Case of the Month #12 - cardiac arrest

Published 02/02/2022

What does the post cardiac arrest syndrome comprise of?

Post- cardiac arrest brain injury

  • Coma, seizures, myoclonus, varying degrees of neurocognitive dysfunction and brain death

Post- cardiac arrest myocardial dysfunction

  • Common after cardiac arrest but typically starts to recover by 2-3 days

Systemic ischaemia/ reperfusion response

  • Clinically manifests as ARDS, acute renal failure, refractory shock, and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy.

Persistent precipitating pathology

  • This may require separate direct therapy dependent on aetiology