Acute cardiac care & resuscitation

Long-Term Neurological Outcome of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Survivors and Associated Factors: Results of the DESAC Study, a French Multicentric Prospective Cohort

Circ Popul Health OutcomesPublished multicentric prospective cohort

Authors' conclusion

This multicentric prospective study indicates that 86% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors had a favorable neurological outcome at 24 months. Pre-event and intraevent factors (including previous practice of sport and shockable rhythm), but not in-hospital management (therapeutic hypothermia or acute coronary interventions), were associated with a favorable outcome.

Study context

Population
Consecutive nontraumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients aged over 18 years discharged alive from intensive care units, July 2015 to October 2018survivors, 525 followed up for 24 months
Participants
593 patients
Outcome
Favorable neurological outcome (CPC category of 1 or 2)
Follow-up
24 months
Methodological details33 intensive care units in Paris and the suburbs (France), consecutive patients
  • 33 intensive care units in Paris and the suburbs (France)
  • Consecutive patients

Main finding

As reported in the abstract

Favorable neurological outcome

449 of 525

86%

Observational data: associations, not effects.

Further findings

Factors associated with favorable outcome · 24 months

Adjusted odds ratio (95% CI)
Initial shockable rhythmCovariate-adjusted logistic regression3.33 (1.57–7.07)
Previous practice of sportCovariate-adjusted logistic regression3.13 (1.21–8.12)
Prior percutaneous coronary interventionReduced odds · covariate-adjusted logistic regression0.38 (0.17–0.85)
OutcomeAdjusted odds ratio (per 10 years) (95% CI)
Factors associated with favorable outcome · 24 monthsOlder age · reduced odds · covariate-adjusted logistic regression0.53 (0.41–0.69)
Factors associated with favorable outcome — Therapeutic hypothermia or acute coronary interventions were not related to prognosis
P >0.05

Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) trajectories

Remained in CPC1
64%
Remained in CPC2
13.4%
Improved from CPC2 to CPC1
11%
Died either early or lately (>3 months) during follow-up
11.6%
  • Among the 514 patients with at least 3 repeated assessments
  • 5 distinct CPC trajectories (2 reflecting early death were combined)

Original publication

Long-Term Neurological Outcome of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Survivors and Associated Factors: Results of the DESAC Study, a French Multicentric Prospective Cohort. Circ Popul Health Outcomes. Published 9 April 2026. doi:10.1161/circoutcomes.125.012269

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