Long-term outcomes of successful cardiac resuscitation

Studies examining long-term prognosis after successful cardiac resuscitation (SCR) are limited owing to the high mortality and challenges of long-term follow-up. Consequently, data regarding brain disorders are lacking. In this retrospective study, we examined the incidence of brain disorders following SCR and explored the association between various confounding factors using data from the South Korean National Health Insurance Service. Patients who underwent SCR between 2010 and 2017 were recruited, with washout/follow-up periods of 2/3 years, yielding 572 and 1,144 patients in the successful cardiac resuscitation and control groups, respectively, following propensity score matching. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for brain disorders (stroke, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease) were estimated using multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. Patients who underwent SCR had a 1.82-fold higher risk of developing brain disorders (95% CI: 1.40–2.37) than controls. Hazard ratios were 1.68 (95% CI: 1.09–2.61), 2.37 (95% CI: 1.58–3.53), and 1.56 (95% CI: 1.02–2.40) for stroke, epilepsy, and Alzheimer’s disease, respectively. However, for Parkinson’s disease, the hazard ratio (1.35 [95% CI: 0.48–3.78]) was not statistically significant, likely due to the small sample (15 patients). This study confirmed the increased risk of brain disorders in patients who undergo SCR.