Project HOPE
Hypoxia and Outcome-Prediction
in Early-Stage Coma (Project HOPE):
Towards an Improvement of Clinical and Electrophysiological Predictors.
HOPE is the first multicentre prospective cohort study on coma prognosis to control for the effect of a possible self-fulfilling prophecy at the ICU and to cover the acute and neurorehabiltation phases with a long-term follow-up longer than the usual three or six months. Follow-up accuracy is ensured by the fact that, unlike most previous studies, we employ a behavioural scale more sensitive than the Glasgow Coma Scale. We strongly believe that we will be able to make a significant contribution with HOPE to the revision and improvement of current outcome prediction methods in Anoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (AIE) patients. As a result, neurocritical care specialists worldwide will have considerably more accurate methods for prognosticating the outcome of AIE following cardiac arrest. This will facilitate the provision of treatment tailored to individual patients, thus improving the life of patients as well as their caregivers. It will also inform the decision to withdraw treatment with a level of accuracy never seen before in the field.
