Survival after out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrest is a major milestone—but for patients and families, it marks the beginning of a long and uncertain recovery journey. Questions about cognition, physical function, emotional health, and quality of life often persist for months or longer, yet clinicians have limited long‑term data to guide expectations and care.
The POST‑ICECAP study, now enrolling at UNC Neurology, aims to close this critical knowledge gap by examining recovery over the first year after cardiac arrest. Unlike many prior studies that focus primarily on survival or short‑term neurologic outcomes, POST‑ICECAP follows survivors longitudinally to better understand functional, cognitive, emotional, and quality‑of‑life outcomes over time.
POST‑ICECAP is a clinical trial conducted within the NIH‑funded Strategies to Innovate EmeRgENcy Care Clinical Trials (SIREN) network, a national research consortium based in emergency medicine. The SIREN network focuses on improving care for patients with neurologic, cardiac, traumatic, respiratory, and hematologic emergencies through large‑scale, collaborative clinical trials.
Assistant Professor of Neurology
UNC’s participation in POST‑ICECAP is supported by a junior career development subaward within the SIREN network, designed to foster early career investigators leading impactful emergency care research at Duke & UNC. Dr. Lindsey Krawchuk was awarded the current subaward, building on work that helped establish UNC as a POST‑ICECAP site. The prior award was held by Dr. Clio Rubinos in 2024, reflecting sustained institutional engagement in SIREN‑supported research.
UNC investigators have contributed to multiple SIREN trials, including POST‑ICECAP, which is currently enrolling, and BOOST‑3, a large‑scale emergency neurology trial that UNC completed earlier this year. Together, these studies highlight UNC Neurology’s growing role in national emergency and neurocritical care research efforts.
Eligible POST‑ICECAP participants include patients admitted after an out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrest who are alive 30 days after the event. Study participation primarily involves follow‑up visits over 12 months—conducted by phone or in person—that assess daily function, cognition, mood, quality of life, and ongoing care needs. While direct medical benefit to participants is not guaranteed, the information collected is expected to improve counseling, rehabilitation planning, and long‑term support for future survivors and families.
By focusing on survivorship rather than survival alone, POST‑ICECAP addresses the questions that matter most after hospital discharge: what recovery looks like, who needs additional support, and how health systems can better serve patients after cardiac arrest. The study reflects UNC Neurology’s commitment to advancing care across the full continuum of emergency and neurocritical illness—from the emergency department to long‑term recovery.