The course of circulatory and cerebral recovery after circulatory arrest: influence of pre-arrest, arrest and post-arrest factors

We evaluated the influence of pre-arrest, arrest and post-arrest factors on circulatory and neurological recovery for up to 1 year following circulatory arrest of cardio-pulmonary aetiology in 231 patients. Initially, all patients were unconscious and 106 had some cortical activity recorded in the immediate post-resuscitation EEG (Group I), while 125 had no such activity initially (Group II). The following variables were explored: age, sex, medical history, cause and location of arrest, initial cardiac dysrhythmia, duration of life support, metabolic acidosis, pulse-pressure product and heart pump function capacity early after resuscitation. Outcome measures were duration and quality of circulatory survival, cause of death, neurological recovery and ultimate outcome. First year survival was 33% in Group I and 16% in Group II. Severe heart failure and brain death occurred mainly in Group II. Circulatory recovery was negatively influenced by out-of-hospital arrest, metabolic acidosis and pulse-pressure products below 150. Neurological recovery was negatively influenced by initial dysrhythmias other than ventricular fibrillation, pulse-pressure products below 150, post-arrest heart failure and/or pulmonary complications. It seems that circulatory and cerebral outcomes are mainly determined by the global ischaemic insults sustained during the circulatory arrest period. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.