Fever Prevention and Neurological Recovery in In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Survivors at a Limited-Resource Setting.

Journal: Therapeutic Hypothermia And Temperature Management
Published:
Abstract

Temperature management plays a critical role in the neurological recovery of cardiac arrest survivors. While advanced device-based temperature control systems are prevalent in high-resource settings, their implementation in low-resource environments remains a challenge. This study aimed to examine the impact of fever prevention on neurological outcomes in cardiac arrest survivors managed without device-based temperature control. We conducted a retrospective study of adult in-hospital cardiac arrest survivors at an academic institution from 2013 to 2020. Patients were included if they were ≥18 years old, survived for at least 72 hours post-return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), and experienced cardiac arrest in inpatient wards, intensive care units, or the emergency department. Fever was defined as a rectal temperature ≥37.5°C, and neurological outcomes were assessed using the Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) scale at 1 month post-ROSC. A good neurological outcome was defined as CPC 1 or 2. Statistical analyses included chi-square tests and logistic regression to identify predictors of outcomes. Of the 427 patients included, 58.8% experienced fever, and 12.8% achieved a good neurological outcome. Patients with fever were significantly less likely to have favorable outcomes (p < 0.01). Logistic regression revealed that each 1°C increase in body temperature beyond 37.5°C was associated with a 31% reduction in the likelihood of a good outcome (p < 0.01). Other predictors of poor outcomes included prolonged low-flow states and higher pre-arrest frailty scores. Fever is strongly associated with poor neurological outcomes in cardiac arrest survivors, particularly in low-resource settings without device-based temperature management. Effective fever prevention strategies, such as intravenous antipyretics and physical cooling methods, should be prioritized to improve outcomes.

Authors
Abdullah Bakhsh, Wijdan Bakhashwain, Mohammed Alhazmi, Salem Bahwireth, Saleh Binmahfooz, Reem Alghamdi, Ahmad Bakhribah, Hadeel Alsufyani
Relevant Conditions

Cardiac Arrest, Hypothermia