• Patrick J Coppler, Kelly N Sawyer, Chun Song Youn, Seung Pill Choi, Kyu Nam Park, Young-Min Kim, Joshua C Reynolds, David F Gaieski, Byung Kook Lee, Joo Suk Oh, Won Young Kim, Hyung Jun Moon, Benjamin S Abella, Jonathan Elmer, Clifton W Callaway, and Jon C Rittenberger.
• 1 Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
• Ther Hypothermia Temp Manag. 2017 Mar 1; 7 (1): 30-35.

AbstractThere is little consensus regarding many post-cardiac arrest care parameters. Variability in such practices could confound the results and generalizability of post-arrest care research. We sought to characterize the variability in post-cardiac arrest care practice in Korea and the United States. A 54-question survey was sent to investigators participating in one of two research groups in South Korea (Korean Hypothermia Network [KORHN]) and the United States (National Post-Arrest Research Consortium [NPARC]). Single investigators from each site were surveyed (N = 40). Participants answered questions based on local institutional protocols and practice. We calculated descriptive statistics for all variables. Forty surveys were completed during the study period with 30 having greater than 50% of questions completed (75% response rate; 24 KORHN and 6 NPARC). Most centers target either 33°C (N = 16) or vary the target based on patient characteristics (N = 13). Both bolus and continuous infusion dosing of sedation are employed. No single indication was unanimous for cardiac catheterization. Only six investigators reported having an institutional protocol for withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy (WLST). US patients with poor neurological prognosis tended to have WLST with subsequent expiration (N = 5), whereas Korean patients are transferred to a secondary care facility (N = 19). Both electroencephalography modality and duration vary between institutions. Serum biomarkers are commonly employed by Korean, but not US centers. We found significant variability in post-cardiac arrest care practices among US and Korean medical centers. These practice variations must be taken into account in future studies of post-arrest care.

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