• D Codazzi, S Pifferi, M Savioli, and M Langer.
• Istituto di Anestesia e Rianimazione, IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano.
• Minerva Anestesiol. 1997 Nov 1;63(11):353-64.

ObjectiveTo detect clinical signs and times of evaluation able to identify patients with good neurologic prognosis after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.Experimental DesignRetrospective study with 6 months-2 years of follow-up.SettingGeneral intensive care unit, from 1993 to 1995.PatientsTwenty-three patients aged 18-80 years, admitted with coma after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, who survived at least 24 hours, without concomitant neurologic disorders.InterventionsNeurologic outcome classification in three categories: complete neurologic recovery (A), moderate to severe disability (B), death without regained consciousness (C); A and B groups of patients are considered together as a "good neurologic outcome" group.MeasurementsEvaluation of some neurological parameters (GCS, motor response to pain, spontaneous motility, cranial nerve reflexes, spontaneous breathing, seizures) 6 hours (t0), 24 hours (t1), 72 hours (t2) and 7 days (t3) after arrest.ResultsPatients with good prognosis are identified with 100% sensitivity from the following parameters: at t0 none; at t1 motor response to pain, GCS > 4, absence of seizures; at t2 the former parameters, spontaneous breathing, brain stem reflexes, normal pupils; at t3 all the former parameters and spontaneous motility. Specificity is greater than 50% only for motor response to pain and GCS > 4.ConclusionsIt is mostly impossible to state a neurologic prognosis in the first hours after cardiac arrest. The single predictor with the most reliable prognostic value is motor response to pain which allows, if present, to identify all the patients with a good prognosis as early as 24 hours after arrest.

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