Sex Difference on Neurological Outcomes and Post-Cardiac Arrest Care in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Patients Treated with Targeted Temperature Management: Post-Hoc Study of a Prospective, Multicenter, Observational Cohort Study

Abstract

Conflicting results regarding sex-based differences in the outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients have been reported. We aimed to evaluate the association between sex and neurological outcome as well as various in-hospital process in OHCA patients treated with targeted temperature management. We retrospectively analyzed a prospective registry data collected between October 2015 and December 2018. To evaluate the effect of sex on patient outcomes, we created various multivariable logistic regression models. When the results were adjusted using resuscitation variables and in-hospital variables, there was no significant difference (OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 0.85–1.74; OR = 1.13, 95 CI: 0.76–1.68, respectively). Regarding the in-hospital course, the daily total SOFA score was similar in both sexes, whereas cardiovascular scores were higher in women on days 2 and 3. The adjusted effect of sex was not associated with the clinician’s decision to perform early cardiac interventions, except for those men that had more extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (OR = 2.51, 95% CI: 1.11–5.66). The findings seems that men had more favorable 6-month neurological outcomes. However, after adjusting for confounders, there was no difference between the sexes. The results regarding in-hospital course were similar in men and women.