Adverse Events After Therapeutic Hypothermia for Cardiac Arrest

The authors identified adverse events after resuscitation and hypothermia, but were not able to determine whether adverse events were caused by the treatment or by other factors.

Researchers analyzed data from a prospective observational registry to identify adverse events in 765 adult patients who underwent therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest at 22 hospitals in Europe and the U.S. The most common adverse events included pneumonia (48%), metabolic abnormalities (e.g., sustained hyperglycemia, 37%; hypophosphatemia, 19%), seizures requiring anticonvulsant therapy (20%), and arrhythmias (e.g., bradycardia, 14%; ventricular tachycardia, 10%). At 6 months, 391 patients (51%) had died and 66 of the survivors (18%) had good neurologic outcomes. Adverse events associated with increased mortality were seizures requiring anticonvulsant therapy (adjusted odds ratio, 5.4) and sustained hyperglycemia (AOR, 2.6).

Reviewing Author

Kristi L. Koenig, MD, FACEP

Disclosures

Editorial boardsKoenig & Schultz's Disaster Medicine: Comprehensive Principles and Practices

Kristi L. Koenig, MD, FACEP

Disclosures

Editorial boardsKoenig & Schultz's Disaster Medicine: Comprehensive Principles and Practices