International journal of cardiology
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Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is associated with a poor prognosis. As comorbidity and frailty increase with age; ethical dilemmas may arise when OHCA occur in the very old. ⋯ OHCA in octogenarians was associated with a significantly higher mortality rate after adjustment for prognostic factors. However, the majority of octogenarian survivors were discharged with a favorable neurological outcome. Withholding resuscitation and post resuscitation care in octogenarians does not seem justified.
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Compared to many other cardiovascular diseases, there is a paucity of data on the characteristics of successfully resuscitated cardiac arrest (CA) patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. We investigated causes, clinical features and outcome of these patients, and assessed the specific burden of HIV on outcome. ⋯ Etiologies of CA in HIV-infected patients are miscellaneous and mostly not related to HIV infection. Outcome remains bleak but is similar to outcome of HIV-negative patients.