View clinical trials related to Post-Anoxic Coma.
Filter by:Rationale: An important proportion of patients with return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after cardiac arrest remain comatose as a result of post anoxic encephalopathy (PAE). Specific treatments to promote cerebral recovery are lacking. Early identification of patients without potential of recovery of brain functioning may prevent inappropriate continuation of medical treatment and improve communication between doctors and families. Intensivists currently use a combination of diagnostic measures, including brainstem reflexes, motor response, status myoclonus, SSEP measurements and (increasingly) the EEG. However, together all these measure identify only 20-50% of the patients with severe PAE precluding cerebral recovery. At the moment, there is a high demand for bedside measurements that contribute to the neurological prognostication of comatose patients after cardiac arrest. Non-invasive bedside measurements of the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) using ultrasound hold potential to improve outcome prediction. Objective: To estimate the value and feasibility of repetitive measurements of the ONSD in comatose patients after cardiac arrest. Study design: Prospective cohort study Study population: 160 subsequent comatose adult patients after cardiac arrest, admitted to the ICU of Rijnstate hospital Intervention: In addition to standard treatments, patients will undergo ultrasonic measurements of the ONSD during the first 3 days after cardiac arrest. Survivors will be followed upon hospital discharge. ONSD measurements will be followed over time and related tot neurological outcome. Main study parameters/endpoints: The primary outcome measure is neurological outcome, defined using the Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) score at 6 months. CPC 1-2 indicates favourable neurological outcome, and CPC 3-5 indicates unfavourable neurological outcome.
Rationale: 30-70% of comatose patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after cardiac arrest never regain consciousness as a result of post anoxic encephalopathy (PAE). Early identification of patients without potential for recovery of brain functioning may prevent inappropriate continuation of medical treatment and improve communication between doctors and patients. However, current diagnostic and prognostic measures can identify only 20-50% of the patients with irreversible brain damage, precluding cerebral recovery and awakening. Also, the pathophysiology of brain damage is largely unclear. New magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences hold potential to substantially improve outcome prediction. Objectives: 1. To estimate the additional value of early MRI monitoring for the prediction of neurological outcome of comatose patients after cardiac arrest. 2. To gain insight in the pathophysiology of PAE by associating MRI findings with histopathological studies of brain tissue obtained from non-survivors. Study design: prospective cohort study. Study population: 100 subsequent comatose patients after cardiac arrest, admitted to the ICU. Intervention: In addition to standard treatments, patients will undergo MRI of the brain at day 3, 7, and three months after cardiac arrest. A subgroup of patients will be scanned within 24 hours after cardiac arrest, to assess feasibility and to gain more insight in the evolution of brain damage in PAE. Survivors will be followed for one year. Outcome measurements will focus on disabilities, quality of life, and depression. MRI measures will be related to outcome. Main study parameters/endpoints: The primary outcome measure is neurological outcome, defined as the score on the Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) at six months, dichotomized as good (CPC 1-2 = no or moderate neurological disability) or poor (CPC 3-5 = severe disability, coma, or death). Secondary outcome measures include cognitive functioning, depression, and quality of life at one year, as well as histopathological damage of brain tissue of non-survivors.