CT brain perfusion patterns and clinical outcome after successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation: A pilot study

CT perfusion is a valuable tool for evaluating cerebrovascular diseases, but its role in patients with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy is unclear. This study aimed to investigate 1) the patterns of cerebral perfusion changes that may occur early on after successful resuscitation, and 2) their correlation with clinical outcome to explore their value for predicting outcome.

We conducted a retrospective analysis of perfusion maps from patients who underwent CT brain perfusion within 12 h following successful resuscitation. We classified the perfusion changes into distinct patterns. According to the cerebral performance category (CPC) score clinical outcome was categorised as favourable (CPC 1-2), or unfavourable (CPC 3-5).

A total of 87 patients were included of whom 33 had a favourable outcome (60.6% male, mean age 60 ± 16 years), whereas 54 exhibited an unfavourable outcome (59.3% male, mean age 60 ± 19 years). Of the patients in the favourable outcome group, 30.3% showed no characteristic perfusion changes, in contrast to the unfavourable outcome group where all patients exhibit changes in perfusion. Eighteen perfusion patterns were identified. The most significant patterns for prediction of unfavourable outcome in terms of their high specificity and frequency were hypoperfusion of the brainstem as well as coexisting hypoperfusion of the brainstem and thalamus.

This pilot study identified various perfusion patterns in patients after resuscitation, indicative of circulatory changes associated with post-cardiac-arrest brain injury. After validation, certain patterns could potentially be used in conjunction with other prognostic markers for stratifying patients and adjusting personalized treatment following cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Normal brain perfusion within 12 h after resuscitation is predictive of favourable outcome with high specificity.