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Fatigue common a year after cardiac arrest

Fatigue, Anxiety and Depression 12 Months After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Population Based Cohort Study
Resuscitation · 2026-10 · Added 22 October 2026

A Victorian population-based cohort of 728 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors found fatigue in 35.8%, anxiety in 22.6% and depression in 18.0% at 12 months, with heavier symptom burden linked to worse quality of life, function and return to work.

Study type

Cohort

Design

Prospective population-based cohort

Participants

728 OHCA survivors (68.2% of those eligible) interviewed at 12 months in Victoria

Main finding

Fatigue 35.8%, anxiety 22.6%, depression 18.0%; fatigue exceeded population norms (SMD 0.64) and higher symptom burden tracked with worse EQ-5D, GOSE and return-to-work rates

Caveat

Self-reported symptoms with about a third of eligible survivors lost to follow-up

Bottom line

Context only

Learning goal

Recognise fatigue, anxiety and depression as common post-cardiac arrest survivors' needs when supporting recovery and follow-up.

More

• Topic: Cardiac arrest
• Daily scan: 22 October 2026
• Podcast: Paramedic Papers Daily, 22 October 2026

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