Prognosis, risk factors, and scoring model of patients resuscitated from traumatic cardiac arrest: A multicenter observational study in Japan.

Background: A subset of patients with traumatic cardiac arrest is salvageable when the reversible causes of cardiac arrest are promptly treated. However, prognosis and risk factors of survivors upon hospital admission after traumatic cardiac arrest remain unclear. We aimed to describe the outcomes, identify risk factors, and develop a simple risk-scoring model for patients resuscitated from traumatic cardiac arrest.

Methods: This observational multicenter study analyzed data from the Japan Trauma Data Bank from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2021. Patients who underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the emergency department and survived to the day after hospital admission for traumatic cardiac arrest were included. Factors associated with survival to hospital discharge were determined using mixed-effects multivariable logistic regression analysis. A simple scoring model was developed to stratify the probability of survival to hospital discharge.

Results: In total, 452 patients from 119 hospitals (median age, 64 years; 334 [74.4%] men) were included in the analysis. Of these, 130 (28.8%) survived until discharge. Penetrating injury, signs of life upon hospital arrival, and Injury Severity Score were significantly associated with survival at hospital discharge. A scoring model that assigned 1 point each for penetrating injury and signs of life upon hospital arrival effectively stratified the probability of survival to hospital discharge, with scores of 0, 1, and 2 corresponding to survival probabilities of 12.2%, 35.2%, and 83.3%, respectively.

Conclusion: This study described the outcomes and risk factors of patients resuscitated from traumatic cardiac arrest. Our simple scoring model effectively stratified the likelihood of survival to hospital discharge.

Level Of Evidence: Therapeutic/Care Management; Level III.