J Korean Soc Emerg Med.  1999 Jun;10(2):158-164.

Serum Neuron Specific Enolase as Early Prognostic Marker of Neurologic Outcome after Cardiac Arrest

• Kim SW
• Chung SP
• Kang YS
• Kim TS
• Park KI
• Lee HS

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine that the assessment of serum neuron specific enolase(NSE) could provide a reliable early predictor of neurologic outcome after cardiac arrest.
METHODS
Prospective, observational study was performed from April 1996 to March 1998 at a university teaching hospital ED. Serum NSE concentrations were analysed twice at 24 and 48 hours after return of spontaneous circulation(ROSC). Neurologic outcome was categorized using cerebral performance category(CPC).
RESULTS
Twenty-nine patients(16 were men) were enrolled during the study period. The mean age was 50.8 years. Nine(31%) of them showed good outcome defied as CPC 1-3, and 20(69%) patients showed bad outcome defied as CPC 4-5. In the good outcome group, the serum NSE was revealed 33.8+/-9.3 ng/ml at 24 hours, 34.0+/-4.73 ng/ml at 48 hours. While in the bad outcome group, it was 99.5+/-11.7 ng/ml and 114.6+/-15.8 ng/ml. The NSE at 48hr after ROSC was more prescise than that of 24hr. When the cutoff value of 50 ng/ml at 48 hr, the sensitivity was 82%, and specificity was 93%.
CONCLUSION
This study suggest that the serum NSE may represent a valuable, noninvasive, and useful clinical tool for prediction of neurologic outcome after cardiac arrest.

MeSH Terms

Heart Arrest*
Hospitals, Teaching
Humans
Neurons*
Observational Study
Phosphopyruvate Hydratase*
Prospective Studies
Sensitivity and Specificity
Phosphopyruvate Hydratase