• Laura Whitehead, Stephanie Tierney, Deborah Biggerstaff, Gavin D Perkins, and Kirstie L Haywood.
• Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, Warwick Medical School, The University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
• Resuscitation. 2020 Feb 1; 147: 81-87.

Aim Of The StudyAdvances in resuscitation science have resulted in a growing number of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors. However, we know very little about the natural history of recovery and the unmet needs of survivors and their partners. This qualitative study sought to address this knowledge gap to improve understanding of the consequences of surviving cardiac arrest.MethodsIn-depth qualitative interviews were undertaken separately with survivors and their partners between 3 and 12-months following the cardiac arrest. An interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA) to data analysis was adopted. Developing themes were discussed between members of the research team.Results8 survivors (41-79 years; 5 male; mean time 6.3 months post-hospital discharge) and 3 partners (1 male) were interviewed. The key (super-ordinate) theme of being 'trapped in a disrupted normality' was identified within the data. Five related subordinate themes included: existential impact, physical ramifications, emotional consequences, limiting participation in social activities and altered family roles.ConclusionRecovery for survivors is hindered by a wide range of physical, emotional, cognitive, social and spiritual challenges that disrupt perceptions of 'normality'. Survivors and their carers may benefit from focussing on establishing a 'new normal' rather than striving to achieve a pre-cardiac social and physical position. Survivor-centred assessment should support rather than undermine this goal.Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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