Neurologic status and prognosis after cardiopulmonary arrest: I. A retrospective study.

A retrospective survey of survivors of cardiorespiratory arrest included 34 patients. Twenty-one had a good outcome neurologically and 13 were seriously impaired. Depth and duration of postarrest coma correlated significantly with poor neurologic function. Seventy percent of the seriously impaired patients never regained consciousness and none emerged from coma within 5 days; 90 percent of patients with good outcome were alert within 18 hours after resuscitation. Coma motor unresponsiveness, absent pupillary light reflexes, and absent oculocephalic responses were closely associated with dismal prognosis for neurologic functioning. This retrospective study cannot provide a basis for discontinuation of life support at any specific time.