Most Long-Term Survivors of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Have Positive Neurological Outcomes

Long-term survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has improved dramatically during the last several decades, due in large part to the “chain of survival” concept, which emphasizes cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and early defibrillation. In this prospective study, researchers assessed cognitive function in long-term (>6 months) survivors of OHCA due to ventricular fibrillation (VF).

Of 332 patients with OHCA due to VF in one Minnesota county from 1990 to 2008, 140 patients survived to hospital discharge and 79 were alive in 2009. Of these, 47 patients (mean age, 61) agreed to participate in the study. The median time between OHCA and neurological and neuropsychological testing was 7.8 years. The median call to shock time was 5.6 minutes. Mean test results for the study population were compared to age-standardized normal population values in the same county. Overall, the study population had generally positive neurological outcomes (ability to live independently; mean Mini-Mental State Examination scores similar to standard values) and preserved cognitive ability. Patients suffered minor long-term memory deficits, but these did not affect their ability to live independently. Delayed time to defibrillation and older age at time of arrest were not independent predictors of neurological impairment.