TY - JOUR
T1 - Difficulties with neurological prognostication in a young woman with delayed-onset generalised status myoclonus after cardiac arrest due to acute severe asthma
AU - Rajamani, Arvind
AU - Seppelt, Ian
AU - Bourne, Joan
PY - 2011/4
Y1 - 2011/4
N2 - Neurological prognostication in cardiac arrest survivors is difficult, especially when the primary etiology is respiratory arrest. Prognostic factors designed to have zero false-positive rates to robustly confirm poor outcome are usually inadequate to rule out poor outcomes (i.e., high specificity and low sensitivity). One of the least understood prognosticators is generalised status myoclonus (GSM), with case reports confusing GSM, isolated myoclonic jerks and post-hypoxic intention myoclonus (Lance Adams syndrome [LAS]). With several prognostic indicators (including status myoclonus) having been validated in the pre-hypothermia era, their current relevance is debatable. New modalities such as brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and continuous electroencephalography are being evaluated. We describe here a pregnant woman resuscitated from a cardiac arrest due to acute severe asthma, and an inability to reach a consensus based on published guidelines, with a brief overview of myoclonus, LAS and the role of MRI brain in assisting prognostication.
AB - Neurological prognostication in cardiac arrest survivors is difficult, especially when the primary etiology is respiratory arrest. Prognostic factors designed to have zero false-positive rates to robustly confirm poor outcome are usually inadequate to rule out poor outcomes (i.e., high specificity and low sensitivity). One of the least understood prognosticators is generalised status myoclonus (GSM), with case reports confusing GSM, isolated myoclonic jerks and post-hypoxic intention myoclonus (Lance Adams syndrome [LAS]). With several prognostic indicators (including status myoclonus) having been validated in the pre-hypothermia era, their current relevance is debatable. New modalities such as brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and continuous electroencephalography are being evaluated. We describe here a pregnant woman resuscitated from a cardiac arrest due to acute severe asthma, and an inability to reach a consensus based on published guidelines, with a brief overview of myoclonus, LAS and the role of MRI brain in assisting prognostication.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79960773144&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.4103/0972-5229.83010
DO - 10.4103/0972-5229.83010
M3 - Review article
C2 - 21814383
AN - SCOPUS:79960773144
SN - 0972-5229
VL - 15
SP - 137
EP - 139
JO - Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine
JF - Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine
IS - 2
ER -