Comparison of initial intervention group and control group scores showed no statistically significant difference in performance (2.9/5 vs. 3.0/5; p = 0.33). Comparisons made during the second assessment revealed a statistically significant improvement in the intervention group scores, with a moderate to large effect size (3.1/5 control vs. 4.0/5 intervention; p < 0.001, r = 0.69, absolute value). Gap analysis data showed a similar pattern, with gaps of -0.6 and -0.5 (values suggesting team self-over-appraisal of communication abilities) present in both control and intervention groups (p = 0.515) at the initial assessment. This gap persisted in the control group at the time of the second assessment (-0.8), but was significantly reduced (0.04) in the intervention group (p = 0.013, r = 0.41, absolute value)., Conclusion: These results suggest that an EMS-centric app containing guiding information regarding compassionate communication skills can be effectively used by EMS providers to self-debrief after difficult events in the absence of a live facilitator, significantly altering their near-term communication patterns. Gap analysis data further imply that engaging with the app in a group context positively impacts the accuracy of each team's self-perception.