Acute cardiac care & resuscitationCohort study
Cognition, quality of life, and psychological outcomes in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors − Results from the German Cardiac Arrest Registry (G-CAR)
- multicenter German Cardiac Arrest Registry (G-CAR)
Authors' conclusion
OHCA survivors generally reported good long-term quality of life, successful social reintegration, and low psychological distress. However, persistent cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms affected a substantial proportion of survivors, highlighting the importance of structured long-term follow-up after OHCA.
Study context
- Population
- Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors enrolled between July 2021 and August 2024OHCA patients enrolled, 416 survived to hospital discharge · Follow-up data at 6 months 354 · Follow-up data at 12 months 307
- Participants
- 1,644 participants
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
6M-FU, of respondents
30.5%
12M-FU, of respondents
33.6%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (EQ-5D-5L) · 6 and 12 months
- No or slight limitations across EQ-5D-5L dimensions
- at least 75%
- Mean index 6M-FU
- 0.83 ± 0.24
- Mean index 12M-FU
- 0.84 ± 0.23
- Comparable to age-matched German population
Reintegration into normal living (Reintegration to Normal Living Index (RNLI)) · 6 and 12 months
- 6M-FU
- 37.9 ± 7.3
- 12M-FU
- 38.4 ± 6.9
HADS
- Abnormal depressive symptom scores
- 13%
- Most participants had normal HADS scores
PTSS-14 mean scores · 6 and 12 months
- 6M-FU
- 30.9
- 12M-FU
- 31.3
- Below threshold suggestive of post-traumatic stress disorder at both follow-ups
Original publication
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it