Maintaining consciousness research during cardiac arrest in Spanish-speaking hospitals requires implementing effective ethical, clinical, and research practices. Following up on January’s editorial, we could further expand on various points.
Here are some best practices to consider:
1. Staff Training:
Providing patients and their families with the opportunity for in-person or virtual support through Icloby personnel who have experienced an NDE (Near-Death Experience) or have in-depth knowledge of them during the patient’s hospital stay and afterward at home is crucial. It is at home where questions begin to arise, and patients must integrate an experience they may not fully understand but know is real. This process involves:
- Understanding that what has been experienced serves a purpose and learning how to integrate it with one’s pre-existing life.
- Adjusting to changes and allowing them to happen.
- Managing depression.
- Being authentic and bringing coherence to one’s life.
- Finding meaning and purpose in the experience.
The Icloby team can provide this support altruistically.
2. Multidisciplinary Research:
Encouraging collaboration among different hospital departments (cardiology, neurology, psychiatry, anesthesia, intensive care, emergency medicine, obstetrics, etc.) so they are aware of the ongoing research. This could include clinical sessions explaining what an NDE is and what is being studied in a specific hospital department. Seeking support and collaboration is key
3. Publication of Results:
The first phase of research has been completed in some hospitals, and we are requesting the closure of patient records to begin publishing the first set of data. Since hospitals have joined the study gradually, partial data will not yet reflect the full number of patients currently included, which is substantial.
Over the course of the three phases, modifications to the results will be necessary. Some patients may pass away due to their condition, while others who initially did not express their experience—perhaps due to fear or difficulty in processing it—may later share their accounts, altering the initial findings.
It is also crucial to monitor and verify that the data recorded in the Case Report Form (CRF) matches the patient’s medical records.
4. Promoting the Publication and Dissemination of Findings: Encouraging the publication and dissemination of research findings in open-access journals and at conferences will enable the medical community to benefit from advancements in the understanding of consciousness post-cardiac arrest.
5. Ensuring Data Continuity: Planning strategies to prevent data loss in cases where the Principal Investigator may become ill, retire, or transfer to another hospital.
These practices can help advance the understanding of consciousness during and after cardiac arrest, maximizing benefits for patients and families while adhering to ethical and clinical standards.
Dra.. Lujan Comas
Presidenta FUNDACIÓN ICLOBY