Effect of selenium on early outcomes after cardiopulmonary resuscitation : A preliminary report from a retrospective...

Administration of selenium, a trace element with antioxidative properties, has been shown to be beneficial in critically ill patients.

In this retrospective study, we analyzed the influence of selenium treatment on the outcome of patients after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) following cardiac arrest.

We retrospectively analyzed selenium plasma levels, neurological performance by Cerebral Performance Categories (CPC), and survival to discharge of 28 resuscitated patients receiving selenium treatment of any cause 24, 48, or 72 h after CPR. All patients received a 1000 µg selenium bolus, followed by a 1000 µg continuous intravenous infusion during a 24 h period. Results were compared to matched controls of resuscitated patients without selenium administration within the first 72 h after CPR.

There were clearly distinct time courses of selenium plasma levels between the selenium and the control groups, and between the selenium groups depending on the timepoint of selenium administration after cardiac arrest. Patients receiving selenium within the first 48 h-and especially those with selenium administration within the first 24 h after CPR-showed significantly better neurological outcome, reflected by CPC, and significantly higher survival compared to controls.

This small observational study gives an indication of a possible improvement in neurological outcome and survival rate with early selenium treatment in patients after CPR.