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Lymphopaenia in cardiac arrest patients
Paola Villois1, David Grimaldi1, Savino Spadaro2
1Department of Intensive Care, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Route de Lennik, 808, 1070, Brussels, Belgium.
Annals of Intensive Care
|August 16, 2017
Summary
Lymphopenia, a low lymphocyte count, is common in cardiac arrest survivors. It is linked to poor outcomes, especially after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Critical Care Medicine
- Cardiology
Background:
- Lymphopenia is a known poor prognostic marker in septic shock.
- Limited data exist on lymphopenia following cardiac arrest (CA).
- This study investigates lymphopenia's impact after successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the prognostic significance of lymphopenia after cardiac arrest.
- To determine the association between lymphocyte count and outcomes in CA survivors.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of adult CA patients (2007-2014) surviving >24 hours.
- Collected demographic, CA-related data, ICU mortality, and lymphocyte counts (admission and 48h).
- Defined unfavorable neurological outcome as Cerebral Performance Category 3-5 at 3 months.
Main Results:
- 377 patients analyzed; 40% had lymphopenia (<1000/mm³).
- Lower lymphocyte counts correlated with higher ICU mortality and unfavorable neurological outcomes.
- Lymphopenia was an independent predictor of poor outcomes specifically in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients.
Conclusions:
- Low lymphocyte counts are prevalent in cardiac arrest survivors.
- Lymphopenia is associated with adverse outcomes, particularly in OHCA cases.
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