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Objective High-quality intensive care, including targeted temperature management (TTM) for patients with postcardiac arrest syndrome, is a key element for improving outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). We aimed to assess the status of postcardiac arrest syndrome care, including TTM and 6-month survival with neurologically favorable outcomes, after adult OHCA patients were treated with TTM, using data from the Korean Hypothermia Network prospective registry. Methods We used the Korean Hypothermia Network prospective registry, a web-based multicenter registry that includes data from 22 participating hospitals throughout the Republic of Korea. Adult comatose OHCA survivors treated with TTM between October 2015 and December 2018 were included. The primary outcome was neurological outcome at 6 months. Results Of the 1,354 registered OHCA survivors treated with TTM, 550 (40.6%) survived 6 months, and 413 (30.5%) had good neurological outcomes. We identified 839 (62.0%) patients with preClinsumed cardiac etiology. A total of 937 (69.2%) collapses were witnessed, shockable rhythms were demonstrated in 482 (35.6%) patients, and 421 (31.1%) patients arrived at the emergency department with prehospital return of spontaneous circulation. The most common target temperature was 33°C, and the most common target duration was 24 hours. Conclusion The survival and good neurologic outcome rates of this prospective registry show great improvements compared with those of an earlier registry. While the optimal target temperature and duration are still unknown, the most common target temperature was 33°C, and the most common target duration was 24 hours.

Objective A growing interest in extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) as a rescue strategy for refractory adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) currently exists. This study aims to determine current standards of care and practice variation for ECPR patients in the USA and Korea. Methods In December 2015, we surveyed centers from the Korean Hypothermia Network (KORHN) Investigators and the US National Post-Arrest Research Consortium (NPARC) on current targeted temperature management and ECPR practices. This project analyzes the subsection of questions addressing ECPR practices. We summarized survey results using descriptive statistics. Results Overall, 9 KORHN and 4 NPARC centers reported having ECPR programs and had complete survey data available. Two KORHN centers utilized extracorporeal membrane oxygenation only for postarrest circulatory support in patients with refractory shock and were excluded from further analysis. Centers with available ECPR generally saw a high volume of OHCA patients (10/11 centers care for >75 OHCA a year). Location of, and providers trained for cannulation varied across centers. All centers in both countries (KORHN 7/7, NPARC 4/4) treated comatose ECPR patients with targeted temperature management. All NPARC centers and four of seven KORHN centers reported having a standardized hospital protocol for ECPR. Upper age cutoff for eligibility ranged from 60 to 75 years. No absolute contraindications were unanimous among centers. Conclusion A wide variability in practice patterns exist between centers performing ECPR for refractory OHCA in the US and Korea. Standardized protocols and shared research databases might inform best practices, improve outcomes, and provide a foundation for prospective studies.

ObjectiveTherapeutic hypothermia (TH) has become the standard strategy for reducing brain damage in the postresuscitation period. The aim of this study was to investigate current TH performance and outcomes in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors using data from the Korean Hypothermia Network (KORHN) registry. MethodsWe used the KORHN registry, a web-based multicenter registry that includes 24 participating hospitals throughout the Republic of Korea. Adult comatose OHCA survivors treated with TH between 2007 and 2012 were included. The primary outcomes were neurological outcome at hospital discharge and in-hospital mortality. The secondary outcomes were TH performance and adverse events during TH. ResultsA total of 930 patients were included, of whom 556 (59.8%) survived to discharge and 249 (26.8%) were discharged with good neurologic outcomes. The median time from return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) to the start of TH was 101 minutes (interquartile range [IQR], 46 to 200 minutes). The induction, maintenance, and rewarming durations were 150 minutes (IQR, 80 to 267 minutes), 1,440 minutes (IQR, 1,290 to 1,440 minutes), and 708 minutes (IQR, 420 to 900 minutes), respectively. The time from the ROSC to coronary angiography was 1,045 hours (IQR, 121 to 12,051 hours). Hyperglycemia (46.3%) was the most frequent adverse event. ConclusionMore than one-quarter of the OHCA survivors (26.8%) were discharged with good neurologic outcomes. TH performance was appropriately managed in terms of the factors related to its timing, including cooling start time and rewarming duration.