European journal of paediatric neurology : EJPN : official journal of the European Paediatric Neurology Society
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Primary out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in childhood is rare but survival is a little better for children than for adults, although the prognosis for infants is very poor. Hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy after in-hospital cardiac arrest in children undergoing complicated treatment for previously untreatable conditions is now a common problem and is probably increasing. An additional ischaemic insult worsens the prognosis for other encephalopathies, such as that occurring after accidental or non-accidental head injury. ⋯ EEG and initial pH were the best predictors of outcome in this study. Seizures affected one third and were associated with deterioration and worse outcome. The advent of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and the positive results of hypothermia trials in neonates and adults have rekindled interest in timely management of this important group of patients.