Title:Efficacy of Glucocorticoid Administration in Patients with Cardiac
Arrest: A Systematic Review of Clinical Studies
Volume: 29
Issue: 1
Author(s): Adeleh Sahebnasagh, Farhad Najmeddin, Atabak Najafi, Fatemeh Saghafi, Amin Salehi-Abargouei, Arezoo Ahmadi, Shahideh Amini, Mojtaba Mojtahedzadeh*Hamidreza Sharifnia
Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, The Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (TIPS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran,Iran
Keywords:
Cardiac arrest, glucocorticoids, glycocalyx shedding, post-resuscitation syndrome, return of spontaneous circulation, survival.
Abstract: Background: The pathophysiology of cardiac arrest (CA) involves over-activation of
systemic inflammatory responses, relative adrenal insufficiency, and glycocalyx damage. Corticosteroids
have beneficial effects in preventing the perturbation of the endothelial glycocalyx.
Objectives: The aim of this systematic review was to determine the efficacy of glucocorticoids
in patients with cardiac arrest.
Methods: We searched PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Cochrane
central register for relevant clinical trials and cohort studies until September 2019.
Results: We retrieved 7 peer-reviewed published studies for the systematic review. Two studies
were clinical trials evaluating 147 patients, while five illustrated cohort design, evaluating
196,192 patients. In total, 196,339 patients were assessed. There was limited evidence and conflicting
results to establish a correlation between glucocorticoids and the survival of patients suffering
from cardiac arrest. However, the links between these medications and survival-to-admission,
survival-to discharge, and 1-year survival rates were strong and consistent in observational
studies.
Conclusion: The clinical evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of glucocorticoids in CA is
limited to observational studies with inconsistent methodology and few clinical trials with a
small sample size. Nevertheless, it seems that glucocorticoid supplementation during and after
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may have beneficial effects in terms of survival-to-admission,
survival to discharge, 1-year survival rates, and an improved return of spontaneous circulation
(ROSC) rate, especially in patients with hemodynamic instability and cardiovascular diseases
(i.e., refractory hemodynamic shock). Future studies with high-quality, large-scale, long-term
intervention and precise baseline characteristics are needed to evaluate the exact effective dose,
duration, and efficacy of glucocorticoids in CA.