Recovery Potential After Cardiac Arrest Remains Unpredictable

Background: Withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy (WLST) is the most common cause of mortality among cardiac arrest survivors, even among those who do not have advance directives. At least, in part, decisions for WLST are made in accordance with a reasonable expectation of a patient's recovery potential. Critical care research is likely to be biased toward poor outcomes if patients subject to WLST are automatically determined to be fatally injured without allowing for recovery potential of some of these patients. This may lead to unduly pessimistic perceived prognoses and self-fulfilling prophecy. Objective: To determine the likelihood of recovery estimated by experts among post-arrest patients receiving WLST, in the absence of withdrawal. Design: Prospective cohort study. Participants/Methods: Comatose patients resuscitated from cardiac arrest at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center from 2010 to 2022 were included. Patients with advance directives limiting critical care or th more...