Cardiac arrest & resuscitation
Delayed awakening after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a scoping review of definitions, determinants, and prognostic implications
Authors' conclusion
Delayed awakening after OHCA was predominantly influenced by treatment-associated variables and did not preclude meaningful neurological recovery.
Study context
- Population
- Resuscitated adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients
- Participants
- 5,441 patients · 19 studies
- Outcome
- Definitions, determinants and outcomes of delayed awakening after OHCA
Methodological detailsrisk of bias assessment, descriptive synthesis
- Risk of bias assessment
- Descriptive synthesis
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Delayed awakening
- Delayed awakening reported in 11-52% of patients
- Nine distinct definitions; time threshold 48 h-7 days
- Therapeutic hypothermia, longer-acting sedatives and prolonged sedation the most consistent treatment-related determinants
- 17 observational, 2 RCTs; all high-income countries
- 18 of 19 studies predated International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) recommendations; only 2 in settings without withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy (WLST)
Further findings
Good neurological recovery at discharge in delayed awakeners
- Good neurological recovery across 4 cohorts, albeit worse long-term quality of life
- 51-94%
- Delayed awakeners had worse outcomes
Original publication
Delayed awakening after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a scoping review of definitions, determinants, and prognostic implications. Resuscitation. Published 20 May 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →