A retrospective review of survivors of cardiopulmonary arrest included 56 patients. Twenty two had a good outcome and thirty four were seriously impaired. Depth and duration of post arrest coma correlated significantly with poor neurologic outcome. Seventy percent of the seriously impaired patients never regained consciousness and non emerged from coma within five days; all of the patients with good outcome were alert within twenty hours after resuscitation. Coma, motor unresponsiveness, absent brainstem reflexes were closely associated with dismal prognosis for neurologic outcome. This study cannot provide a basis for discontinuation of life support at any specific time.

Keywords: Prognosis, Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, Cardiac arrest, Cardiopulmonary resuscitation