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Brain Injuryn - After Cardiac Arrest

Someone I know recently suffered a Cardiac Arrest in the Critial Care Unit of a hospital. While I am uncertain about length of time the medical team responded to him, I am assuming it was within 1-3 minutes. His heart began beating after 20 minutes after the team began the rescussication procedures. After 24 hours of having the Induced Hypothermia Technique utilized, his heart begun beating on its own. Given the circumstances, what would the probabale outcome be with respect to brain injury?
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I suffered a Cardiac Arrest on 20th December 2009 aged 31, my wife heard me gasping for breathe down our baby monitor and came to check on myself.  She telephoned 999 (I live in the uk) and while she was on the phone being told how to carry out CPR my heart stopped beating and I passed away.  The emergency response unit along with the ambulance crew arrived and after 7 electrical defib shocks, injections of adrenaline to the heart my heart started to beat on its own accord.  My heart has was in Ventrical fibrillation for 18 minutes.  I was taken to hosptial, placed into an induced come and after three days stopped the medication, I came around but was not able to lift my arms, my left hand side of my face had dropped, I did not recognise my wife, my children, my brother or parents.  Two days later it was Christmas day, it was the first time that I recognised my wife and children, I was sat up in bed eating christmas dinner in the hospital but have no memory of these events.  I have no memory if the cardiac arrest happening, no memory of six before or six days after.  My first memory was on 26th December 2009.  I have undergone MRI scans, CT scans, two angiogram scans, brugarda test, wolf-parkinson white, heart eletrical test, heart biopsy and have an ICD fitted.  All tests and operations have come back negative.  My colesterol was 3.37 the night it happened, to date the doctors are unable to locate what caused this cardiac arrest the doctors have advised me that there is a problem there.  It has been 9 months since my cardiac arrest, I do have short term brain damage, the ability to  spell, write and read has decreased.  I am alive and on the road to recovery, my strength and stamina in slowly returning, but I am alive, able to see my two beautiful children, my wonderful wife and start to rebuild our lives.  This is all because my wife started CPR straight away, the paramedics, the hospital staff and everyone else who helped.  I am truly grateful.  I am writing this to let people know that recovery is slow but be patient, supporting someone who has have a cardiac arrest is invaluable, if you have had a cardiac arrest then let people help, do not push yourself, know your limits.  Regards Rob W 4th September 2010
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Avatar universal
Hi,
My mother sufered a cardiac arrest 7 days ago while she was having a surgery.  Then she was put to sleep for 3 days.  After that she was taken off all the meds because all of her organs were working fine.  She was given 72 hours to wake up but 90 hours have already passed and she hasnt woken up.  She tries to open her eyes but can only do it half way.  She coughs, yawns, swallows saliva, and moves her hands.  The neurologist said the brain is still swollen but said there is no damage.  This is happening overseas and I am so anxious.  What could be the possible outcome?  What are the treatments for after cardiac arrest??
Thank you for your help
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Avatar universal
hello - my uncle suffered cardiac arrest this past tuesday morning at the hospital - he walked into the emergency room and it started.. it took 25 minutes to get the hart working properly and they had to "shock him twice" - they sedated him for a day and then took him off - her still has not "woken up" - he yawns, moves his legs a bit - blinks a bit but that is about it,  he had 100% blockage in one, 95% in another ..

what are th epossible outcomes?

and he is on a ventilator, the cat scan showed blood

the doc's said 1/2 the brain is "scrambled", the part with the emotions is ok
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Avatar universal
Hi,
   How are you? Cardiac resuscitation with in 3mins is optimal. Normal resuscitation time is 16 minutes. But with the use of induced hypothermia this time is increased to 25minutes. along with these clot dissolving drugs, ventillation, hyperbaric oxygen might help.
Mild resuscitative hypothermia after cardiac arrest improves neurological outcome and reduces mortality in comatose survivors. The ability to survive anoxic no-flow states is dramatically increased with protective and preservative hypothermia.
Outcome of brain injury depends on various factors like duration of ischaemia to the brain and extent of damage in the brain. Usually presence of pupillary reflexes and spontaneous eye opening in patients after cardiac arrest is considered to be a good prognostic factor in context with brain injury. Extensor, flexor responses, conjugate gaze if present, we can except a favourable outcome in the patient.
But outcome of a patient after surviving cardiac arrest is very individual. Consult a neurologist for further assistance.
All the best.
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