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Withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy after cardiac arrest

Cronberg, Tobias LU and Kuiper, Michael (2017) In Seminars in Neurology 37(1). p.81-87
Abstract

An increasing number of patients are successfully resuscitated from cardiac arrest (CA) and subsequently treated in an intensive care unit due to unconsciousness. Approximately half of these patients will die during the first weeks postarrest, typically after a determination of a poor neurologic prognosis and a decision to withdraw life-sustaining therapy (WLST). These decisions are guided by universal ethical principles. Neurologic prognostication, WLST, and functional outcome after CA are closely correlated, but routines vary between and within countries. Recent studies indicate that premature decisions to withdraw care may be common. This topical review will focus on the decision of WLST for patients remaining unconscious after CA,... (More)

An increasing number of patients are successfully resuscitated from cardiac arrest (CA) and subsequently treated in an intensive care unit due to unconsciousness. Approximately half of these patients will die during the first weeks postarrest, typically after a determination of a poor neurologic prognosis and a decision to withdraw life-sustaining therapy (WLST). These decisions are guided by universal ethical principles. Neurologic prognostication, WLST, and functional outcome after CA are closely correlated, but routines vary between and within countries. Recent studies indicate that premature decisions to withdraw care may be common. This topical review will focus on the decision of WLST for patients remaining unconscious after CA, the guiding ethical principles, and the interaction with neurologic prognostication and outcome.

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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Advance directive, Cardiac arrest, Life-support care, Mortality
in
Seminars in Neurology
volume
37
issue
1
pages
7 pages
publisher
Georg Thieme Verlag
external identifiers
  • scopus:85011423372
  • pmid:28147422
  • wos:000393256600013
ISSN
0271-8235
DOI
10.1055/s-0036-1595814
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
bf4f8479-4ebb-46f4-b92a-ed30df366a3c
date added to LUP
2017-02-20 10:43:56
date last changed
2024-04-14 05:03:28
@article{bf4f8479-4ebb-46f4-b92a-ed30df366a3c,
  abstract     = {{<p>An increasing number of patients are successfully resuscitated from cardiac arrest (CA) and subsequently treated in an intensive care unit due to unconsciousness. Approximately half of these patients will die during the first weeks postarrest, typically after a determination of a poor neurologic prognosis and a decision to withdraw life-sustaining therapy (WLST). These decisions are guided by universal ethical principles. Neurologic prognostication, WLST, and functional outcome after CA are closely correlated, but routines vary between and within countries. Recent studies indicate that premature decisions to withdraw care may be common. This topical review will focus on the decision of WLST for patients remaining unconscious after CA, the guiding ethical principles, and the interaction with neurologic prognostication and outcome.</p>}},
  author       = {{Cronberg, Tobias and Kuiper, Michael}},
  issn         = {{0271-8235}},
  keywords     = {{Advance directive; Cardiac arrest; Life-support care; Mortality}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{02}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{81--87}},
  publisher    = {{Georg Thieme Verlag}},
  series       = {{Seminars in Neurology}},
  title        = {{Withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy after cardiac arrest}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1055/s-0036-1595814}},
  doi          = {{10.1055/s-0036-1595814}},
  volume       = {{37}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}