Abstract
Prognostication of comatose patients after cardiac arrest presents many challenges. Most clinicians rely upon clinical neurological examination findings to predict outcome. The outcome is usually considered unfavorable when a patient experiences persistent brainstem dysfunction. However, prognostic scales, which rely upon brainstem dysfunction alone, are flawed. Some patients with brainstem dysfunction recover while patients with preserved brainstem function often die without awakening as a result of irreversible destruction of the cerebral cortex.
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Rothstein, T.L. (2004). Recovery from near Death Following Cerebral Anoxia. In: Machado, C., Shewmon, D.A. (eds) Brain Death and Disorders of Consciousness. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 550. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-306-48526-8_17
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-306-48526-8_17
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