Question 28

Discuss your approach to prognostication of neurological outcome in adult ICU patients after successful cardiovascular resuscitation following out of hospital cardiac arrest. Your answer should include the following headings:
a) Guidelines. (2 marks)
b) General approach and clinical factors. (3 marks)
c) Investigations, and their role in prognostication. (5 marks)

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College answer

Syllabus topic/section:

2.1.8    Neurological Intensive Care / Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy: L1

Discussion:  

Candidates demonstrated the standard required if they addressed their answer as per the 3 parts of the question, showed a clearly thought-out process of neuroprognostication and acknowledged a multi-modal approach with repeated examination and appropriate timing.
Candidates who were not familiar with any guidelines or able to reference them and/or were unclear regarding clinical features, relevant investigations and timing of neuroprognostication indicators did not demonstrate the standard required and marks were allocated accordingly.

Below standard

At standard

Above standard

Guidelines

Specific mention of >=1 relevant guideline (NCCS, ILCOR or ESICM), but not linked to rest of the answer

Specific reference to

>=1 relevant guideline, including

how it informs the answer

As per standard AND some critical discussion

(2 marks)

0-0.5 marks

1.0 mark

1.5-2.0 marks

General approach and clinical factors

Poorly structured with minimal discussion about general approach;

omits timing of assessment; or does not acknowledge prognostic uncertainty

Appropriate structure. Includes timing,

AND

integration of multiple parameters

OR

Favourable + Poor indicators

Includes Timing AND

Integration of multiple parameters

AND

favourable + poor indicators AND

Prognostic uncertainty

/ Values-based care

(3 marks)

0-1.0 marks

1.5-2.0 marks

2.5-3.0 marks

Investigations and role in prognostication

Incomplete list of basic investigations (CT, MRI, electrophysiology [EEG and/or N20], and laboratory investigations) or minimal description of basic interpretation of chosen investigations

Complete list as per below standard and description of key prognostic features of each investigation

As per standard with detailed description including timing, reliability and controversies

(5 marks)

0-2.0 marks

2.5-3.5 marks

4.0-5.0 marks

Discussion

a) Guidelines:

  • The main guidelines are the 2023 NCS guidelines and the 2021 ESICM/ERC guidelines.
  • Both guidelines agree on a multimodal approach to prognostication
  • ESICM: poor prognosis if < M3 motor score at >72hrs post ROSC, plus any two or more of the factors they list.
  • NCCS: offer a list of reliable and unreliable markers

b)

General approach:

  • Multimodal assessment: use several techniques concurrently to help form an opinion
  • Timing: not before 24 hours; ideally at 72-120 hours
  • Clinical features are especially susceptible to time context, i.e. need to exclude the effects of sedation and hypothermia

Clinical features associated with a poor outcome:

  • History: 
    • Initial rhythm (PEA or asystole)
    • unwitnessed
    • delayed CPR
    • CPR for longer than 20 minutes
  • Examination:
    • Unreactive pupils
    • Absent corneal reflex 
    • Status myoclonus
    • GCS motor score < 3
  • High false positive rate with clinical examination alone
  • Confounded by sedation and cooling

c)

  • Imaging findings associated with a poor outcome:
    • CT: loss of grey-white differentiation (inversed gray/white matter ratio in Hounsfield units)
      • Early (<24hr) CT may fail to demonstrate these findings; poor negative predictive value (i.e. a normal CT does not rule out a bad outcome)
    • MRI: early increased signal intensity on DWI and diffusion restriction on ADC
      •  Good positive and negative predictive value at days 2-7
  • Neurophysiological studies associated with a poor outcome:
    • EEG: Absence of reactivity, burst suppression, suppressed background, or status epilepticus within the first 72 hrs
      • False positive rate 0-7%
    • SSEP: absence of the N20 component with median nerve stimulation
      • Very low false positive rate (close to 0%) even in cooled patients
  • Biomarkers associated with a poor outcome:
    • NSE over 33μg/L at 1-3 days post CPR
      • No uniformly accepted threshold 
    • S100 calcium-binding protein B
      • Remains largely experimental

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