%0 Journal Article
%T The experiences of cardiac arrest survivors and their key supporters following cardiac arrest: A systematic review and meta-ethnography.
%A Southern C
%A Tutton E
%A Dainty KN
%A Seers K
%A Pearson NA
%A Couper K
%A Ellard DR
%A Perkins GD
%A Haywood KL
%J Resuscitation
%V 198
%N 0
%D 2024 May 26
%M 38548009
%F 6.251
%R 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2024.110188
%X OBJECTIVE: To review qualitative studies on the experience of sudden cardiac arrest survival from the perspective of both survivors and their key supporters, including family/close friends.
METHODS: A seven-step meta-ethnography and synthesis of qualitative evidence was undertaken, informed by the Meta-Ethnography Reporting Guidelines (eMERGe). Four major databases were searched (Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO; January 1995-January 2022, updated July 2023) for qualitative studies exploring survivors' and/or key supporters' experiences of cardiac arrest survival. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation - Confidence in Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research (GRADE-CERQual) were applied to evaluate the overall confidence in research findings. Constructs were identified from each paper, informing theme and sub-theme development.
RESULTS: From 15,917 unique titles/abstracts and 196 full-text articles, 32 met the inclusion criteria. Three themes captured the survivors' experiences: 1) Making sense of my cardiac arrest; 2) Learning to trust my body and mind; and 3) Re-evaluating my life. A further three themes reflected key supporters' experiences: 1) Emotional turmoil; 2) Becoming a carer: same person but different me; and 3) Engaging with a new and unknown world. However, limited data and some methodological weaknesses in included studies reduced confidence in several themes. The findings were conceived within the overarching concept of 'negotiating a new normal'.
CONCLUSIONS: The enduring psychosocial and physical sequelae of cardiac arrest survival substantially impacts the lives of survivors and their key supporters, requiring negotiation of their 'new normality'. The need for sense-making, physical and psychological recovery, and the new roles for key supporters should be strong considerations in the development of future interventions.