title: Cardiac arrest and hypothermia treatment--function and life satisfaction among survivors in the first 6 months.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe differences over time in outcome, physical and cognitive function among survivors of cardiac arrest treated with hypothermia and to examine survivors' life satisfaction 6 months after cardiac arrest as well as gender differences.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was prospective and included 45 cardiac arrest survivors admitted to three Swedish hospitals between 2008 and 2012. Participants were followed from intensive care unit discharge to one and six months after cardiac arrest. In addition to cerebral performance category (CPC), participants were asked to complete questionnaires regarding activities in daily life (Barthel index), cognitive function (mini mental state examination), and life satisfaction (LiSat-11).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Outcome measured using CPC scores improved over time. At 6 months, all participants were classified as having a good outcome. At one month, participants were impaired but improved over time in their activities in daily life and cognitive function. At 6 months satisfaction with "life as a whole" was seen in 70%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cardiac arrest survivors are satisfied with life as a whole despite a severe illness that has impaired their physical and cognitive function, which seemed to improve over time. Predicting patients' functional outcome in early stages is difficult, and the CPC score alone is not sufficient to assess patients' function. It is a need to reach a consensus to which instruments best reflect physical and cognitive function as well as to specify a rehabilitation plan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Sciences-Anaesthesiology & Intensive Care, Uppsala University, SE- 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: ewa.wallin@surgsci.uu.se.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wallin
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Sciences-Anaesthesiology & Intensive Care, Uppsala University, SE- 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ing-Marie
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Sciences-Anaesthesiology & Intensive Care, Uppsala University, SE- 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Sten
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rubertsson
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, Department of Health and Caring Sciences, University of Gävle, Sweden; Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden.
authors.forename: Marja-Leena
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Kristofferzon
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D013548:Sweden; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cardiac arrest; Cognitive function; Hypothermia treatment; Intensive care; Life satisfaction; Neurological outcome