The effect of carbon dioxide on near-death experiences in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors: a prospective observational study
Critical Care April 8, 2010 Zalika Klemenc–ketiš, Janko Kersnik, Štefek Grmec 82 citations
About 21% of cardiac arrest survivors report near-death experiences (NDEs). Higher levels of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in exhaled breath and arterial blood, as well as higher serum potassium, were linked to more frequent and intense NDEs. A logistic regression model accounting for 46% of the variance identified elevated CO₂ as an independent predictor of NDE occurrence; a linear regression model explained 34% of the variance in NDE scores, with higher CO₂, higher potassium, and prior NDEs as independent predictors. These associations had not been previously reported.