Quality of life in long-term survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
OBJECTIVE
The quality of life in long-term survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest may be a good outcome measure after resuscitation. Therefore, the psychosocial situation and quality of life in such patients after successful resuscitation was evaluated.


METHODS
Patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in a community referred to a single tertiary care centre were compared with matched controls. Quality of life was evaluated in 50 consecutive arrest cases (40 males, 10 females; 60+/-13 years) 5-68 months (mean 31.7) after resuscitation according to American Heart Association protocols.


RESULTS
The Psychological General Well-being Index questionnaire indicated no significant differences in anxiety, depression, vitality, general well-being, or self-control between patients and controls. However, the Nottingham Health Profile questionnaire demonstrated significant decreases in physical mobility (14.5+/-18.1 vs. 4.0+/-8.5, P=0.0001), energy levels (25.3+/-31.0 vs. 2.0+/-8.0, P=0.0001), emotional reactions (11.3+/-16.6 vs. 4.0+/-10.2, P=0.009), and sleep patterns (19.2+/-28.6 vs. 8.4+/-16.7, P=0.023) in the arrest patients. Little differences were measured with the Everyday-Life Questionnaire. 49 of the 50 arrest patients judged their situation after resuscitation worth living; no significant changes in familial, and psychosocial parameters occurred.


CONCLUSIONS
The quality of life was associated with few changes in psychosocial profile after successful resuscitation. The subjective negative factors bore little impact on the quality of daily living in our patients. Thus, continued efforts to improve out-of-hospital resuscitation measures for cardiac arrest are justified since long-term survivors can expect a good quality of life after successful resuscitation.
Saner
Hugo
H
Cardiac Prevention and Rehabilitation, Swiss Cardiovascular Centre, University Hospitals, Inselspital, CH-3010, Bern, Switzerland.
Borner Rodriguez
Esther
E
Kummer-Bangerter
Andrea
A
Schüppel
Reinhart
R
von Planta
Martin
M
D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012151:Resuscitation; D017741:Survivors; D013557:Switzerland