Health-related quality of life improves during the first six months after cardiac arrest and hypothermia treatment

Abstract

Aim of the study: To investigate whether there were any changes in and correlations between anxiety, depression and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) over time, between hospital discharge and one and six months after cardiac arrest (CA), in patients treated with therapeutic hypothermia (TH).

Method: During a 4-year period at three hospitals in Sweden, 26 patients were prospectively included after CA treated with TH. All patients completed the questionnaires Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Euroqol (EQ5D), Euroqol visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS) and Short Form 12 (SF12) at three occasions, at hospital discharge, and at one and 6 months after CA.

Result: There was improvement over time in HRQoL, the EQ5D index (p=0.002) and the SF12 physical component score (PCS) (p=0.005). Changes over time in anxiety and depression were not found. Seventy-three percent of patients had an EQ-VAS score below 70 (scale 0-100) on overall health status at discharge from hospital; at 6 months the corresponding figure was 41%. Physical problems were the most common complaint affecting HRQoL. A correlation was found between depression and HRQoL, and this was strongest at six months (rs=-0.44 to -0.71, p≤0.001).

Conclusion: HRQoL improves over the first 6 months after a CA. Patients reported lower levels of HRQoL on the physical as compared to mental component. The results indicate that the less anxiety and depression patients perceive, the better HRQoL they have and that time can be an important factor in recovery after CA.

Keywords: Cardiac arrest; Outcome; Quality of life; Therapeutic hypothermia.