Microcirculatory Perfusion in Patients With Coma After Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest

Microcirculatory Perfusion as Measured by Sublingual SDF Imaging and NIRS in Patients With Coma After Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest Treated With Mild Therapeutic Hypothermia (TH) or Not Treated With Mild-TH

The hypothesis is: In patients after an out of hospital cardiac arrest, treated with therapeutic hypothermia (33°C) will be found significantly more microcirculatory abnormalities, compared to the same group of patients treated with 36°C.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the (sublingual) microcirculation in patients after an out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). The microcirculation is measured in this study by Sublingual Side Stream Darkfield (SDF) Imaging and Near InfraRed Spectroscopy (NIRS) at admission and after 12 and 24 hours.

Inclusion Criteria:

• out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
• > 18 years
• informed consent
• ROSC (return of spontaneous circulation) < 4 hours

Exclusion Criteria:

• recent maxillofacial surgery
• participation in other clinical trials