Resuscitation
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Withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies for perceived poor neurological prognosis is the most common cause of death for patients hospitalized after resuscitation from cardiac arrest. Accurate neuroprognostication is challenging and high stakes, so guidelines recommend multimodality testing. We quantified the frequency and timing with which guideline recommended diagnostics were acquired prior to in-hospital death after cardiac arrest. ⋯ In this retrospective cohort, we found few patients hospitalized after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest underwent guideline-recommended prognostic testing. If validated in prospective cohorts with more granular clinical information, better guideline adherence and more frequent use of multimodality neuroprognostication offer an opportunity to improve quality of post-arrest care.
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The aim of this study was to explore associations between comorbidities and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) survivors. ⋯ Since IHCA survivors with comorbidities report worse HRQoL compared to those without comorbidities, it is important to pay directed attention to them when developing and providing post-CA care, especially in those with respiratory insufficiency and previous stroke.
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There is a critical need to identify factors that can prevent emotional distress post-cardiac arrest (CA). CA survivors have previously described benefitting from utilizing positive psychology constructs (mindfulness, existential well-being, resilient coping, social support) to cope with distress. Here, we explored associations between positive psychology factors and emotional distress post-CA. ⋯ Higher levels of mindfulness, existential well-being, resilient coping, and perceived social support were each associated with less emotional distress. Future intervention development studies should consider these factors as potential treatment targets.