Objectives: To evaluate racial and ethnic disparities in postcardiac arrest outcomes in patients undergoing targeted temperature management.
Design: Retrospective study.
Setting: ICUs in a single tertiary care hospital.
Patients: Three-hundred sixty-seven patients undergoing postcardiac arrest targeted temperature management, including continuous electroencephalogram monitoring.
Interventions: None.
Measurements and main results: Clinical variables examined in our clinical cohort included race/ethnicity, age, time to return of spontaneous circulation, cardiac rhythm at time of arrest, insurance status, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and time to withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy. CT at admission and continuous electroencephalogram monitoring during the first 24 hours were used as markers of early injury. Outcome was assessed as good (Cerebral Performance Category 1-2) versus poor (Cerebral Performance Category 3-5) at hospital discharge. White non-Hispanic ("White") patients were more likely to have good outcomes than white Hispanic/nonwhite ("Non-white") patients (34.4 vs 21.7%; p = 0.015). In a multivariate model that included age, time to return of spontaneous circulation, initial rhythm, combined electroencephalogram/CT findings, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and insurance status, race/ethnicity was still independently associated with poor outcome (odds ratio, 3.32; p = 0.003). Comorbidities were lower in white patients but did not fully explain outcomes differences. Nonwhite patients were more likely to exhibit signs of early severe anoxic changes on CT or electroencephalogram, higher creatinine levels and receive dialysis, but had longer duration to withdrawal of lifesustaining therapy. There was no significant difference in catheterizations or MRI scans. Subgroup analysis performed with patients without early electroencephalogram or CT changes still revealed better outcome in white patients.
Conclusions: Racial/ethnic disparity in outcome persists despite a strictly protocoled targeted temperature management. Nonwhite patients are more likely to arrive with more severe anoxic brain injury, but this does not account for all the disparity.