A Bayesian Interpretation of a Pediatric Cardiac Arrest Trial (THAPCA-OH)
Michael O. Harhay, Bryan S. Blette, Anders Granholm, Frank W. Moler, Fernando G. Zampieri, Ewan C. Goligher, Monique M. Gardner, Alexis Topjian, Nadir Yehya
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest results in high morbidity and mortality. Currently, there are no recommended therapies beyond supportive care. The THAPCA-OH (Therapeutic Hypothermia after Pediatric Cardiac Arrest Out-of-Hospital) trial compared hypothermia (33.0°C) with normothermia (36.8°C) in 295 children. Good neurobehavioral outcome and survival at 1 year were higher in the hypothermia group (20 vs. 12% and 38 vs. 29%, respectively). These differences did not meet the planned statistical threshold of P75% for all informative prior integrations with the THAPCA-OH results, except those with the most pessimistic priors. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high probability that hypothermia provides a modest benefit in neurobehavioral outcome and survival at 1 year. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00878644.)