Targeted temperature management (TTM) is indicated for comatose survivors of cardiac arrest to improve outcomes. However, the benefit of TTM was verified by rigid controlled clinical trials. This study aimed at evaluating its effects in real-world practices. A prospective observational study was done at the emergency department of tertiary care, Thammasat Hospital, from March 2012 until October 2015. We included all who did not obey verbal commands after being resuscitated from cardiac arrest regardless of initial cardiac rhythm. We excluded patients with traumatic arrest, uncontrolled bleeding, younger than 15 years old, and of poor neurological status (Glasgow coma scale below 14) before cardiac arrest. Primary and secondary outcomes were survival to hospital discharge and favorable neurological outcome (Cerebral Performance Categories 1 or 2 within 30 days). We used the logistic regression model to estimate the propensity score (PS) that will be used as a weight in the analysis. To analyze outcomes, the PS was introduced as a factor in the final logistic regression model in conjunction with other factors. A total of 192 cases, 61 and 131 patients, were enrolled in TTM and non-TTM groups, respectively. Characteristics believed to be related to initiation of TTM: gender, age, cardiac etiology, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, witness arrest, collapse time, initial rhythm, received defibrillation, and advanced airway insertion, were included in multivariable analysis and estimated PS. After adjusted regression analysis with PS, the TTM group had a better result in survival to hospital discharge (34.43% vs. 12.21%; adjusted incidence risk ratio (IRR), 2.95; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.49-5.84; p = 0.002). For neurological outcome, the TTM group had a higher number of favorable neurological outcomes (24.59% vs. 6.87%; IRR, 3.96; 95% CI, 1.67-9.36; p = 0.002). In real-world practices without a strictly controlled environment, TTM can improve survival and favorable neurological outcome in postcardiac arrest patients regardless of initial rhythm.
Keywords: neurological outcome; outcome; resuscitated from cardiac arrest; survival to hospital discharge; targeted temperature management; therapeutic hypothermia.