Association between initial prescribed minute ventilation and post-resuscitation partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide in patients with post-cardiac arrest syndrome

Background: Post-cardiac arrest hypocapnia/hypercapnia have been associated with poor neurological outcome. However, the impact of arterial carbon dioxide (CO2) derangements during the immediate post-resuscitation period following cardiac arrest remains uncertain. We sought to test the correlation between prescribed minute ventilation and post-resuscitation partial pressure of CO2 (PaCO2), and to test the association between early PaCO2 and neurological outcome. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed a prospectively compiled single-center cardiac arrest registry. We included adult (age >= 18 years) patients who experienced a non-traumatic cardiac arrest and required mechanical ventilation. We analyzed initial post-resuscitation ventilator settings and initial arterial blood gas analysis (ABG) after initiation of post-resuscitation ventilator settings. We calculated prescribed minute ventilation: MV (mL/kg/min) = [[tidal volume (TV)/ideal body weight (IBW)] x respiratory rate (RR)] for each patient. We then used Pearson's correlation to test the correlations between prescribed MV and PaCO2. We also determined whether patients had normocapnia (PaCO2 between 30 and 50 mmHg) on initial ABG and tested the association between normocapnia and good neurological function (Cerebral Performance Category 1 or 2) at hospital discharge using logistic regression analyses. Results: Seventy-five patients were included. The majority of patients were in-hospital arrests (85%). Pulseless electrical activity/asystole was the initial rhythm in 75% of patients. The median (IQR) TV, RR, and MV were 7 (7 to 8) mL/kg, 14 (14 to 16) breaths/minute, and 106 (91 to 125) mL/kg/min, respectively. Hypocapnia, normocapnia, and hypercapnia were found in 15%, 62%, and 23% of patients, respectively. Good neurological function occurred in 32% of all patients, and 18%, 43%, and 12% of patients with hypocapnia, normocapnia, and hypercapnia respectively. We found prescribed MV had only a weak correlation with initial PaCO2, R = -0.40 (P < 0.001). Normocapnia was associated with good neurological function, odds ratio 4.44 (95% CI 1.33 to 14.85). Conclusions: We found initial prescribed MV had only a weak correlation with subsequent PaCO2 and that early Normocapnia was associated with good neurological outcome. These data provide rationale for future research to determine the impact of PaCO2 management during mechanical ventilation in post-cardiac arrest patients.