Predictors of long-term survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: The impact of Activities of Daily Living and Cerebral Performance Category scores

Background

Current focus on immediate survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has diverted attention away from the variables potentially affecting long-term survival.

Aim

To determine the relationship between neurological and functional status at hospital discharge and long-term survival after OHCA.

Methods

Prospective data collection for all OHCA patients aged >18 years in the Jerusalem district (n = 1043, 2008–2009). Primary outcome measure: Length of survival after OHCA. Potential predictors: Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) scores at hospital discharge, age and sex.

Results

There were 52/279 (18.6%) survivors to hospital discharge. Fourteen were discharged on mechanical ventilation (27%). Interviews with survivors and/or their legal guardians were sought 2.8 ± 0.6 years post-arrest. Eighteen died before long-term follow-up (median survival 126 days, IQR 94–740). Six improved their ADL and CPC scores between discharge and follow-up. Long-term survival was positively related with lower CPC scores (p = 0.002) and less deterioration in ADL from before the arrest to hospital discharge (p = 0.001). For each point increment in ADL at hospital discharge, the hazard ratio of death was 1.31 (95%CI 1.12, 1.53, p = 0.001); this remained unchanged after adjustment for age and sex (HR 1.26, 95%CI 0.07, 1.48, p = 0.005).

Conclusions

One-third of the patients discharged from hospital after OHCA died within 30 months of the event. Long-term survival was associated both with better neurological and functional level at hospital discharge and a smaller decrease in functional limitation from before to after the arrest, yet some patients with a poor neurological outcome survived prolonged periods after hospital discharge.