Post-cardiac arrest syndrome: epidemiology, pathophysiology, treatment, and prognostication. A Scientific Statement from the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation; the American Heart Association Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee; the Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia; the Council on Cardiopulmonary, Perioperative, and Critical Care; the Council on Clinical Cardiology; the Council on Stroke.
OBJECTIVE
To review the epidemiology, pathophysiology, treatment and prognostication in relation to the post-cardiac arrest syndrome.


METHODS
Relevant articles were identified using PubMed, EMBASE and an American Heart Association EndNote master resuscitation reference library, supplemented by hand searches of key papers. Writing groups comprising international experts were assigned to each section. Drafts of the document were circulated to all authors for comment and amendment.


RESULTS
The 4 key components of post-cardiac arrest syndrome were identified as (1) post-cardiac arrest brain injury, (2) post-cardiac arrest myocardial dysfunction, (3) systemic ischaemia/reperfusion response, and (4) persistent precipitating pathology.


CONCLUSIONS
A growing body of knowledge suggests that the individual components of the post-cardiac arrest syndrome are potentially treatable.
Nolan
Jerry P
JP
Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Royal United Hospital, Bath, United Kingdom. jerry.nolan@ukgateway.net
Neumar
Robert W
RW
Adrie
Christophe
C
Aibiki
Mayuki
M
Berg
Robert A
RA
Böttiger
Bernd W
BW
Callaway
Clifton
C
Clark
Robert S B
RS
Geocadin
Romergryko G
RG
Jauch
Edward C
EC
Kern
Karl B
KB
Laurent
Ivan
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Longstreth
W T
WT
Merchant
Raina M
RM
Morley
Peter
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Morrison
Laurie J
LJ
Nadkarni
Vinay
V
Peberdy
Mary Ann
MA
Rivers
Emanuel P
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Rodriguez-Nunez
Antonio
A
Sellke
Frank W
FW
Spaulding
Christian
C
Sunde
Kjetil
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Hoek
Terry Vanden
TV
D020208:Brain Injury, Chronic / Q000209:etiology; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000209:etiology; D013577:Syndrome