Iskustva bliske smrti tijekom planiranog cirkulacijskog zastoja u kardiokirurgiji

Abstract

Near-death experiences (NDEs) are profound subjectiveevents reported by individuals who have come closeto death. In Western cultures, they often involve out-of-body perceptions (OBEs), feelings of peace, movingthrough a tunnel, and encountering lights or figures.While traditionally studied in unpredictable cardiacarrest or trauma, planned circulatory arrest during hypothermiccardiac surgery offers a unique, controlledmodel to investigate NDEs. This review summarizes definitions, incidence, typologies, and cultural variationsof NDEs and OBEs, emphasizing cardiac arrest research.We describe the literature search methodologyand synthesize findings: typical NDE features, whichvary by culture, occur in roughly 10–20% of survivors,with OBEs in ~2%. Planned hypothermic circulatory arrest(e.g., aortic arch repair) precisely times cardiac arrestand reperfusion, enabling systematic observationand interview. We discuss limitations of prior studies(anaesthetic effects, recall bias) and how induced arrestmay improve control over physiological and temporalvariables. Emerging tools such as virtual reality (VR)simulations can help patients articulate NDE memoriesand reduce trauma. Including the medical staff’s timelineand patient monitoring (ECG, blood gases, drug records)can corroborate subjective reports. We concludethat planned cardiac arrest settings could advance understandingof NDE mechanisms and support patientcare particularly when an adequate number of patientsare included.