Patterns of retinal hemorrhage associated with cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Hypoxia and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) have been proposed as causes of retinal hemorrhage (RH) in children evaluated for abusive head trauma (AHT). We sought to determine the prevalence and characteristics of RH in children who underwent CPR after cardiac arrest.

This was a prospective, single-center, consecutive observational study of 38 children (<18 years of age). Indirect ophthalmoscopic examination was completed by an ophthalmologist within 48 hours of CPR. Extensive medical records data were collected to assess for potential confounding factors. Outcomes included the presence and pattern of RH.

Of the 38 children, 20 had in-hospital arrest; 18 had out-of-hospital arrest. The median duration of CPR was 10 minutes. Seven children had RH, of whom 6 had an RH pattern consistent with coexistent medical conditions: 4 AHT diagnosable with nonocular findings, including subdural and subarachnoid hemorrhage, rib fractures, abdominal injury (RH pattern: diffuse, numerous, intraretinal and/or multilayered RH); 1 septic shock (RH pattern: 1-2 posterior pole RH); 1 ruptured arteriovenous malformation (RH pattern: 4-8 peripapillary RH). The seventh child had unwitnessed cardiac arrest due to nonfatal drowning and a single superficial intraretinal peripapillary hemorrhage.

CPR for cardiac arrest is rarely associated with RH, which, absent coexisting conditions causing retinal hemorrhage, are intraretinal, few in number, and located in the posterior pole. In children who have undergone CPR, when RH are multilayered, or are more than a few in number, or extend outside the posterior pole, another etiology for the RH should be sought.