Early prognostic indices after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The Cerebral Resuscitation Study Group.

An early prediction score (EPS) is constructed as the sum of five events: the type of cardiac arrest is ventricular fibrillation; the type of respiratory arrest is gasping; pupil reaction is unequal, slow or normal, but present; swallowing activity is present and the cardiac arrest has been witnessed. Presence of any of these events contributes one point to the score, while absence contributes nothing to it. EPS during resuscitation results in a comparable amount of information, whether used to predict success, alive and conscious 14 days post-CPR or no-success. EPS early (10 min) after initially successful resuscitation is more effective in predicting no-success than success. EPS during CPR does not allow decision making as far as stopping or continuing CPR efforts. EPS early after CPR does neither allow decision making as far as stopping or continuing critical care efforts after initially successful CPR. EPS does, however, weigh the likelihood of success against that of no-success, which can be used when discussing the chances of the patient with his relatives.