Cardiac arrest & resuscitation
Recovery Potential in Patients After Cardiac Arrest Who Die After Limitations or Withdrawal of Life Support
Authors' conclusion
In this cohort study of comatose patients resuscitated from cardiac arrest, most who died after WLST were considered by experts to have had recovery potential.
Study context
- Population
- Comatose adults (≥18 years) resuscitated from cardiac arrest at a single academic medical center, 2010–2022, who died after withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy (WLST)1,431 WLST cases reviewed
- Participants
- 2,391 adults
- Outcome
- Expert-estimated recovery potential ≥1% had life-sustaining therapy been continued (≥3 experts, 7-point ordinal scale)
Methodological detailssingle-centre, expert review
- Single-centre
- Expert review
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Expert-estimated recovery potential (1% threshold) in deaths after WLST
All experts: recovery potential <1% (518 cases)
36.2%; 95% CI, 33.7%-38.7%
At least 1 expert: recovery potential ≥1% (913 cases)
63.8%; 95% CI, 61.3%-66.3%
All experts: recovery potential ≥1% (227 cases)
15.9%; 95% CI, 14.0%-17.9%
Expert estimates differed at 1% threshold (686 cases)
47.9%; 95% CI, 45.3%-50.6%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Survival to discharge (whole cohort)
- Survived to discharge (714 patients)
- 29.9%
Original publication
Recovery Potential in Patients After Cardiac Arrest Who Die After Limitations or Withdrawal of Life Support. JAMA Netw Open. Published 3 March 2025. doi:10.
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